Hops need a good strong malt backbone for balance or the beer ranges from "eh" to gross. Sessions have so little maltiness to them that these session IPAs are all just not for me.
Maybe IPAs just arent for you then? Because they most certainly are NOT supposed to have a strong malt backbone. You are describing an american strong ale like Arrogant Bastard
IMO, the idea of "balance" in an IPA needs to be considered through the lens of IPA as a style. An IPA is not balanced. If it was, it wouldn't be an IPA, itd be an american strong ale, or overhopped amber ale, or something. If an IPA has enough malt presence to create a sweet finish like you'd have in a "balanced' Irish Red, then you made it wrong. When a well made IPA is said to be "balanced" it just means that its got just enough support from the malt & yeast so the hop character is not too abrasive and you get a pleasing finish. The beer itself is still a very unbalanced beer in terms of hops/yeast/malt
When I think of an IPA with a strong malt backbone, I think of Bell's Two Hearted Ale. I think messiah was referring to this same kind of maltiness. Not cloying sweetness and heavy malt flavor, but rather enough malt to not feel like the hops are stripping the taste buds off your tongue. Not every IPA is a super dry West Coast style IPA.
I think the same can be done with a session IPA, although most just don't. Most session beers are overly dry, as if the brewery just took the second runnings from their IPA or IIPA and made it into it's own beer. Again, I'll refer back to Bell's. Their Oatsmobile is a great example of a session beer with good body, present hops, and a balanced flavor. Of course, they don't call it a session IPA, they go with the session pale ale designation.