Metal Church "Hanging In The Balance (European Edition)"

Hanging in the Balance is the fifth album by American heavy metal band Metal Church, released in 1993. It was Metal Church's last album before their two-year break up from 1996 to 1998, and the last to feature vocalist Mike Howe for more than two decades until his return to the band in 2015. It is also their last studio album with longtime guitarist Craig Wells and drummer Kirk Arrington (until his return on 2004's The Weight of the World).

Track listing

1. "Gods of Second Chance" Mike Howe, Kurdt Vanderhoof, Paul O'Neill 5:23
2. "Losers in the Game" Howe, Vanderhoof 5:08
3. "Hypnotized" Howe, John Marshall, Vanderhoof 4:43
4. "No Friend of Mine" Howe, Vanderhoof 3:58
5. "Waiting for a Savior" Howe, Vanderhoof, O'Neill 5:48
6. "Conductor" Craig Wells, Vanderhoof 4:10
7. "Little Boy" Marshall, Vanderhoof 8:14
8. "Down to the River" Howe, Vanderhoof 5:01
9. "End of the Age" Howe, Vanderhoof 7:17
10. "Lovers and Madmen" Marshall 2:51
11. "A Subtle War" Marshall, Vanderhoof 4:12

European edition bonus track

1. "Low to Overdrive" Vanderhoof 4:27

In an interview in 2016 with NYS Music, Mike Howe said the following about the album cover, and the situation back then: "So, I dropped off the radar because the record business really disappointed me, things were changing, grunge was coming up and we were getting ignored. We were not businessmen, we were musicians and like a lot of [other] bands we just wanted to write songs and play metal. You really have to be business minded or you’ll just get tramped on and left behind, I think that was our major problem. One small example, the cover of “Hanging In The Balance” was just a huge embarrassment to me and I hated it, it was forced on [us] and that was kind of the last straw. So I took a clean break and stepped away in 1994, with a proud feeling of what we had done so far, something I could keep in my back pocket for the rest of my life, and I wanted to step away before it got ugly."

Recording information:

Additional recordings at Music Storage Studios, Aberdeen, WA; Studio 900, New York and at Studio Works II, Island Park, NY.

Mixed at The Hit Factory, New York.

Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York.

Thom Panunzio – producer, engineer, mixing at The Hit Factory, New York

Kenny Laguna – producer

Paul O'Neill – producer on tracks 1, 5, 6, 10, musical director, arrangements with Kurdt Vanderhoof and Metal Church

Adam Kasper, Chuck Johnson, Glen Robinson, John Aiosa, Lee Anthony, Thom Cadley – assistant engineers

Greg Calbi – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York