Since 2008, Phil Stiles has been the frontman and primary songwriter for acclaimed alternative / prog band Final Coil. The band signed to Italian label WormHoleDeath in 2017 for the release of their debut album, Persistence Of Memory, a compelling mix of post-rock, progressive and alternative music, mastered by Cult Of Luna’s Magnus Lindberg and which garnered comparisons to Tool, Alice in Chains and Pink Floyd.
Shortly after the album’s release, Phil’s distinctive sound garnered the attention of legendary prog-rockers Glass Hammer, and he was invited to contribute guitar to a track on their well-received Chronomonaut album. At the same time, Phil signed an endorsement deal with Blackstar Amplification and began work on the follow-up to Persistence Of Memory.
A deeply personal concept album, The World We Left Behind For Others cemented Final Coil’s reputation as a forward-thinking, progressive rock band. The record, which incorporated an eclectic range of influences from grunge to prog via metal and electronica, caught the ear of The Way Of Purity, who invited Phil to write and record the outro to their 2020 album Schwarz Oder Rot. The success of the track, entitled Leave, encouraged Phil to return to some pieces, written during the sessions for Final Coil’s second album, which fitted neither the atmosphere of the record, nor the band’s overall sound. Listening once again, Phil realised that the pieces complimented Final Coil’s official releases, but did not belong under that banner, and he decided to release them separately.
While finishing the pieces, Phil quickly realised that he needed a second pair of ears to put the finishing touches to the music. To this end, he turned to renowned mastering engineer and musician James Plotkin (Khanate, KK Null, ISIS, Pelican and Earth), who offered advice on the final mixes and turned in a master that captured the dark ambience of the EP.
The result is The Anchorite, a starkly compelling EP that captures the dystopian atmosphere of a world that is struggling to achieve a post-Westphalian identity. With lyrics rooted in Phil’s love of politics, the music of the EP moves away from the progressive sweep of Final Coil’s music, focusing on a darker ambience influenced by the likes of Massive Attack, Jesu, latter-day Swans, Sonic Youth and Godflesh. The EP is slated for an early 2020 release.