Michael Carroll

A Balance Between-Negative Space
1.7.14/Broken English Records
8.5/10
by Aaron Mook
Musical dry spells seem to be somewhat common at the top of a new year. Perhaps this is actually due to a lack of album announcements and release dates, or (more likely) it’s the result of laziness and eggnog hangovers on our part, but luckily, A Balance Between has set out to shatter expectations and start 2014 on the a strong note. Throughout their debut EP Negative Space, the band vows to take post-hardcore back to its prime and channels classics such as Thrice’s Vheissu and Circa Survive’s Juturna while simultaneously cementing their own identity in the scene, and in the regard, Negative Space is a refreshing success.
From the crashing guitars that introduce opener “Your Own Hell”, we are given a sense of unbridled emotion we like to expect with debut releases. Paired with a fleshed out and fitting production, each instrument hits as hard as the others, topped with vocalist Jeremy Hernandez’s mid-range croon. This mix is hardly contained to tracks in the same vein, as even the slow-burner “Reaching Out” brims with equal bouts of musical force and calming optimism. While the lyrics may not always cross the line as something to write home about, they fit nicely within the context of the music and this itself is enough of a surprise to stand out amongst a community of peers the prefer to play it safe.
The band does a wonderful job of exhibiting a sense of variety and direction throughout the EP. Larger-than-life riffs dominate “Ocean”, just to lead into the sprawling six-minute title track. “Negative Space” attempts to slow things down, giving each instrument its time in the limelight before a haunting, stripped down interlude and jam session of an exit. If these songs are good, they merely provide support to Negative Space's standout centerpiece, “The Ruse”. “The Ruse” rivals several classic post-hardcore gems as a glimpse towards something better, a slice of progressive aggression we can hope might take part in whatever step comes next for A Balance Between.
 While A Balance Between may have yet to reinvent the genre (as letlive. very well may have last year), they certainly have done a hell of a job reinvigorating it. Negative Space spews the energy and creative highlights we’ve come to love from young bands, both building from their peers and doing what they do better than anyone in recent memory. At a time when we are generally recovering from the year previous and looking forward to later releases, A Balance Between have cannonballed into the community in a risk vs. reward scenario that will almost certainly pay off as we can now keep a welcome and watchful eye over this talented group of newcomers.
Key tracks: There’s only six tracks and none of them are bad, but “The Ruse” is extraordinary.
For fans of: Circa Survive, Thrice, Deftones - Fastest Kid in School

LABEL: Broken English Records
RELEASE DATE: January 7th 2014
OVERALL RATING: 8.0 - Awesome
STANDOUT TRACK: ”Reaching Out”
IN A SENTENCE:  Negative Space, post-hardcore New Jersey quintet A Balance Between’s debut EP, brings us 6 tracks full of intensity and the promise of more to come.
Listen HERE


Despite the sound of feedback leading into a full band groove, the verses of “Your Own Hell” are practically unplugged, only to jump right back into the full sound. This can be tricky live, but I’m glad A Balance Between took the risk because it switched things up and changed my expectations of the music. Although a great track, especially the bass and drum driven bits near the end, it feels too familiar and enough like other bands like Circa Survive that it is actually distracting - I need to hunt down the song “Stale Hearts Sway” reminds me of. ”Reaching Out” almost sounds like something from The Starting Line’s Based on a True Story era, perfectly blending softer vocals and subtle harmonies with a heavy, fuller sound. It’s the most unique and well-executed song on the album. 

The vocal melody and the lyrics of “The Ruse” are by far my favorite on the album. A Balance Between packaged up a perfect blend of Circa Survive, HRVRD, and their own personal flair with this track. Once again, we get a small sample of the softness first seen in “Your Own Hell.” “The Ocean” almost disappointed me because of an awkward drop of pitch in the vocal melody. However, the second verse repeats the lyrics and the vocal melody continues in a higher pitch. Dropping to a lower note dropped the intensity that the song started with and it had to regain its momentum. 
The first listen of “Negative Space” felt awkward; I kept waiting for an octave change (Anthony Green style) and I knew exactly when the vocals would echo. I was left wondering why stunners “The Ruse” and “The Ocean” were overlooked when naming the album. After further listens, it’s clear that “Negative Space” is a great introduction to A Balance Between since it’s almost a showcase of the band’s styles; still it’s not the strongest track on the EP. 
It’s no coincidence that every band even on the “progressive/post-hardcore” radar, including A Balance Between, seems to gain extremely loyal fans and achieve a nearly iconic status quite quickly after a well-received and critically acclaimed début, due to an incredibly cohesive sound, bass and drums perfectly in tune with one another - allowing the guitars to experiment and kind of find their “progressive” sound - and fantastic production (John Naclerio is behind this EP). It pains me a bit that Negative Space wasn’t out in 2008 when I saw Circa Survive with Thrice; hearing it performed live alongside those bands would have easily made that night even more incredible. However, I know that good work and a high level of refinement take time to develop, so I’ll take a polished 2014 release. 
While this EP is a great début, A Balance Between’s next effort could use more variety - especially in the lyrics and vocal melodies - and fewer breakdowns. Negative Space is just like any other first EP in terms of purpose as well as sound (possibly less developed than an LP), but because it’s a 6 tracks instead of the usual 4, it’s bound to sound slightly repetitive. Although not perfect, Negative Space left me hoping to one day catch a show with A Balance Between, Circa Survive, and HRVRD on the bill for one very solid night.
TRACK BY TRACK RATING BREAKDOWN:
Your Own Hell: 7 
Stale Hearts Sway: 6.5 
Reaching Out: 8 
The Ruse: 9 
The Ocean: 8 
Negative Space: 8 - Positive Exposure

NOVEMBER 9, 2016 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016, 1:20 AM
Wood-Ridge band experiments with new sounds on debut album


A Balance Between, from left: Roberto Cangialosi, Rob Piccininni Jr., Jeremy Hernandez, Brian Grego, Mike Carroll.
BY BRIAN ABERBACK
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD | 
THE RECORD




YOUR PREMIUM CONTENT HERE
MUSIC
WHO: A Balance Between, Control, Reese Van Riper, Cicada Radio and Archie Alone.
WHAT: Hard rock.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
WHERE: Mexicali Live, 1409 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck. 201-833-0011 or mexicalilive.com.
HOW MUCH: $10.
MORE INFO: abalancebetween.com.
If it feels right, go with it. That was the mantra A Balance Between adhered to when writing their debut full-length album, "Transcendence."
"There are more dynamics and transitions than on our older material," said Jeremy Hernandez, singer-guitarist and primary lyricist for the Wood-Ridge-based band.
"The approach we took was we just wanted to be happy with what we were doing and not worry about anything else," Hernandez said. "Because of the freedom we gave ourselves, 'Transcendence' is definitely the best thing the band has ever done."
A Balance Between performs Friday in Teaneck, the same day that "Transcendence" will be released. The album spotlights the band's ability to craft well-executed and memorable hard rock with musical punch and heady lyrics.
"We got experimental on the album," Hernandez said. "On some songs, we're not as full-blown aggressive as before. We didn't mind doing more mellow parts.
"This album also has the longest songs we've ever done. If we wrote a song that was seven minutes, we didn't think about cutting it down like we would in the past."
While not a concept disc, "Transcendence" centers upon themes of faith, religion and spirituality. "There's a connection there within the songs about existence beyond the physical level," Hernandez said. "It's something I've always written about. I strongly believe that there is a somewhere else and a higher being."
Hernandez said that tackling existential topics as a lyricist is both a challenging and enjoyable process. "I like playing around with metaphors and words," he said. "There's no right or wrong way to write lyrics, it's what you want it to be. That's always been a fun thing for me."
A Balance Between establishes the existential vibe on album opener "Immanence," an atmospheric, melodic rocker. The word immanence refers to philosophical and metaphysical theories of divine presence.
Additional standout tracks include "Reverie," which features crisp guitar work, and "Comatose," which starts with a revved-up punk riff before settling into a mid-tempo groove. On the expansive "Illuminate," a nearly seven-minute journey, the band weaves several sound tapestries.
Hernandez's expressive and clear vocals match the questioning and thoughtful nature of his lyrics. "I would say my singing style has soothing and dramatic parts," he said. "I always try to keep melody in mind no matter what I am doing when it comes to singing softly or aggressively."
In addition to Hernandez, A Balance Between includes guitarists Brian Grego and Mike Carroll, bassist Rob Piccininni Jr. and drummer Roberto Cangialosi.
"Transcendence" is a highly anticipated album for the band and its fans, Hernandez said. "The album was recorded in July 2015, but it took some time to get the mixes to where we were happy with them," he said. "It's been a long, overdue process, so we're very excited to finally have it come out."
Hernandez formed A Balance Between in 2008 after returning to New Jersey from Austin, Texas, where he spent the previous five years playing in bands. Over the years, the band released batches of songs, including the mini-album EP "Negative Space," in 2014.
The New Milford native said the band chose its name to reflect its members' divergent influences. Hernandez, for example, counts hard-core group Fugazi, alternative-punk-hard core outfits Helmet and Quicksand, and Michael Jackson as among his favorite acts.
A Balance Between earned its first major opportunity in 2012 when they were one of the winners of the Bamboozle Break Contest. The band was one of six picked from more than 350 groups to perform at the Asbury Park festival.
"We were very hesitant about doing it at first," Hernandez said. "Having your music judged is completely awkward. But we're glad we did. Playing Bamboozle definitely got the band out there. We got some cool shows after as a result and some recognition."
Hernandez said the band's present ambition is to perform as often as possible. "We haven't played much of this material live yet, so over the next six to eight months we want to play out as much as we can," he said.
"Everybody's got personal lives and families. We all have a lot going on in our lives, but somehow we all still dedicate a lot of our lives to music. It just boils down to how much we love doing it." - Bergen Record