Metal Church - Hanging In The Balance (1993) [Victor Entertainment Inc., Japan, VICP-5264]

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Metal Church - Hanging In The Balance (1993) [Victor Entertainment Inc., Japan, VICP-5264]

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Metal Church…perhaps the most underrated thrash bands of all time. Coming out of a time in which Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer (the big 4) were the kings of thrash, bands such as Metal Church, Overkill, and Testament as well as a handful of others were eclipsed by the much more mainstream thrash bands. But the real thing came down to the music. In 1991, Metallica came out with their travesty of an album, the infamous black album. Later on, there was the drudgery of Load and St. Anger. Megadeth sold out with their 1999 clunker “Risk”. Anthrax sold out with the idiotic “Stomp 442”. As for Slayer, well, they never really sold out. They were consistently heavy and just added experimental elements, but Metal Church’s music is constantly forgotten by many people. After landing some minor MTV exposure in 1986 for the video for “Watch the Children Pray” off of the massively successful record “The Dark” as well as some radio and a little bit of MTV play with the 1990 single, “Badlands”, featuring new singer Mike Howe who just happens to be from Detroit, like myself. After the successful “Human Factor” record in 1991, a lot of people lost track of Metal Church who went on to record what is in many people’s mind their finest moment, 1994’s “Hanging In The Balance” with already famous “Savatage” producer Paul O’Neill. Metal Church should be noted for their strange album covers, this one being the strangest of them all. I mean, what was running through the artist's mind when he concocted this piece. It ranks up there with “Load” by Metallica as the strangest album covers of all time.

THE SONGS:

Gods Of Second Chance is the song that got me hooked on the record. I pulled it up on YouTube to give it a listen and was immediately pulled in by the guitar build up. O’Neill’s production brings Mike Howe’s vocals to front and center while not sacrificing the sound quality of the rest of the band. The vocals are as clear as I have ever heard them, which really brings out the biting, angry voice of Mr. Howe. The breakdown section in the middle showcases the tight guitar mastery of former Metallica guitarist (during 1992 tour when Hetfeild burned himself) John Marshall and founding member Craig Wells. The guitars contrast with one channel, giving a bluesy, moving solo, then it lurches into a full on biting metal solo. The bass end is also something to rave about. It POUNDS its way through your speakers. The drumming is just incredible with a full on double bass attack. This over time has become my favorite MC track among a handful of others. Losers In The Game continues the mid-tempo stomp much like the previous track. It chimes in with the sound of drummer Kirk Arrington hitting his crash cymbal as well as hitting his bass drum simultaneously, signaling in the clean guitar line. The track then builds up to a full on romp after a pick-scratch signals in the distortion. The vocals are applied in a manner so angry that you think Mr. Howe is going to come out of the speakers and rip your head off. His raspy, biting growl makes this song one hell of a metal romp. I would probably use this one to define the phrase “fiery metal assault on your ears”.

Hypnotized still retains that mid-paced tempo, but this time the guitar riff is much more of a groove metal feel. That is until the chorus kicks in with a clean guitar line. I think that the song is about alcohol abuse and its effects and is perhaps my least favorite track on the record. Not saying that it is bad, but it sticks out like a sore thumb here. On No Friend Of Mine, the tempo speeds up on this track about betrayal. I apply it to my life many days, talking about all of the backstabbers that I have met over time. The clean guitar line gives way to a vicious guitar attack. The vocals are just as, if not more so, vicious as the guitar. The double bass drum work on here is amazing as well. Personally, this is another one of the strongest tracks on the record. It is just such a shame that it has never had the exposure that earlier albums have had. Waiting For A Savior is where the album hits its prime and never lets go. This is the true definition of an epic. No, not the term “epic” that you hear everyone use to describe things that are awesome or a screw up. No, this is a tale of believing in a god or a higher spirit, but turns out not to be real and losing all hope. The vocals are very angry sounding as with most of the album. The soloing is something to rave about. On this track the soloing is as tight as it has ever been. Another strong track.

Conductor is the perfect example of how Metal Church blended thrash/speed metal and power metal to create their unique blend of metal. The vocals are spitting bullets, the guitars are shredding, and the drums are fast. A definite must for the avid metal fan. Little Boy…first of all, I know this has been said before, but this song is NOT about pedophiles for those just browsing through the track titles. It actually is about the atomic bomb which the track is named for, “Little Boy” which was dropped on Japan in 1945. It's really about cold war fears following the dropping of the bombs in 1945. The song is very dynamic as it takes many twists and turns. A true metal epic about destruction and war. Down To The River is perhaps my least listened to. It is a heavy number in the similar vein as Conductor. Down To The River has a chugging guitar all through the short number. The vocals are once again angry, but when Howe holds that note out, it has its own hypnotizing quality. It features, once again, some blazing dual lead solos. Overall, a pretty solid track. End Of The Age is my personal favorite song on the record. It features a calm acoustic intro before bursting into a full-on metal song. The lyrics deal with the apocalypse and Nostradamus, who is known as the doomsday prophet, which makes for a really cool listen. The track clocks in at just over 7 minutes and is divided, much like the previously mentioned “Little Boy”. At the middle, it features a folksy acoustic line before thrashing it out in the solo section. After that, it slows to the starting pace. Overall, I would recommend this one to anyone who is a fan of metal epics in the vein of “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner” by Iron Maiden or “The Lady Wore Black” by Queensryche. Lovers And Madmen is a short acoustical instrumental just clocking in at under 2 minutes. Not really much to mention here, just a good acoustical piece. A Subtle War is a track that was obviously written in a time when drug and gang wars were a huge deal. If you wrote it today, the lyrics would still be relevant. It sort of reminds me of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It should have been in the game, seeing that the lyrical content pertains to the storyline in the game. This track also happens to be my (close) second favorite on the record. It just has a great metal pace with an amazing dual guitar harmony. The vocals are angry and vicious. Overall, an excellent metal romp.

To conclude, Hanging In The Balance can be considered Metal Church’s coming of age. They really hit their creative prime here. The lyrics and music are well refined. The production is crystal clear thanks in part to producer Paul O’Neill, famous for his excellent work with Florida metal band Savatage. This album is highly recommended to anyone who is looking for a great thrash/power metal record as well as any REAL fan of Metal Church.

kgerych1995, metal-archives

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Metal Church - Hanging In The Balance (1993) [Victor Entertainment Inc., Japan, VICP-5264]

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Metal Church - Hanging In The Balance (1993) [Victor Entertainment Inc., Japan, VICP-5264]

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Metal Church - Hanging In The Balance (1993) [Victor Entertainment Inc., Japan, VICP-5264]

Close