(Disclaimer: I’m friends with Phil Stiles, but I’m giving my own honest opinion here)
It’s taken me a while to write this review. As I’ve technically had a copy of The World We Left Behind For Others for a couple of months now, you, gentle reader, could accuse me of being slightly remiss in not actually writing up this review earlier. But in truth, you’d be wrong to accuse me of such things, as this is not an easy album to just throw on and consume in one sitting.
I’m going to avoid a lecture/”Old Man Yells At Clouds”-style rant about how disposable music is nowadays, with kids these days downloading tons of albums and never truly appreciating them, etc. etc., and instead say that you should really set aside an hour of your time to have a listen to The World We Left Behind For Others whenever possible.
Listen to it when you’re happy, when you’re sad, when you’re confused about life, when you’re angry at the world around you, when you’re melancholy, when you’re at home, when you’re at work, on your commute, you get the idea. Consume it slowly over time and digest it thoroughly. I pretty much guarantee you that it’ll hit and resonate differently depending on your mood thanks to the many, many layers within, which is why I’ve been taking my time on writing this review. And without further faffing around, let’s get into it.
Ash’s – Technically the shortest track on the album, Ash’s works as an instrumental introduction to the album, layering ambience and melodic guitars together in a rather skilful way to build up to the first proper track.
The Last Battle – And here we hit the moodiness and chugging that is reminiscent of traditional Final Coil, but upgraded to the next level. The grungy texture of the bass and guitar is tempered with harmony layers of vocals as the song progresses through many different stages, and with a run-time of over 6 minutes, it’s clear to see that Final Coil are still very much fans of inserting prog components alongside the grunge and creating a unique ambience here.
Scattered Dust – Further carrying on the prog influences, Scattered Dust is a seven-and-almost-a-half minutes of atmospheric riffage and darkness. There are so many layers in this that it definitely requires multiple listens to pick out just everything that is going on and appreciate all of the subtle nuances and touches within this song.
Take Me For A Walk – And now for some brief audience participation. Hands up if you’ve ever wanted a track to go on longer because it’s just that fantastic. In my opinion Take Me For A Walk is one of those tracks, as it’s filled with so much melody and acts as a great counterpoint to the previous tracks. But alas, with all good things, it must end at some point, which is where the next track kicks in.
Empty Handed – And back to the heaviness here, Empty Handed is a good reminder of why it’s so hard to classify Final Coil at times. The guitars crunch and the bass grooves alongside the pulsing drums, but it’s the vocals that add that tinge of heaviness and darkness to the song and complete it.
Keeping Going – Keeping Going is a return to the grungier side of Final Coil, albeit an evolved form of grunge from the 90s. If you prefer your rock to be more solid and not transcend genres too much, then Keeping Going is probably going to be one of your favourite songs on the album.
Convicted Of The Right – Probably the most difficult song on the album in terms of the lyrical content, Convicted Of The Right is also one of the more chaotic and inspired songs that Final Coil have done. It’s not an easy song to listen to, and doesn’t act as an immediate earworm, but it is a fairly necessary piece on this album. Plus the acoustic work on this track adds a nice layer that becomes more appreciated the more that it’s listened to.
Ashes Ashes – And now for the shorter section of the album, with a trio of short songs that begin with Ashes Ashes, which is also probably one of the most atmospherically charged songs on the album. It’s also a great indictment of Final Coil and their talent that they can change up their instrumentation and explore other avenues with it feeling natural within the flow of the entire album.
One More Drink… – One More Drink… is the second song of the short trio, and also acts as the start of a two-parter. I personally absolutely love the instrumentals and the experimental stuff that Final Coil produce, such as Alienation off their previous effort, Persistence of Memory, and it’s clear to see that the band themselves also enjoy being able to just let loose with an experimental atmosphere, rather than contain themselves to a more normalised grunge sound.
…And I’ll Leave – …And I’ll Leave completes the trio of short songs, although at nearly three-and-a-half minutes, it’s kind of amusing to call it a short song when in any other rock band, this would be considered a normal song for the repertoire. Some rather excellent riffage and drum work kick-starts the song into overdrive, and it only increases from there.
Imaginary Trip – Penultimate songs on albums can often be hit or miss, but Imaginary Trip is one of the penultimate songs that doesn’t miss. With a slow build up to a crashing yet melancholic crescendo, the second-longest track on the album really doesn’t disappoint listeners.
The World We Left Behind For Others – If there’s one thing that Final Coil have worked hard on, it’s ensuring that albums end with an absolutely banger of a track, and the title track is no exception to this rule. It pretty much encapsulates everything that they’re known for, from grungy guitar to prog tendencies (with this track, the vocals kick in after around the four minute mark, when most normal rock bands would have finished the song), to experimental interludes as it were, to metal influences. It’s a great summation of Final Coil, and if you ever need a single track to showcase what Final Coil’s sound are like for a stranger, the title track off this album is probably the way to go.
For a follow-up album to their first album, most bands tend to struggle. There’s always a worry that it won’t live up to the first album, and the question of whether to try and recreate the first albums sound, or whether to go for a new sound entirely. It’s clear to see that Final Coil have opted for creating a different sound this time around, going for a more personal and intimate album, whilst also nodding at their influences and previous album. It’s a solid album, hard to listen to at times due to the lyrical content, but overall, it’s a great follow-up album.
