5 POWER BALLADS YOU ARE NOT SICK OF (YET)

     For all of you blokes and dolls out there who appreciate the perfection that power ballads are, but you are sick to death of the most popular ones that you hear all over the place and also got sick of the ones you personally weeded out off your record collection, I got you covered.

   Today I shall present you with 5 power ballads you might have forgotten exist out there, or at least ones that you are unlikely to hear somewhere on tv within the week. It might be a short list but there is more to follow. Perhaps this list should be renamed "5 POWER BALLADS FROM THE END OF THE AOR ERA THAT EVERYONE IGNORES". So get your lighters out, here we go:


   1. M.S.G.- When I'm Gone (M.S.G., 1991)
A beautiful power ballad off M.S.G.'s final album. M.S.G. is by no means unknown and they definitely do not classify as obscure, but I bet that's one you haven't heard in a while.

   2. Danger Danger- I Still Think About You (Screw It!, 1991)
Tiptoeing between power ballad and country, somewhere along the lines of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (yeah I know, get over it), this song comes as a surprise from a band that got us used to their filthy party anthems. Despite coming out in the dying years of hard rock, this power ballad has a purity that had not been seen in a few years. It makes you want to take your lighter out and cry about your ex that you foolishly thought you could do better than. Siiiigh.

   3. FireHouse- Reach For The Sky (Hold Your Fire, 1992)
Who remembers firehouse? Reach For The Sky was a major hit and the fifth single off the band's second studio album. Maybe not a power ballad per se, but it starts off slow enough and I don't care, I just had to include it.

   4. Nitro- Heaven's Just A Heartbeat Away
Say whatever you want about Nitro, you can complain about their style (fashion and musical) now that the 80s are over, you can complain about the mixing job on their albums and you'd be right, but this is one of the most beautiful power ballads you'll find out there. Slow, whispered vocals, anthemic choruses, vocal acrobatics, prominent guitars, sticky sweet promises.. this one has every cheesy cliche you could find on power ballads and it still makes you want to come back for more.

   5. Shotgun Messiah-Living Without You (Second Coming, 1991)
Maybe an acquired taste because of the painfully raw and loud vocals that don't seem to mix that well with the rest of the music, the song carries great feeling with it (and let's not lie, the vocals do a great job in making you trully feel it), the guitar solo is awesome, and if there's a power ballad that somehow gets a 90s vibe going, that's it.