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Balance of Power is a British progressive metal band. From 1998 through 2001 the band was led by lead American vocalist Lance King (King's Machine). In 2002, after a successful tour, Lance left the band and Balance of Power employed new singer John K.
Balance of Power - When the World Falls Down (Anthem) 1997
1. "96.11.28;14:00"
(:49)
2. "Against All Odds" (5:08)
3. "Overnight Sensation" (4:31)
4. "Can't Close the Book" (5:07)
5. "Hide Your Heart" (5:44)
6. "Balance of Power" (6:10)
7. "Don't Wait Until Tomorrow" (5:26)
8. "Something for Your Head" (5:57)
9. "When Love is On Your Side" (6:55)
10. "The Real Thing (Carry on Dreaming)" (6:35)
11. "These Are the Days" (5:07)
12. "If You Ever Needed Someone" (4:40)
13. "Summers Over" (5:09)
Balance of Power's debut album has some striking similarities to their following albums, but is also quite different. The biggest and most noticable difference is that original vocalist Tony Ritchie sounds nothing like Lance King. The other noticable difference is that the song writing seems less complex and more on the commercial, melodic hard rock side of the musical spectrum. That is not to say this is a bad cd at all, however. Actually it is quite enjoyable and I can't imagine any fan of the band's other releases not also liking this disc. What I will say is that adding Lance King to the band was a wise decision as his voice adds quite a bit to their sound and style, and for me he is missed on this disc. I finally found a copy of this disc at a decent price after years of searching and bidding.
Balance of Power - Book of Secrets (Nightmare) 1998
1. "Desert of Lost
Souls" (:53)
2. "Walking On Top of the World" (7:04)
3. "Book of Secrets" (7:42)
4. "When Heaven Calls You Name" (6:20)
5. "It's Not Over" (5:02)
6. "Do You Dream of Angels" (5:46)
7. "Seven Days Into Nevermore" (6:49)
8. "Miracles & Dreams" (8:02)
9. "Stranger Days (To Come)" (5:40)
Of the two cds bought simultaneously, "Book of Secrets" and "Ten More Tales," this is my favorite. Both discs have some very tight musicianship, clean production, and some great songs, but "Book of Secrets" seems to be a bit heavier and have a few more hooks. Lance King's vocals are as high as a guy's voice can get, which works well with the music. Most of the songs on this disc are tied together with some sort of spoken word or effect between the songs. This album is some sort of concept record describing end times based on the Holy Bible, but since no lyrics are included, it's hard to follow the storyline.
Balance of Power - Ten More Tales of Grand Illusion (Nightmare) 1999
1. "Day Breaker"
(4:23)
2. "Prisoner of Pride" (5:53)
3. "Savage Tears" (7:07)
4. "Under the Spell" (5:07)
5. "Blind Man" (6:52)
6. "About to Burn" (5:21)
7. "Under Innocent Wing" [instrumental] (1:21)
8. "Sins of the World" (4:48)
9. "The Darker Side" (4:32)
10. "Ten More Tales of Grand Illusion" (7:32)
OK, I know I said that Book of Secrets was my favorite, but that does not mean that this disc is a slacker. Most of the above review applies to this disc as well. Picked up both these discs for $12 each through Nightmare Records.
Balance of Power - Perfect Balance (Nightmare) 2001
1. "Higher than the
Sun" (7:03)
2. "Shelter Me" (5:18)
3. "Fire Dance" (6:51)
4. "One Voice" (5:24)
5. "The Pleasure Room" (6:04)
6. "Killer of the Cure" (5:37)
7. "House of Cain" (5:07)
8. "Hard Life" (6:35)
9. "Searching for the Truth" (4:47)
Yet another killer, powerful, melodic progressive metal monster. As with all the discs Lance sings on their is a commercial appeal that reminds me of Dokken, although this is certainly not overpowering or the main ingredient in their sound. I think it is just Lance's vocal melodies that remind me of this American pop metal sound. "Perfect Balance" is another in a row of fantastic discs from BOP. The US version on Nightmare contains video footage and a temporary tattoo of the cover art. The European version on Massacre Records has a different cover, but does not include the enhanced disc video or the tattoo.
Balance of Power - Heathen Machine (Massacre Records) 2003
1. "The Rising" (1:19)
2. "Heathen Machine" (6:34)
3. "I Wish You Were Here" (7:14)
4. "Chemical Imbalance" (5:14)
5. "No Place Like Home" (6:54)
6. "The Eyes Of All The World" (6:45)
7. "Just Before You Leave" (6:31)
8. "Wake Up Call" (8:21)
9. "Necassary Evil" (7:46)
Exit longtime vocalist Lance King, and enter new vocalist John K. I must admit that this was a bit of a stumbling block for me as I really felt that Lance gave the band a certain charm and charisma that helped them to rise above the pack. Surprisingly, however, John K. is a more than adequate vocalist, although he doesn't have as much charisma as Lance King had. Still this is a good CD that I thoroughly enjoy. I tend to get bored with some prog-metal bands, and that is not the case with this CD. Balance of Power has a knack for writing, good, melodic songs that are heavy and progressive without being overly technical. You can hear some tremendously catchy songs and the playing is simply outstanding. As for the production, I would say that "Heathen Machine" probably contains the best drum sound so far, sounding powerful and natural. The loss of the second guitarist doesn't seem to affect them much either as Pete Southern had performed most of the leads and rhythms in the past. Really, the entire CD is pretty solid, but if I were to pick out some songs that stuck out in my mind I would say that "Chemical Imbalance" and the epic "Necessary Evil" were some of my favorites. So, while Lance's voice is certainly missed, I still think the band succeeded in producing another fine melodic, progressive metal disc.
Related Collections:
King's Machine