Album Review: Final Coil – The World We Left Behind For Others (WormHoleDeath)

Final Coil’s second album is 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 was released by WormHoleDeath on the 12th April 2019.

Musically, The World We Left Behind For Others shows Final Coil truly stepping up. Showing their sheer breadth of sound, the depth of the emotions captured, the free flowing creativity which make this album utterly captivating and a wonderful achievement.

Final Coil’s frontman Phil Stiles reveals a little more about the inspirations that lead to the creation of 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.”

You can immediately tell that The World We Left Behind For Others is an immersive listen simply based off the intro Ash’s. Its subtle and palatable electronica alongside the whine of guitars creating imagery that is a little bit hopeful, a little bit sad and quite memorable.

That settles down for the moody The Last Battle, a track layered with deep and ringing bass lines and vocals that are reminiscent of Alice in Chains. A well thought out track followed by the slightly more harder and energetic Scattered Dust and super mellow ambience of Take Me For A Walk.

Call that previous one preparation for Empty Handed’s deeper guitar groove and morose vocals. Not the easiest track to get along with because of just how dour it is but the slight wobble is righted with the excellent Keeping Going. A really huge amount of chug and distant whine of guitar sticks in the mind.

Then we have Convicted of the Right. A highly imaginative listen that could almost be called catchy before Ashes Ashes drops the most depressing melody of the album so far.

Almost like a double track, One More Drink… and …And I’ll Leave, except the pair don’t quite fit together. The former, short with eerie effects and haunting guitar melody while the latter is almost peppy by comparison.

After such a huge effort it’s almost funny that Final Coil would feel the need to push the boat out even more with the final two tracks coming in at just short of 18 minutes combined. The first, Imaginary Trip is a slow moving trip into wonderful almost post like rhythm that wraps itself around like a coiled snake. Whereas the title track moves at an even slower pace but builds far more impressively to a much more heavy focused track.

The final confirmation that all anyone needs to see that Final Coil are something rather special.

Final Coil – The World We Left Behind For Others Full 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 Ashes
9. One More Drink…
10. …And I’ll Leave
11. Imaginary Trip
12. The World We Left Behind for Others

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