Hanging in the Balance
Hanging in the Balance is the fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metal Church, released on 7 October 1993 through Blackheart Records. It followed The Human Factor in 1991 and turned out to be the last record the band made before splitting for two years, from 1996 to 1998.
It is also the end of an era in the line-up. Vocalist Mike Howe would not sing on a Metal Church album again until his return in 2015, and guitarist Craig Wells and drummer Kirk Arrington both left after it, with Arrington coming back for The Weight of the World in 2004. The sleeve has its own notoriety: Howe reportedly disliked it so much that it fed into his decision to go, and Kerrang! later put it on a list of the worst album covers ever. Worth hearing as the last chapter of the Howe-fronted years.
Hanging in the Balance: tracklist, credits and charts
12 tracks · 1:01:12Tracklist
- 1Gods of Second ChanceHowe, O’Neill, Vanderhoof5:24
- 2Losers in the GameMike Howe and Kurdt Vanderhoof5:08
- 3HypnotizedHowe, Marshall, Vanderhoof4:43
- 4No Friend of MineMike Howe and Kurdt Vanderhoof3:58
- 5Waiting for a SaviorHowe, O’Neill, Vanderhoof5:48
- 6ConductorKurdt Vanderhoof and Craig Wells4:10
- 7Little BoyJohn Marshall and Kurdt Vanderhoof8:14
- 8Down to the RiverMike Howe and Kurdt Vanderhoof5:00
- 9End of the AgeMike Howe and Kurdt Vanderhoof7:17
- 10Lovers and MadmenJohn Marshall2:51
- 11A Subtle WarJohn Marshall and Kurdt Vanderhoof4:12
- 12Low to OverdriveKurdt Vanderhoof4:27
- Produced by
- Kenny Laguna, Thom Panunzio, Paul O’Neill
- Recorded at
- Music Storage Studios, Studio 900 (New York City), Studio Works Two, Music Storage Studios (Aberdeen, Washington), Studio Works II (Island Park, New York)
- Recorded
- 1992–1993
- Mixed by
- Thom Panunzio
- Mixed at
- The Hit Factory
- Engineered by
- Thom Panunzio
- Labels
- Blackheart Records, Blackheart (US and Japan), SPV/Steamhammer (Europe)
- Length
- 1:01:12
Line-up
- Kirk Arrington · membranophone
- Jerry Cantrell · guitar · guest
- Duke Erickson · bass guitar
- John Marshall · guitar
- Kurdt Vanderhoof · guitar
- Craig Wells · guitar
- Mike Howe · lead vocals
- Randy Hansen · guitar · guest
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| German Albums · 1993 | 79 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 7 October
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The best of 1993
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More on Blackheart Records
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 1993-08-21 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 21 August 1993 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 7 October 1993 | |
| Wikidata | 7 October 1993 | |
| US release | 1993 | earliest US date |
7 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | US | Blackheart Records | 4001617621721 | other |
| 1993 | DE | Rising Sun Productions | 4001617621721 | other |
| 1993 | US | Blackheart Records | 748337101143 | other |
| 1993 | US | Blackheart Records | 748337101129 | other |
| 1993 | DE | Rising Sun Productions | 4001617621707 | other |
| 21 August 1993 | JP | Blackheart Records | 4988002280360 | original |
| 1999 | US | Blackheart Records | 748337181626 | other |
Cover art sources
fanarttv · upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| fanarttv ✓ | 1000×1000 | upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50) |
| coverartarchive | 953×953 | upscaled |