Album Review :
For All Eternity - The Will to Rebuild

My first introduction to For All Eternity came in 2012 when I was contacted to review their debut LP, “Beyond the Gates”. I thought for an initial album release, the Australian natives were on the right track towards something notable, providing a solid metalcore record.

Since then, I have kept tabs on the band with each subsequent release. “Metanoia” was the first album on Facedown Records, and saw the band refining their sound a bit as they nailed each aspect of their craft. While still not reinventing the wheel, For All Eternity have stepped into their own and crafted a pulverizing and memorable LP with “The Will to Rebuild“.

The first thing to note with For All Eternity’s third full length is the pristine production value. Subtle dappling of electronics add to the ambiance in key moments like the introduction of Nightmare before unleashing a cascade of chunky riffs, while tastefully executed orchestral sections add to critical emotional choke points like album opener Shadow.

In addition to exceptionally polished production value, each member of the band has mastered their role – meshing together to make one of the tightest sounding records of the year. Songs like September showcase strong roleplaying as clean and harsh vocals ebb and flow as Michael Buckley and Shane Carroll respectively play off one another to keep the listener guessing who will expel the next line.

Vacated, the album’s second single, sports some of the most hellacious riffs on the album. While guitarists Jeremy Mosiejczuk and Nicholas Page won’t blaze any new paths with shredding, their riffs stay busy and interesting; avoiding the chugging tropes most contemporaries face.

Ascendant packs one of the heaviest punches on the album and stands out as a personal favorite. Shane Carroll shows profound range as his screams slip piercing highs to plummeting lows and back again as he howls “Drowned out by thoughts of the past, none of it matters, nothing ever lasts.” Michael Buckley has one of his most memorable and catchy choruses on the album as well as he croons “I know I’m stronger than I’ve ever been / For what it’s worth, through all this hurt, I’m still standing now.” before the album’s most devastating breakdown.

The album ends with the incredibly strong one-two punch of Derailed and Clearer. The former of the two tracks was the first single For All Eternity released as it’s a great synopsis of the best the album has to offer. The single takes risks with the integration of a couple quieter moments, which simply compound the heavier moments and make them all the more intense.

The closer, Clearer, starts off slowly with subtle plinking electronics before skyrocketing into the most powerful chorus on the album. While potentially one of the most straightforward metalcore songs on the record, Clearer ends things strongly and ties a bow on a great album.

Overall: For All Eternity has shown tremendous growth since their independent debut record. Now, three records in, the only thing holding back this honest and passionate metalcore outing are a couple of interlude songs that did not quite add to the listening experience. All things said and done, “The Will to Rebuild” is a phenomenal record sure to garner these Australian natives some love in the states.