Bloodstock Bound: Final Coil
As Bloodstock gets closer, we delve deep into the line up to find out more about some of the bands playing the New Blood and EMP stages at this years event.
Today we chat with Final Coil
The Razor's Edge: Please introduce yourself and your band mates.
Final Coil: Hey there. This is Phil (lead vocals / rhythm guitar) answering. Also in the band are Jola (bass), Richard (lead guitar / backing vocals), and Gee (drums / backing vocals).
Final Coil has been around (in this form at least) since 2008, and we’ve released three albums to date – Persistence Of Memory and The World We Left Behind For Others via WormholeDeath Records; and The World We Inherited through Sliptrick Records. We’re based in Leicester, and you can keep up with our activities using this handy linktree: https://linktr.ee/finalcoil
The Razor's Edge: How would you describe your sound?
Final Coil: Ah man – the dreaded question! I guess (and this changes pretty much every time I answer) that you could say Final Coil sit at the progressive end of the metal spectrum, although our sound has never been easy to pin down to a specific genre. Broadly, we pair massive riffs with harmony vocals and draw influences from bands such as Katatonia, Alice in Chains, NIN, Pink Floyd, and Tool.
The Razor's Edge: How did you land your spot on the Bloodstock bill?
Final Coil: We were incredibly fortunate. Simon Hall, who runs the New Blood stage put out an open call for bands to apply and, to our surprise and delight, picked us. We’re still pinching ourselves and we’re almost entirely sure that it had nothing to do with the large donation we made to Simon’s Only Fans page…
The Razor's Edge: What does playing at Bloodstock mean to you?
Final Coil: Bloodstock is the heavy metal festival in the UK. As long-time attendees (going back to 2007), it holds a very special place in our hearts, and we never imagined that one day we’d have a shot at playing – in rehearsals at the moment, there’s still a kind of “is this really happening?” mentality - we’re stunned.
The wonderful thing about Bloodstock is that it’s very open minded, and if you look at the bill this year, you’ve got everyone from Opeth to Rotting Christ, via Architects and Satyricon. That’s a lot of musical ground to cover, and if you have an interest in heavy music, you want to be at Bloodstock. We can’t wait and we’re looking forward to hanging out across the weekend.
The Razor's Edge: For people who’ve never seen you live, what can they expect at Bloodstock?
Final Coil: Final Coil are one of those bands that tends to be very nuanced on record, but a lot more direct on stage. When you’re playing live, you just have to lose yourself to the moment, and our delivery has a visceral energy to it which will surprise people who’ve only ever heard our CDs. That said, I tend to sequence set lists much like I sequence our albums so, while we’ll be playing a number of our heavier songs for sure, there’ll be space for some proggier moments – it’s who we are, after all, and it’s important to me to be able to show the audience the different facets of the band.
Since I started Final Coil, it’s always been my intention to take the audience on a journey, whether on stage or on record, and I think we’ve got a perfectly balanced set for Bloodstock.
The Razor's Edge: What day are you performing?
Final Coil: We’re playing on the Friday – the same day as Opeth, which is just incredible. In Final Coil, we have similar tastes that kind of meet in the middle, but Opeth is one band we all agree upon.
The Razor's Edge: What other bands are you looking forward to watching at Bloodstock this year?
Final Coil: Ah man, the line up this year is just incredible. I suspect every member of the band has their own favourites but, for me, I guess the highlights are (and in no particular order), Opeth, Clutch, Rotting Christ, Satyricon, Carcass, Enslaved, Deicide, Whitechapel, Cultura Tres, and Grand Magus.
Of those, I’m particularly excited about Satyricon, because I’ve only seen them once before, and Deicide, whose new album is absolutely immense. Steve Asheim is such a cool drummer and, for such a heavy band, they have incredible dynamic, so they’re high on my list of bands I have to see.
The Razor's Edge: Playing the New Blood Stage is just the first steppingstone in a bands journey. What’s next in your plans for world domination?
Final Coil: Well, as I said a moment ago, we’re still promoting our third album, The World We Inherited, which came out in January via Sliptrick Records. It’s such an important album for us, not just because it caps off the trilogy we began with Persistence Of Memory, but also because it was our chance to work with the amazing Russ Russell, who just did a phenomenal job of mixing and mastering the record. I’m incredibly proud of the album, and I would like to take it to as many people as I can in the coming months. Certainly, we’re planning some more shows in the UK and we hope we’ll also have a couple of dates in Europe.
As to the future, well to be honest, the amazing opportunity to play Bloodstock has arrived at the perfect moment, and we’re enjoying honing our set, but I’m already writing new material, and I expect that we’ll start the process of refining those songs early next year. We’ve always been a fiercely creative band, and I love the process of recording, so it won’t be too long before we head back to the studio.
The Razor's Edge: Are you camping with the fans? Which campsite are you heading for?
Final Coil: Oh hell yes! We have a lot of friends coming along and anyways, I can’t imagine not camping at Bloodstock. There’s something amazing about a festival atmosphere that you don’t find anywhere else. It’s hard to define, but I guess there’s a sense of freedom because, for three days, you’re in a field with friends and likeminded people, just living in the moment. There’s no job, no bills, no outside life to interfere. It’s just people, unified by music. Anyway, I’m starting to sound a bit like Michael Jackson, so I’ll stop there, suffice it to say that festivals are amazing and of course we’re camping. I don’t know yet which campsite, but we’re there for the weekend for sure. Come and say hi!
The Razor's Edge: It’s festival weekend, what’s your food vendor of choice on site?
Final Coil: Does a bar count as a food vendor? Oh, it has to be food? Generally, at festivals, I tend to opt for vegetarian options – jacket potatoes or Nachos with a good vegetarian chilli are always solid options (and options to keep you solid…)
The Razor's Edge: See you at Bloodstock in a few weeks!
Final Coil: See you there dude
