FOR ALL WE KNOW

"For All We Know" is the self-titled debut full-length studio album by multi-national progressive rock/ metal act For All We Know. The album was released by Shopping Records in April 2011. For All We Know is a project that, among others, features members and ex-members of Within Temptation and Pain of Salvation.

The music on the album is in the crossfield between progressive rock and progressive metal. The metal elements on the album are actually sparse, but there are occassionally some effective heavy riffing going on. While For All We Know are brilliant musicians, the music on the album is not dominated by technical playing but rather emphasize atmosphere and emotional delivery. The warm and professional production further enhances the pleasant listening experience.

Lead vocalist Wudstik has an emotional vocal delivery and a voice and vocal style that at times remind me of Daniel Gildenlöw from Pain of Salvation. The Pain of Salvation link is further strengthened by the fact that former Pain of Salvation bassist Kristoffer Gildenlöw plays the bass on the album. I´d mention acts like Steve Hogarth era-Marillion and maybe Nick D'Virgilio era-Spock´s Beard as references here too. There are occasionally female vocals on the album to support Wudstik and that works great for variation.

The tracks are mostly kept to the point with vers/chorus structures and memorable choruses. That´s the foundation that the tracks are build around, but from there For All We Know incorporate progressive details, that ensure the album never grows stale. The vocal lines (which are often backed by harmony vocals or choirs) and how they are performed is the central element in the band´s sound, but the instrumental backing is tasteful and colours each track with a suiting melancholic atmosphere. The band´s sound is a sum of many things that come together succesfully. "For All We Know" is a warm an organic sounding album which is in large part due to having two keyboard players in the lineup who handle hammond organ, Fender Rhodes and piano.

"For All We Know" is not an album for the progressive metal fan who craves technical playing and heavy riffs, but for those who enjoy the more emotional, mellow and reflective side of the progressive metal genre, the album should definitely score high. Personally I usually belong to the former catagory of progressive metal fans, but there´s something special about this album, that makes me return to the it again and again. It´s probably the pleasant and slightly melancholic atmosphere, the strong vocals and harmony vocals, the excellent production, the tasteful and clever songswriting or maybe the brilliant musicianship that have a significant impact on me. I can´t quite put my finger on it, but "For All We Know" just works well for me and a 3.5 - 4 star rating is deserved.

Despite the unfortunate tendency for many progressive rock "supergroups" to pale in comparison to the individual members' day jobs, the debut effort from For All We Know offers a top-notch album from some of the business's finest musicians. A stunning observation that stands as one of the genre's finest offerings in the last decade-plus, this eye-opening effort should truly send shockwaves through progressive rock and metal fans worldwide. Although 2011 may be a bit of a slow year when it comes to strikingly original and unique progressive metal albums, this debut stands as a shining example that prog metal can still be done correctly over twenty-five years into its history. Did somebody say "masterpiece"?

Though this is essentially a side project from Within Temptation's Ruud Jolie, he recruits a star-studded cast consisting of Wudstik (Ayreon) on vocals, Kristoffer Gildenlöw (Dial, Pain of Salvation) on bass, Leo Margarit (Pain of Salvation) on drums, Thijs Schrijnemakers (Stereo) on Hammond organ, and Marco Kuypers (Cloudmachine) on piano and Rhodes. As if that's not an impressive enough lineup already, guest vocalists include Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation), Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation), Damian Wilson (Threshold, Ayreon), Ruud Houweling (Cloudmachine), Anke Derks, and Tom Sikkers (Daybroke), and guest musicians John Wesley, Richie Faulkner, and Camilla van der Kooij also contribute. One glance at a list like that, and it's clear that For All We Know consists of brilliant musicians - and they certainly don't disappoint either. The musicianship, while never crossing the line into extremely technical territory, remains tasteful and impressive throughout the album's entire duration.

In spite of Ruud Jolie's symphonic metal background, the music here is a stark contrast to his work in Within Temptation. I'd describe For All We Know as a crossing point between Pain of Salvation, Hogarth-era Marillion, Porcupine Tree, Riverside, and Wolverine. That means you should expect mellow progressive metal that's focused heavily on atmosphere and melancholy, rather than technicality and heaviness. There are actually quite a few times where I'd hesitate in even calling For All We Know a metal album - some excellently placed heavy riffs reaffirm that this album is certainly prog metal, but many softer tracks like "Keep Breathing" and "Nothing More" make the album ride the border between prog rock and prog metal. The fresh, unique sound that Ruud Jolie successfully captures makes For All We Know stand out immediately in the fairly stagnant modern prog metal genre.

From a songwriting standpoint, For All We Know tremendously exceeds any of my preconceived expectations. Every song here is its own unique journey, each one standing terrifically on its own, yet even better when pieced together as a full experience. That is my key expectation when we're talking about musical masterpieces, and For All We Know offers some of the most stunning and emotional progressive metal compositions I've ever heard. I reckon it impossible to listen to a track like "Down On My Knees", "Open Your Eyes", or "Nothing More" without goosebumps running up your arms and legs. This is some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard played by some of the most passionate musicians in the industry... there's certainly not much more I could ask for.

In case I haven't praised For All We Know enough (which, trust me, I haven't), the warm and powerful production deserves a mention. Although extremely polished and modern, it maintains a highly clean and captivating sound that makes the album even more appealing. I can't think of any production that would better suit the music here.

I really don't think there's much else to say. For All We Know is a stunning album by a stunning group that I honest-to-god hope makes more albums before calling it quits. It'd be quite a shame to see such a fantastic project end after just one album. But even if that is the case, the band has graciously left us with one of the finest progressive metal albums ever created... and that's ultimately what matters most. This album holds a special place in my collection, and I'm sure it'll be cherished for many years to come. I would not let this essential masterpiece slip through your fingers, and anyone who enjoys progressive rock/metal should get this one in their CD player as soon as possible. In a place called "utopia" every album would be this moving, but as that is not the case, we must cherish the few truly outstanding albums that grace our ears - and For All We Know is surely one of them. Of course, 5 stars are the least I can give in this scenario. For All We Know may very well have claimed album of the year with their terrific debut.

'For All We Know' - For All We Know (8/10)

Supergroups have historically been known as a pretty double-edged sword. The artists involved are usually established , nd very good at what they do, and the thought of having such talent together is usually the answer to many listeners' dreams. The catch usually comes around by the time the music is released though; the music may be produced well or performed brilliantly, but the passion and inspiration usually shown with the artist's main work is lacking. To make this rant pertinent to the review of For All We Know's debut, this is a supergroup that breaks out of that preconception. Taking some of the best known artists in progressive metal and rock together under the one banner of this album, it is questionable as to whether this band will go anywhere else from here, but For All We Know stands as a great album of progressive metal that stands leagues above many of its peers.

Marketed as a collaboration between members of Within Temptation and Pain of Salvation, one could probably get some idea of what this might sound like if they are familiar with either of those acts. Although this project is led by Within Temptation guitarist Ruud Jolie however, the music here in fact sounds closer to Pain of Salvation than anything else, likely circa their 'Perfect Element' or 'Remedy Lane' days. Seeing as Pain of Salvation has since gone on to other things with their sound, it is very nice to hear this brand of melodic, dark, yet not power metal inclined progressive metal again. Both Kristoffer and Daniel Gildenlöw from Pain of Salvation are here, and while Daniel's distinctive and beautiful vocals only come in a couple of times in the album, they are a beautiful addition to the music here. The majority of the vocals however fall upon singer Wudstik, who I first heard guest starring on an Ayreon album. He has a warm voice that generally sticks to the comfortable mid range, but certain moments see him reaching for the higer notes, which he does very nicely. He has a great vibrato to his voice that compliments the more mellow moments that 'For All We Know' has to offer.

On top of those, Sharon Del Adel from Within Temptation does a vocal duet with Daniel Gildenlöw here that is a real treat, especially for a fan of both bands ('Keep Breathing'), and John Wesley of Porcupine Tree lays down a guitar solo here towards the end of the record. As supergroups go, the songwriting here is very nice; Ruud Jolie's songwriting is very melodic and often goes in a similar direction to that of Pain of Salvation, and while things are progressive here, each of these tracks sticks to the songwriting, there are no longer tracks to really sport the band's chemistry or ambition. The album's flow is not great, and 'For All We Know' instead feels like a collection of great songs rather than a flowing piece of singular music.

At the heart of all of these guest spots and flashy production though, there is strong songwriting, and this is what makes For All We Know a great project. I can only hope that there is a second album to come along after this, because this has been one of the strongest debuts I have heard this year.