Behind The Artwork: Final Coil - Persistance Of Memory (2018)

Phil: As a band we all grew up with physical media, so it was absolutely imperative to us that we make this album special. The music is, of course, all important, but if you can place that music in the context of a package that people can hold and admire then it becomes more special still. From the start we knew we wanted to work with Andy Pilkington of Very Metal Art, not least because he produced our very first lyric video and our logo, but also because of the covers he did for bands such as Flotsam and Jetsam.

Phil: The most important thing about Andy, and we knew this from our precious work with him, is that he really listens to the music. Where some may be content to simply produce a generic piece of artwork, Andy really wants to know the lyrical content and meaning and he spent time listening to the demos. What he produced… well, it’s just amazing and I still marvel at the fact that it is appended to our music. If you’ve not checked out the album, you may not know, but it’s a fold out piece of artwork and it truly is one of the most remarkable things I have ever seen. We did discuss basic ideas with Andy, but ultimately he produced it all and I wouldn’t change a single element. He’s a master of his craft and I’m very grateful to have been associated with him on this release.

Rich: I was bowled over to find out it was in essence a proper painting and I think that does give that extra feeling of the slightly fuzzy lines and blurs between the various images that make up the overall picture. There's so much in there, that I could look at it for ages. I think it is ripe for interpretation by the viewer too. There are so many elements yet without clutter, and I like that the explosive centrepiece kind of drops into the background. I never look at it and think it looks like someone shooting themselves.