Balance is the 10th studio album by the American hard rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1995 and, to date, is the fourth and final Van Halen album of all-new material featuring lead singer Sammy Hagar. It was also a more complete divergence from their earlier, more heavy metal sound. It has the hard rock elements of For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, mixed with the dark and somber themes from OU812. Although the album was mostly made at 5150 Studios, Van Halen spent three weeks at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver. Originally, the title of the album was to be named Seventh Seal.
Van Halen started work on the album in May 1994. The recording was finished and the mixing started in September 1994. The album would be finished in October 1994, just three months before its release.