Label: Trepanation Recordings
Release Date: 17-09-2021
Genre: Industrial, post-industrial, trip-hop, darkwave
Country: United Kingdom Following directly on from 2020s The Anchorite EP, The Anchorhold sees Final Coil frontman Phil Stiles evolving his sound once again to incorporate elements of post-rock and progressive, alongside the previously established industrial and trip-hop influences that informed the previous EP. Conceived as a means to maintain a sense of musical community during the various lockdowns of 2020, Phil reached out to his musical peers, drawing together nine musicians from across four countries, to create an album that reflects on the enforced isolation that we have all experienced. From the UK, Richard Allsopp (Monachopsis) lent his shredding skills to two tracks (I’m Not Done Yet, It Follows Me), while bassists Roger Morter (Pornographic Sunset) and Mark Gatland (Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate / IT) brought their unique talents to the mix on It Follows Me and I’m Not Done Yet respectively. Then there’s acclaimed folk singer Matt Steady, who provided layered vocals for the elegant swirl of The Wanderer. From South Africa, Pauline Silver and Brett Minnie (The Medea Project) added percussion, lyrics and sheets of noise to the industrial grind of Reflections From An Echo Chamber); while, from Poland, Tomek Wolski (S/W, Syndrom.99 / United Colour Of Noise / Jeze) drew on his love of Dead Can Dance to offer up a scintillating bassline for Sleep Take Me. Finally, from the US, Kyle Brandt (Molitoth / A Light Within) offered up a remarkable vocal for the enigmatically-titled C21H22N2O2. Listen to C21H22N2O2 now: https://youtu.be/JLp8PdtYSI0
Watch End This Way Lyric Video Now: https://youtu.be/ekk0qh0TE6U The result is an album that takes on board a range of influences from Swans, Killing Joke and Gary Numan to Dead Can Dance and Nine Inch Nails, whilst retaining the ebb and flow necessary of an album intended to take the listener on a journey. Mixed by Phil and mastered by James Plotkin (Khanate / Isis / Merzbow), the album is slated for release via Trepanation Recordings on September 17th and will be available on limited edition CD and cassette, as well as the usual digital formats.
Tracklist:
1 I’m Not Done Yet (feat. Richard Allsopp and Mark Gatland)
2 C21H22N202 (feat. Kyle Brandt)
3 Reflections From An Echo Chamber (feat. The Medea Project)
4 Dance Fucker
5 End This Way
6 The Wanderer (feat. Matt Steady)
7 Sleep Take Me (feat. Tomek Wolski)
8 -Silence-
9 It Follows Me (Bonus Track) (feat. Richard Allsopp and Roger Morter)
Line-up
Phil Stiles - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Synths and Programming
with: Matt Steady – Vocals
Richard Allsopp – Lead Guitar
Kyle Brandt – Vocals
Brett Minnie – Bass, Programming and Vocals
Pauline Silver – Percussion
Roger Morter – Bass
Mark Gatland – Bass
Tomek Wolski – Bass “The progressive gives here the air of his grace but it is the sensations described above that triumph. That and a deep sense of atmosphere. Good surprise, recommend.” 8.5/10 – World Of Metal “Myriad bassists including Roger Morter (Pornographic Sunset), Mark Gatland and Tomek Wolski contribute to the industrial throb of the album, building up the dense and desolate world it conjures” – Musipedia of Metal “…a haunting, melodic take on electronic rock, looking at why we don’t seem to learn the lessons of before in a powerful single.” Uber Rock (reviewing End This Way single) “Overall – Reflecting its subject matter well, ‘TA’ does what it sets out to do. Clear, consistent production, featuring tracks bearing out their titles, neat progressions, sustained rhythms and melodic effects, effectively arranged, ‘TA’ retains the high standards for which Phil’s music has become known. Yes, it’s a niche area, somewhat distant from mainstream metal, likely to appeal more to specific target audiences, but performatively and productively speaking, it’s flawless and on message.” 10/10 – Rock Queen Reviews “A production to seek out by metal fans fond of dynamic and expressive creations exploring dark landscapes in a more careful as well as more aggressive manner, and especially those among them with a taste for atmospheric soundscapes and industrial atmospheres.” Viking In The Wilderness Mini Review "Therefore, The Anchorhold is an album that seeks to get into your mind, digging here and there to carry a concrete message, your discontent at the imposition of a confinement and the series of feelings with which we all had to deal, and that reaches our ears in the form of musical catharsis. This, The Anchorhold is a proposal that is more interesting, from any point of view, in which its creator had to know himself very well internally to be able to capture it musically. I expected no less from Phil Stiles.” – Apuesto Al Rock “Overall, The Anchorhold is a complex and imaginative release.” 7/10 – GBHBL
For fans of Killing Joke, Swans, NIN, Massive Attack, Dead Can Dance
Recording info Recorded & Mixed: Phil Stiles
Mastered: James Plotkin (https://www.plotkinworks.com/) Follow:
Website: http://philstilesofficial.com/
Bandcamp: https://philstiles.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilStilesOfficial
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDzAhQpcnPXMVFdBWEf-Zwg
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6zxmirZEamJIykO4AGYocp?si=cJGq_Ok2RxSjlwS7SbQWYw&dl_branch=1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philstilesofficial/ | 
