Balance of Power - Perfect Balance

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-very much European power metal only without the speed-with some progressive touches here and there (Queensryche is clearly an influence, for example). The combination of AOR and power metal is very unusual. The results are very effective. Is there a more appropriately titled band than Britain's Balance of Power? If there is, I don't know about it.

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, unfortunately, it 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, refreshing and unique in a world where nearly all of the European-style power metal bands sound naerly the same. Perfect Balance isn't a perfect album (Ten More Tales of Grand Illusion was better), but if you're looking for a band that balances melody and power, try Balance of Power. You may be pleasantly surprised.

rating:
8.0

The Best: Balance of Power's ability to write songs that are both powerful and catchy.
The Worst: Sometimes BOP comes off as a bit too sappy with the occasional melody line.
The Weird: Lyricist and original vocalist Tony Ritchie returns to the band's line-up after two albums-as the bass guitarist!
The Rest: Though most of the band members are from Britain, vocalist Lance King is from the U.S.

Review by Joesph White-

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