Metal Church - Hanging in the Balance [1993]

After already proving to all that would listen (which was tragically too few) that they were a special thrash metal band with their previously released elegant masterpieces Blessing in Disguise and The Human Factor, Metal Church ascend even higher, challenging the thrones of the immortals with this perfection-defying, moving piece of  music known as nothing other than Hanging in the Balance. How can I even describe in so many words the impact this album has upon its listener, its crushing yet beautiful riffs, and the profound emotional statement it manages to transmit to your inner soul? The fact is, no man or god can, and I’m sure that even the band can scarcely recall the place they must have been in to write such a stirring monument.

I don‘t know if any other album has ever had a more convincing opening half than this one. Gods of Second Chance doesn’t sound like anything else here, and yet it turns out to be the perfect first track. A bass-driven and rather slow churn, it isn’t reminiscent of thrash (or Metal Church) at all, thus beginning a theme of making a goldmine out of the most unlikely-to-succeed ideas and situations. As a result, Metal Church never become the victim of their own artistic prowess, with the overall product being somehow accessible despite their unrestrained brilliance. Riffs and rhythms pound with an eternally memorable buoyancy, and the crystal clear production really brings to life the energy and feeling held within. Not once does Kirk Arrington resort to copy-and paste, faster-than-thou thrash drumming; every tap of the cymbal is with purpose, and his performance helps carry the songs to the promise land.

Then, as if it all wasn’t enough already, Mike Howe unleashes his unworldly presence upon us all and we have no choice but to follow his haunting growls to the grave. Like a mix of the most powerful Halford, Bruce Dickinson’s energy, and an elusive flavor all his own, Howe’s top flight vocal delivery manages to find some vacancy in the deep-carved anthems and fill them with a voice that utterly dominates. Most captivating of all are his lyrics, perhaps the element you would least expect to keep you coming back to an album, but they do just that. Expressing hardships, abuse, war, and the misguided nature of youth, they tackle serious concepts without treading in the ridiculously on-the-nose, Mustaine political nonsense waters.

The other two earth-shattering highlights of the album are soon to follow after that spotless opener. Losers in the Game has a heavy structure with a lighthearted subtlety, recalling you to the better times long past. The merciless verses give way to a ludicrously catchy chorus, but this just adds on to the wonderful nostalgia of the piece. Commercialism isn’t always a bad thing. Skip ahead to Waiting For a Savior, and we’re delivered the absolute peak of what music can accomplish. This is a ballad replete with genuine emotion through and through, complete with probably the most meaningful message ever portrayed in any song.

Once we find our way to the album’s end, we realize that Metal Church had what so little others had: hearts that were in the music and truly felt that their product held their inner thoughts and feelings within. The truth that it's not even a real thrash album doesn't take away from it all. At the end of the day, I find Hanging in the Balance to be an absolute necessity to live. The fact that a band playing at such an insanely high level had to disband because of a lack of popularity is probably the ultimate stigma of humanity’s existence. Nonetheless, at least they left us with a pure miracle of an album, a euphony of timeless tracks and emotional resonance. What more could we ask for?

   Overall: 10/10 (Absolute - With clear cut emotions...)