Balance of Power - Perfect Balance (2001)
Retaining melodic hard rock sensibilities with progressive metallic flair, Balance of Power is back with their fourth and best release to date. Although at first some tracks may not appear to measure up to the intense and overwhelming emotions set forth in previous songs like "Blind Man" and "Savage Tears" (from "Ten More Tales…"), an overall look at this cd will reveal that it is better in several aspects. The most noticeable is the fact that it flows better and is more cohesive. After a couple listens you will find that the power and emotion is even more present than ever! Superb and intelligent lyrics have been one part of what makes this band great and there is no lack of that here. The lyrics are deep, poetic and survey life from a fresh and positive prospective. The music on here is bit heavier and yet somehow even more melodic than previous releases. An incredible combination of the technical and the accessible is presented. The guitars are thick with powerful staggering riffs and fluid-like lead work. The keyboards are brought in at just the right times and in just the right amounts to compliment the structure of the music. The choruses are big and catchy with amazing harmonies. I found myself singing along to almost every song by the end of my first listen! Lance Kings vocals have an incredible range that rival Geoff Tate (Queensryche) and really set these guys apart from any other band in this genre. This cd is sure to captivate, at times overwhelm, and take the listener on a musical journey. The production is also top-notch. I can honestly say this is one of my all-time favorite prog-metal recordings. Fans of great melodic AOR hard rock like House of Lords will want to check this out as well as fans of great progressive metal such as Dream Theater. -- Review by Norm