Customer Reviews

Perfect Balance

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While alot of Power Metal / Prog Metal bands seem to have this idea that you can write a decent song without Harmonies if you just add a ton of flare, Balance gets back to basics. Heavy guitars, soaring vocals, and Harmonies!!!

Ok, so they are all the same guy dubbed. But what ropes you in? The production of a song? Or the fact that the band puts 100% effort into their work? Most people are caught by production...

In my opinion, Balance delivers both.

if you like this genre, like me, then this is a worthy addition to your collection. Good rhythm work, and strong, melodic DT/Queensryche vocals. Not amazing, but well above average with good production.

I had never heard of Balance of Power till a friend told me to get this album,so i did,and i must say wow this is great classic rock/metal for a new millenuim.Powerful vocal's which would be a cross of Dream Theater and Yes,seething guiatar rythm's with a very crisp edge,and pummeling drums that have some of the best bass drum production sounds i've ever heard.All songs are catchy and have you singing with them at times with great chorus's,also each song has its on depth and lots of vocal harmonies to go around.So if you like good solid metal without any of today's flash then check these guys out,you won't regret it.

With all this NU Metal [STUFF] polluting the American music scene, it's nice to discover a rarety like Balance of Power. Lance King has an amazing voice and layers rich harmonies on most of the tracks on this release. Tunes like "One Voice" and "Shelter Me" get that classic Guitar / Double Bass Pedal groove completely void in American Nu Metal. This is a band that delivers 110% of it's energy to the music. Fans of TNT looking for something a little harder in edge will love Balance. Definatly a must have for any TRUE metal fan.

I have recently started listening to power/prog metal, but I have been listening to hard rock/metal for a long time. Balance of Power is one of the most appealing bands that I have heard in a long time. Their latest effort, Perfect Balance, is packed with great guitar, drum, and vocal riffs! The band seems to have great chemistry, as far as playing and writing songs. Their lyrics deal with everyday life that bring forth a great positive message, unlike most of the bands within this genre that only sing about dragons and wizards! Lance King's vocals are some of the best I have ever heard, without a doubt! BOP's vocals are the quality of Queensryche's or Europe's, but the music has the crunch of King's X or even Metallica! If you are like me and like hard hitting music with great vocals, this is the band for you!

Balance of Power is a most unusual band. The vocals and vocal melodies nail AOR legends Journey, Boston and Styx almost perfectly. But the music is all power metal. It is very much in a European power metal vein only without the speed. There are some progressive touches here and there as well (Queensryche comes to mind). The combination of AOR and power metal is very unusual. The results are very effective.

1. "Higher than the Sun" - A great, vocally soaring tune that conjures up images of Boston, Journey and, musically, a plethora of European power metal bands. Great song!
2. "Shelter Me" - This beautiful piano driven piece (at least early on) combines the best of Styx and Journey but also contains plenty of power metal intensity. This may be the best song on the disc.
3. "Fire Dance" - A slower song but still intense, "Fire Dance" reminds me of Queensryche and Styx. Not my favorite song on Perfect Balance, but it is still okay.
4. "One Voice" - Another song much like the first two tracks. This tune showcases the bands musicianship a bit more as guitars and keyboards duel during the bridge. I don't know how Balance of Power comes up with all these catchy vocal melodies, but they do. Another good song.
5. "The Pleasure Room" - Balance of Power has a habit of always including a song or two on every album that has slow, almost melancholic verses that shift to a soaring chorus. This is one of those songs. Good stuff.
6. "Killer Or the Cure" - Like track five, this song starts off fairly slow but picks up as it goes. There is some really nice crunchy guitar work present, too. The chorus soars as the song is a bit darker in tone than the previous tracks. Balance of Power may be one-half AOR, but they do know how to be dark and ominous from time to time. This track shows BOP's diversity but it also never quite captures this listener.
7. "House of Cain" - This song is dark. But unlike track six, "House of Cain" is a song that captivates me. The verses feel deep and dark and the chorus is ominous and powerful. Good tune.
8. "Hard Life" - This song opens with some really cool guitar riffs. Unfortunately, the chorus is a bit too unimaginative and sappy for my tastes. A slower paced song, this piece really could of used some better vocal melodies.
9. "Searching for the Truth" - This mid-paced rocker ends the album well enough. The song has some cool machine gun guitar riffs and some very unusual but beautiful vocal melodies. The song, in its own way, sums up the band and this album perfectly. Good song.

My song reviews were short but I hope they were descriptive enough. Balance of Power is a great band and with Perfect Balance, their fourth release, the recipe of tasty AOR vocal melodies coupled with power metal continues to produce some delightful results. Are their AOR-type melodies groundbreaking? No. Is their brand of power metal earth shaking? Not at all. But the combination of the two is innovative. Or, at the least, it is refreshing and unique in a world where nearly all of the European-style power metal bands sound the same. Perfect Balance isn't a perfect album, but if you're looking for a band that balances melody and power, try Balance of Power's Perfect Balance.

What can I say, WOW!! Great band, awesome singer, fantastic songs.

Short but sweet review here, not a bad song to be found.

The only problem with this cd is that it was Lance Kings last performance with BOP and he moved on to pastures new, after this album BOP were never the same. This one is without doubt their best, their finest moment and the smart band would have called it quits here and gone out on a high after losing such a talented vocalist.

So if you want the best they have to offer this is the one you want, my recommendation is to get the japanese import as it features 2 bonus tracks which are just as good as the rest of the them and as I keep hearing, the jap imports have the best sound quality too.

This album is very well-named, because it is phenonemal! The melodies are great and Lance King's vocals are amazing. Some of my favorite tracks are "Shelter Me," "Fire Dance," and "The Pleasure Room" (which I like so much that my online radio show is named after it!) Check this out; you will not be disappointed!

This album is very well-named, because it is phenonemal! The melodies are great and Lance King's vocals are amazing. Some of my favorite tracks are "Shelter Me," "Fire Dance," and "The Pleasure Room" (which I like so much that my online radio show is named after it!) Check this out; you will not be disappointed!

The title is perfect for the album. This is one of the heaviest metal albums out there. I haven't heard a record from the U.K. like this in some time. The balance of metal and even harder metal is superb on this. This is going to join the ranks of Celtic Frost, Slayer, and S.O.D. It gets my seal.

-FM