Balance of Power

Spin-off projects have a sad tendency of lacking staying power, and it is more the exception than the rule that they break beyond the two album mark. Among the many unfortunate statistics of this phenomenon is late 2000s Austrian power metal outfit Dignity, the brainchild of ex-Edenbridge drummer Roland Navratil and a project that walked a fine stylistic line between the symphonic bluster of said former project and the ascendant AOR and dark progressive tinged strain of the sub-genre that became more en vogue at the time. The reasonably polished yet fairly middle of the road 2008 debut Project Destiny that flew in with the support of Napalm Records undoubtedly wasn't the commercial smash that was expected despite the streamlined formula and featuring of pop/rock tinged vocalist Jake E, given the massive 5 years gap between albums, Jake's subsequent exodus for greener pastures with Amaranthe, and the smaller Fastball Music being the label to field their eventual 2013 sophomore outing Balance Of Power.

Be all of this as it may, this quintet would showcase a greater sense of artistic vigor and ambition this go around, in spite of some heavily consequential shifts in lineup. The shoes of Jake E would end up being filled by the grittier voice and prolific studio mercenary talent of Søren Nico Adamsen, resulting in a culmination of sound that is more Swedish in flavor, the irony of Adamsen being Danish and his predecessor being a Swede naturally not withstanding. This becomes even more apparent when considering the fairly different guitar approach taken by the newly acquired Phillip R. Porter, whose busier and punchier riff work paints a sound more along the lines of what one might have expected from the likes of Freternia, Cryonic Temple or Winterlong back in their early 2000s incarnations when combined with Søren's forceful howl and wide range. Nevertheless, the generally eclectic blend of late 2000s styles derived from the likes of Nevermore, Masterplan and Crystal Ball that typified the debut are maintained, and even expanded upon a fair bit given Porter's more expansive skill set when compared against that of Martin Mayr.

Arguably this album's greatest strength, and also it's only real flaw, is the heavy degree of variety in expression that unfolds through each individual song. An triumphant and typically neo-classical chord is struck on the opening cruiser "Rebel Empire", listening along the lines of an early 2000s entry from the symphonic craze that birthed Edenbridge, barring a few odd progressive lead guitar twists placed at odd intervals. The punchy, Primal Fear meets Epica flavor of "Lion Attack" could almost have been performed by a different band save for Adamsen's vocals, with thrashing riffs and menacing keyboards evoking images of evil triumphing over good. Things veer into the rocking late 2000s mold with "Rise" and the ultra-catchy anthem "The Day That I Die", both answering the question of what it would sound like if Dionysus and Masterplan got together and did a Temple Of The Dog-styled collaboration. The dark thrashing meets quirky progressive twists and turns of "Angels Cry" is another standout moment that meshes elements of Nevermore, Kamelot and even a little Iced Earth-like riffing beautifully. Even the stylistically reworked cover of Scorpions classic "Blackout" has a mechanized sense of aggression to it that comes off radically different from every other entry found on here.

Naturally the downside with any album that crams in as much variety as possible is that the album doesn't function terribly well as a total listen, but apart from skipping around being an almost obligatory part of enjoying this album, Balance Of Power stands as a noteworthy improvement upon its predecessor at just about every point. It comes off twice as metallic, and takes more than an ample amount of stylistic risks to avoid sounding like what was the order of the day in the early to mid 2010s. Sadly it would be the last word from the band, as well as that of most of the members of the fold apart from the newer recruits, as Adamsen would go on to numerous other projects and Porter would continue on with his ongoing solo ventures. But for those who enjoyed the prior works of notable yet unfortunately defunct power metal acts like Dionysus and Steel Attack, this runs along similar lines and delivers the same basic level of quality.