EP REVIEW: Convicted of the Right – Final Coil

Leicester’s FINAL COIL are perhaps one of the best acts currently active within the rock scene in the UK. Taking a noxious mix of alt rock, grunge and prog, among a myriad of other influences, the band have had a rather prolific career up until this point. Building a solid reputation off the back of some truly excellent live shows and even more impressive records, they are at the absolute forefront of the underground scene, and seem poised to break out. Their latest EP, Convicted of the Right, sees FINAL COIL put a spotlight on one of the best tracks on their latest album, The World We Left Behind For Others, accompanied by a few live studio recordings of other cuts from this album and their debut, Persistence of Memory, making for a great, eclectic overview of their more recent material.

Convicted of the Right, the EPs centrepiece, is a fantastic piece of music that blends dense acoustic guitars and much more experimental electric ones, which see Richard Awdry utilising a violin bow to build a haunting effect adding to the immersive feel of the song. The brilliant, singalong vocals, sparse drum and bass hooks and a few subtle electronic flourishes make for an incredibly catchy and layered sound. Empty Handed, the first of three live studio recordings, originally appearing on The World We Left Behind For Others, is a hazy, hard rock inflected piece of music with a dual vocal that is very reminiscent of a band like ALICE IN CHAINS.

Both of the final two offerings first saw the light of day on FINAL COIL‘s first album, Persistence of Memory. The first of these, You Waste My Time, captures much of what made the original so great, whilst throwing far more heavily distorted guitars and a prominent, pummelling rhythm section into the mix. The vocals provide an angelic quality to the music, giving this a memorable and distinct sound, like a more alt rock interpretation of a band like MANIC STREET PREACHERS. Meanwhile, closer Spider Feet offers some dense, muted guitars, that allow the vocals, bass and drums to rise to the forefront of the sound, with the rhythms being far more noticeable and intricate on this track. The closing minutes of this song are defined by a shift in guitar tone to a crunching, dirty tone that gives this song a lot of depth and intensity, making for a magnificent way to bring Convicted the the Right to a close.

Although much of this material will be familiar to long time fans of FINAL COIL, it is still well worth checking out. Convicted of the Right‘s titular track is perhaps one of their best outings to date, and the inclusion of live renditions of their fan favourites does a great job of capturing some of the essence of their incredible live sound. For fans well versed in FINAL COIL, this is a great way to revisit some of their favourite offerings and hear them in a slightly new light.

Rating: 8/10

Convicted of the Right is out now via Wormhole Death. 

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