There are bands – and I know this because I listen to them still – that offer an escape from the norm.
Like, I don’t even know two girls, much less slept with both last night, but Poison offer me that hedonism.
There are bands that confront peoples personal issues, Martyn Joseph maybe, or Springsteen, and there are a third group: those that like to look at the future we’re facing and ask the existential question: how did we get to this point?
Final Coil are that band, in interviews main man Phil Stiles makes statements like: “We live in an era of unprecedented threat. Flashing headlines, endless conflicts both inter and intra-civilisational in nature, and the swirling voices of social media have coalesced to create a cold and unforgiving world. We heard freedom’s call, but we failed to keep it within our grasp.”
And “The World We Inherited” fits that and becomes an immediately dystopian and barren landscape right from its opening title track, crafting a soundtrack reminiscent of Paradise Lost gone prog. The inhospitable nature of the music is far from easy listening, yet tracks like ‘Wires’ manage to captivate with their hypnotic allure.
The album seamlessly shifts between hauntingly heavy moments, exemplified in the fierce descent of ‘Chemtrails,’ and a more chant-like, disturbing atmosphere found elsewhere. ‘Starlight’ delicately floats into consciousness, only to be disrupted by a Katatonia-like groove that emerges unexpectedly. ‘The Growing Shadows’ provides a glimpse into what the album could have been if it embraced a conventional doom sound.
Despite not being the most immediate record, ‘How to Disappear’ boasts entrancing moments, such as the trance-inducing ‘Stay With Me’ and the other-worldly ‘Purify,’ where the music feels as if ‘Big Brother’ is not just watching but actively listening to the album.
The instrumental masterpiece, ‘Out Of Sorts,’ complements the overall experience, showcasing exemplary guitar work. While the album can be harsh, especially in the heavy climax of ‘Humanity,’ the persistent notion that it is part prog album and part soundtrack to an unmade film is a testament to its multifaceted nature. “The World We Inherited’ is a musical journey that immerses listeners in a complex, atmospheric realm.
“How often do people, faced with their own personal fears, try to overcome them by focusing on some aspect of their lives that brought a moment of fleeting happiness amidst the paranoia” Asks singer Phil Stiles here and he’s backed his words up with this collection.
I read Orwell for the first time in 2023. Why it took me so long I don’t know, but 40 years on from 1984 we’re living in it. This is the soundtrack. Uneasy listening it might be, just make sure you do listen. This is anything other than “Nothin’ but a good time” but it’s vital and it’s brilliant.
Rating 8.5/10
REVIEW: FINAL COIL – THE WORLD WE INHERITED (2024)
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