Final Coil’s debut full length album, Persistence Of Memory, was released in the summer of 2017 and interest in this remarkable album has remained constant ever since; reviews continue to appear well over a year later and tracks find their way onto radio playlists as new people discover the unique sound of Final Coil. Now though, the time approaches for Persistence Of Memory to hand over the flame as we announce the imminent arrival of the band’s second album…a breathtaking concept album that will see Final Coil’s star rise ever higher in the musical firmament…The World We Left Behind For Others will be released by WormHole Death this spring, first in digital format and then as a full CD.
Musically, The World We Left Behind For Others shows Final Coil truly becoming the band that Persistence Of Memory, in hindsight, was merely hinting at. The sheer breadth of sound, the depth of the emotions captured, the free flowing creativity make this album utterly captivating and a wonderful achievement. Lyrically, the story being told is both intimately personal and yet universally relevant and affecting. Final Coil’s frontman Phil Stiles reveals a little more about his band’s finest work to date…
“I don’t think any of us in Final Coil thought we would have a second album ready to go so quickly after Persistence of Memory, not least because there was really nothing left over from those sessions that could be used moving forward. The dual catalysts for The World We Left Behind For Others proved to be both political and personal. As we were mixing Persistence…, I received word that my grandmother, Stella, had passed away after a relatively short illness. At 101, it was hardly a shock that she was gone, but she had played a major part in my upbringing and I was heartbroken. Whilst clearing out some of her things, we discovered a couple of letters which shed light on a part of her life that she had never discussed with us. They exposed not only the fragility at the heart of any human relationship, but also the prevailing social attitudes of a time in which women were expected to behave in a certain way regardless of the circumstances they faced. The language of the letters seemed to mirror, in many ways, the terrible polarisation of society in the wake of the vote to leave the EU. With families and friends facing one another across a social chasm, it seems that far less has changed since the early 1900s than we, as a society, like to believe. To see populist speakers gaining traction, right wing groups once more on the rise and a fierce rejection of globalism it seems that there are those who actively wish to raise the spectre of a divided, nation-state-led world once again; along with all the divisions that come with it; and it was those two subjects that bled into lyrics that I started to write at a ferocious rate.
The first track I wrote, and the track upon which the entire album hangs, is ‘Imaginary Trip’. I didn’t set out to write a concept album, but as I moved forward, I realised that the melodies of that song were haunting the other tracks on the record. It’s something that can be found in much of Roger Waters’ work (most notably The Wall and The Pros And Cons Of Hitchhiking) and it occurred to me that, as the songs were already linked thematically, it made sense for the music to be linked so explicitly. As the piece reached its conclusion, I realised that it also formed the perfect sequel to Persistence… That album dealt in broad terms with themes of isolation through a lack of communication, whereas this one looks more at the consequences of a lack of communication within families and groups upon society as a whole. As such, the first notes you hear on The World… are also the last notes of Persistence…
With the basic album completed and demoed in February 2017, I then approached Jola and Richard to see if they were happy to proceed with the album. Their input, as always, proved invaluable and Richard rose to phenomenal heights on this record. I don’t believe I have ever heard him play better or with such sensitivity as he does on ‘Imaginary Trip’, whilst his lead work on ‘The Last Battle’ is simply outstanding. We spent four amazing weeks tracking the record with Wahoomi Corvi and Cristian Coruzzi at Real Sound Studios. They are a fantastic team and they really brought the best out of us performance-wise. It was a pleasure, too, to work with Jonny Mazzeo who mixed and mastered the record at Mathlab Studios. He fully understood that we wanted to make a very dynamic album, and he mixed the piece carefully to allow for plenty of ebb and flow. As a band, we’ve always been drawn to albums that sound natural, and Jonny delivered a vibrant master that really allows the individual elements to shine through without being rendered flat in the name of loudness. Heavier and darker than our debut, The World We Left behind For Others was a challenging record to make. Perhaps it runs against the trend, as it is very much an album meant to be heard in one sitting (and in the correct order), but I believe it to be the best thing I have ever written and I am very excited for people to hear it.”
Track listing:
1 – Ash’s
2 – The Last Battle
3 – Scattered Dust
4 – Take Me For A Walk
5 – Empty Handed
6 – Keeping Going
7 – Convicted Of The Right
8 – Ashes
9 – One More Drink…
10 – …And I’ll Leave
11 – One More Trip
12 – The World We Left Behind For Others
The artwork for the new album was created by Andy Pilkington of Very Metal Art (Flotsam And Jetsam, Rock Goddess etc) who was also responsible for the striking image that adorned Persistence Of Memory. The artwork for The World We Left Behind For Others flows through the booklet, guiding the listener through the story as the music unfolds.
In the lead up to the release Final Coil will be playing two prestigious UK festivals. On February 16th the band will take to the stage of the O2 Academy in Birmingham as part of HRH Metal: Metal Meltdown with Decapitated, Raging Speedhorn, Acid Reign and many more. Then on the 23rd of March, Final Coil will join Focus, England, IO Earth and a host of progressive rock talent at the Fusion Festival at the Stourport Civic Centre. Drumming for Final Coil at these two momentous shows will be Dan Brown of Beckon Lane.
2019 is set to be the year that Final Coil really take flight – watch this space for more news and prepare to join us for an incredible imaginary trip.
Final Coil is
Phil Stiles – vocals/guitars
Jola Stiles – bass
Richard Awdry – guitars/backing vocals
Links:
https://www.finalcoil.com/
https://www.facebook.com/finalcoil/
