Final Coil began their musical life in howls of feedback and chaos, a raging entity that tore up the stages of endless small clubs as they slowly found their direction. Gradually, that energy and electricity was channelled into smoother paths as the band looked deeper into themselves and their music, discovering how much more their individual abilities could create; realising they had so much more to say, that a fleeting impact wasn’t all they wished to achieve – they wanted to carve musical monuments that would stand the test of time and stand for something as well. Under the guiding hand of founding member Phil Stiles the line-up of the band morphed and shifted to reflect that change in focus and the first recorded output from the new look Final Coil was released in 2015. The Closed To The Light EP highlighted the significant developments in the band’s style so effectively that it caught the ear of Italian record label WormHoleDeath, who immediately signed the band up. Throughout 2016 Final Coil worked on their debut full length album, which was then unveiled by their new label in 2017...
In a world of ever shifting trends and fashions, where it’s always time to move on to the next thing and the value of anything and everything is fleeting, it’s a beautiful moment to find an album that stops you in your tracks. A combination of musicianship, song craft, depth of emotion
and attention to detail that holds you transfixed while the rest of the world continues its unthinking charge into oblivion. An album where the lyrics invite thought and reflection and the artwork fires the imagination as the music brings it to vibrant life. Final Coil’s debut album, entitled Persistence Of Memory was just such an album; an island of colour and beauty in the ever flowing grey tides of modern life. The band joined forces with Imperative PR to promote the album and the reaction from the music press was outstanding.
The band finished 2017 with a flurry of well received live shows and returned to Imperative PR once more – this time for a long term management deal. The press continued to pick up on the brilliance of Persistence Of Memory throughout the early months of 2018 and away from the stage the band began to work on their most ambitious material to date. As summer neared its end Final Coil set off for Italy and Real Sound Studios to record their second full length album. Featuring the skills of session drummer Barry French (ex-Sarpanitum) blending beautifully with the flowing bottom end of bassist Jola Stiles and the twin guitars of Phil Stiles and Richard Awdry the new songs that Final Coil have created are going to stun everyone who hears them. Before the end of the year the band also managed to fit in live shows with OHHMS, Boss Keloid, Zero Point Zero and Staghorn.
Aside from his work with Final Coil, Phil Stiles was invited to make a guest appearance on the latest album from prog rock royalty, Glass Hammer (the band where Yes discovered vocalist Jon Davison).
2019 began with an appearance at the massive HRH Metal III: Metal Meltdown event at the O2 Academy in Birmingham, with Final Coil playing alongside Decapitated, Devilment and many more, to a large and appreciative audience. Next up for the band was a place on the bill of the Fusion Festival 2019, which took place at the Stourhead Civic Centre on March 22nd – 24th and featured prog legends like Focus and IO Earth. Hot on the heels of these two major shows came the April 12th release of Final Coil’s second full length album, the momentous concept album The
World We Left Behind For Others. The album, inspired by a collection of family letters discovered by front man Phil Stiles, made a powerful impression on fans and critics alike and the band celebrated the success of their new album with two prestigious London dates, firstly with
Shonen Knife at the Underworld and then with the legendary Marky Ramone at The Garage.
As 2020 dawned Final Coil’s stock was higher than ever before. So, before turning the page and leaving this wonderful chapter in their story behind, they decided to release the Convicted Of The Right EP. Convicted Of The Right featured the title track, taken from The World We Left Behind For Others and three Final Coil classics recorded live at The Lab studios in London. As the positive press began to flow the band returned to the studio and began work on album number three...
While recording for the album went well, Covid-19 then descended upon the world and changed the whole view of the road ahead. Gigs were cancelled, or morphed into on-line events and such was the fate of the Fusion Festival. Final Coil were invited to take part in Fusion’s On-Line Christmas Cracker event in November of 2020, along with bands like Galahad and Pallas and rather than submit a standard set Final Coil were inspired to create something really special. They completely reimagined songs from their back catalogue, taking them into realms of sound that transformed each track - an endeavour very much in keeping with the festival’s progressive outlook. Such was the success of this project that Final Coil decided to expand upon it and create an album of old songs given a completely new lease of life. Entitled Somnambulant II - a link back to one of the band’s earliest releases, the equally experimental Somnambulant EP of 2014 - this remarkable new release will emerge from its chrysalis via WormholeDeath Records on December 10th. A triumph emerging from a tragedy and a light along the way as we all emerge into a post lockdown world.
