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This British band sounds so much like early Dream Theater (I mean even more than Vanden Plas does), I don’t know if I should give them massive bonus points for being able to so successfully emulate as proficient a band as Dream Theater or negative points simply for mimicking another band.

High, screaming vocals peak on choruses, bass and drums deliver a pronounced, punctuated beat (usually gripping the same chord), and keyboards and guitars mesmerize the listeners with repetitive orchestral riffs (often with a Middle Eastern influence like that of Fourth Estate) throughout Perfect Balance.

Decidedly unprogressive is the tempo of the album.  Track after track is a hit.  “Fire Dance” has one of those melodic 80s-metal choruses that remind me of Bloodgood.   “House of Cain,” a song about drug abuse, gives the twist of spooky harmonies.  I haven’t heard Balance of Power live, but my guess is that “One Voice” will be the fan-favorite.  You headbang to speed guitar in the verses before the band breaks into the anthem:

There’s one small Voice
And there’s never ending diamonds in the sky
One Voice, for each and every one
There’s one small Voice
And this world could turn blood red if you let it fly
One Voice and you’re the one

Dan Singleton 12/15/2002