Perfect Balance {2001}
“In the summer of 2001, Balance of Power released their fourth CD, Perfect Balance. Although the band has had lineup changes since they released their first CD in 1997, with this current grouping of players it seems they really have achieved that perfect balance they were striving for.”
“Higher Than The Sun opens the CD crisply, with nice keyboard work by Leon Lawson (not a full time band member) that sets the tone and pace, joined by a nice driving twin guitar crunch from Pete Southern and Bill Yates. Add the spot-on vocals from Lance King and this is a solid opening track. Although piano may be featured in the intro to "Shelter Me it steps aside for that twin axe attack again. This time the guitars have a wicked middle-eastern sound to them while drummer Lionel Hicks brings out a cannon of a drum line adding a heavy taste to the mix. The chorus of this song is one well written hook that you may find yourself singing along to. Fire Dance opens with a good drum track and a strong bass line from Tony Ritchie that continue in that middle eastern sounding vibe.”
“An even-paced, frenetic energy pervades Pleasure Rooms with Lionel again setting the tone and pace with his drum lines while Pete and Bill add a tasty guitar crunch that rounds it out nicely. I feel the songs on this CD are of a hybrid AOR/progressive metal breed, as they demonstrate the musicianship of the progressive metal side and the strong chorus hooks of the AOR side to blend for a rockin' outcome. A brief female spoken-word narrative opens Pleasure Rooms before Lance picks up the vocals. Bass player Tony Ritchie, the original vocalist, also handles backing vocals and he complements Lance's leads well. This song is slower in tempo and pace and a bit darker and heavier, but that does not make it a ballad - it still packs plenty of rockin' punch.”
“Tony and Lionel team up again rhythmically for the intro to Killer or the Cure, while Lance opens his vocals in the lower end of his range. Lance has a very well-developed range as he handles both low and upper registers with ease. Keys again open House of Cain for a different pace, while the twin axe attack is back from Pete and Bill. Excellent backing harmonies from Tony add a nice full sound to the vocal side of this track. Hard Life switches to a different style, as an Oriental vibe shows throughout with Lionel's drums really making their prescience heard clearly.”
“The CD reluctantly draws to a close with Searching For The Truth which closes the disc with the same boundless energy that opened it. Full-on and hard-charging performances from all the members all come together in a synergy that really packs a punch.”
“As I mentioned, I feel that this Balance of Power disc is a solid melding of both AOR and progressive metal that has delivered a solid rocking performance. Anyone looking to add to their collection of this genre of music won't be disappointed with Perfect Balance as it lives up to its name.”
Coldie, Progrock.com
“TPRS.com's runner up for best CD of 2001, Balance Of Power's Perfect Balance is a melodic progressive metal masterpiece.
Lance King's vocal performance on this release is in the same league as TNT's Tony Harnell. However, while the material
Harnell has sang on for the past 14 years or so has been mediocre at best, BOP's majestic songs definitely balance the thin line of pure progressive and classy melodic metal.”
“ If lead track Higher Than The Sun does not lure you in, most definitely Shelter Me will. While it may have a very slight modern vibe to it, the dominating Dream Theateresque chorus and soloing points the track into the right direction. Fire Dance will have you thinking back to Crimson Glory's Transcendence CD. Pete Southern and Bill well placed keyboards throughout the CD.”
“ A must purchase for classy melodic metal fans who love their singers with the ability to still hit the high notes and musicians who play with technical flash and hot solos. Extremely impressive, this is not a band you would want as your opening act every night on tour!”
The Pure Rock Shop
“
Every metal fan - no matter how heavy or true - has a few bands in his cd rack that are best categorized as guilty pleasures. For this reviewer, Balance of Power is
definitely one. I was first introduced to these British metallists when I picked up their 2000 release, Ten More Tales of Grand Illusion<, and - despite
my best efforts to disparage it - quickly found myself addicted to its infectious blend of power/progressive metal and arena rock. Not as sophisticated as Dream Theater, not
as progressive as Spiral Architect, not as heavy as Vanden Plas, not as artistic as Styx. Balance of Power nonetheless has a tremendous gift for melody and rhythm that grabs you and won't let go.
”
“ The band got its start in the mid-90s, when guitarist Bill Yates and drummer Lionel Hicks helped to form the group's nucleus with Ivan Gunn and Tony Ritchie. Their initial release, When the World Falls Down was released in Japan and Europe in 1997. Shortly thereafter the band added lead guitarist Pete Southern and, seeking a singer with greater range, replaced Ritchie with U.S. vocalist Lance King and began work on their second album, Book of Secrets. Released in 1998, it was well-received by critics in the underground. Failing to gain backing for a tour of Europe, the group went back to the studio to make Ten More Tales of Grand Illusion, which hit record shops in the United States in early 2000.”
“ A marked maturation for the band, it was again a hit with fans of melodic progressive metal. The band has followed this effort strongly with Perfect Balance. After previewing only four sound clips, I realized I couldn't pass on this one, whatever feelings of guilt I might have. What's new here? Not much. You're still going to get a solid mix of big, bright power choruses; chunky little verse riffs; and impeccable double-bass syncopation. But there is one positive development here that should be mentioned Perfect Balance is notably heavier than its predecessor. Gone is any trace of the to-puke-for ballads that have marred earlier Balance of Power efforts.”
“ Here we just get charged, up-tempo numbers. Most stunning is Killer or the Cure; which is chock-full of killer riffs and the stentorian voice of King, who truly excels as the group's vocalist, always right on the mark with all his vocal tracks. Other stand-outs include Shelter Me with its massive, sing-along chorus and "House of Pain which demonstrates how well Balance of Power marries keyboards and guitars. And lest the eternal Queensryche influence on the genre be forgotten, we get the seductive, alluring Pleasure Rooms which will make the Tate fans swoon.”
“ The group's musicians are all quite impressive. Yates and Southern craft a tone and sound that is quite aggressive (but not deadly) and ambitious, and they have a great chemistry with each other and their band mates. The drums of Hicks really stand out as well; his sound is fantastic and he has a wonderful sense of dynamics and syncopation that makes each groove precise and riveting. All in all, it's an interesting blend of musical elements that - while neither revolutionary nor exceedingly artistic - is quite rich. ”
Ladd Everitt, Tmetal.com - Transcending the Mundane Review
Find out more about this album in the discography >>
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