"Exanimis" marks your fourth full-length studio album, coming four years after "Cinis". Looking at the new material, how do you see Consecration’s evolution of from the songwriting stages to the final master?
“Cinis” was recorded not long after I joined the band. I had a lot of ideas to contribute to the band’s sound. So that album was a mix of old and new ideas. Liam and I have worked together for a while since then and we complement each other well. So, I think the new album is the first time we have been totally aligned. I think this show in the more concise songwriting and a more cohesive sound overall. We really wanted this to be an impactful album and choosing Greg to do the recording and mastering was key to getting the sound our music deserved.
The album title “Exanimis” carries a strong sense of death, emptiness and spiritual decay. What does the title represent to the band, and how does it connect with the lyrical themes of the record?
Dan handles all the lyrics and art. He has a strong sense of what the concept of the album will be based on the lyrical themes he chooses to explore. His lyrics vary between conceptual horror themes like “Submerged In Sand” and deeper subjects, exploring depression, loss, and the dark side of the mind. I think the title of the album is in keeping with the Latin-based names we’ve given albums in the past and covers the desolate feeling of the new release.
Your sound clearly honors the classic UK death-doom tradition, especially bands like My Dying Bride and Enchantment, but “Exanimis” also sounds more aggressive and modern in places. How did you balance nostalgia with the need to push your own identity forward?
So, the nostalgic feel is not purposeful. Whilst the other guys in the band are fans of old doom and so on, my influences are rooted in 90s death metal. When I joined my contributions were based on those influences and any other way I thought I could enhance their sound. Clearly when you do single note dark harmonies, it may imply some influences and perhaps sound close to older bands but that’s not the purpose. I think some of my death metal influences are more apparent now, and it works well as a whole. I think “Examinis” shows our current identity, in that past releases capture that moment in time too.
"I think the nature of the music is cathartic. It allows for the release of your darkest thoughts and emotions."
For this record, you collaborated with Paul Jones from Enchantment and Rich Mumford from Malediction, alongside the familiar mixing and mastering work of Greg Chandler. What did these specific underground veterans bring to the table for the overall sonic identity of the album?
First of all, Greg is an absolute master in the studio. It was a privilege to work with him and as he knows the band well, we knew he could bring the best out of us. He is an incredible professional with unsurpassed knowledge for this kind of music. Both Rich and Paul are close friends of the band. Rich is an incredible guitarist and his leads are amazing. It was an honour for him to be on the album. Paul is also great and he has helped us out live before. I think his vocals were a great addition on “Cold Grey Stone”, a song with huge importance to me as I wrote the closing melodies on hearing of the death of a relative. When I play it live it’s a real release of grief and loss.
Death-doom has always thrived on atmosphere and emotional weight. What do you think makes sorrow, despair and darkness such enduring themes within this genre?
I think the nature of the music is cathartic. It allows for the release of your darkest thoughts and emotions. It allows a depth that the comedy horror schtick of other bands doesn’t cater for. That’s likely why it appeals to me. The lyrics largely focus on real loss and darkness rather than made up stuff. Obviously, we have tracks that are more fictional or conceptual, but even then, you can usually relate those to your own experiences of grief, depression and suffering.
Death-doom has experienced a strong resurgence in recent years, with both old and new bands keeping the style alive. From your perspective, what is the current state of the genre, and what do you think newer bands still misunderstand about true doom atmosphere?
I’m not sure we see ourselves as part of any particular genre. But death doom is strong and firmly in the underground where it likely belongs. I don’t pay attention to what newer bands do in the genre, so I can’t see that anyone misunderstands it. It’s pretty simple really? What is there to misunderstand? At the end of the day if the music is good, it’s good. Nothing else matters.
Your 2021 EP "Reanimated" was reissued last year as a limited hand-made edition and sold out in just two hours. How does that level of intense dedication from the underground fanbase impact your collective drive when completing a major project like this new full-length?
It is great when that happens. “Reanimated’ was a bit of a stop gap before “Cinis” and it was rushed. However, that translated to a raw sounding album that captured a bit of our live essence. Plus, I was keen to add one of the tracks to the new album as I felt it deserved a good production. The underground fans are everything. That’s who we serve. We sure hope they love the new release.
Looking back at the path from “Ephemerality” to “Exanimis”, do you feel Consecration have finally reached the sound and vision you were always aiming for, or is the band still evolving into something even darker and heavier?
Well, I am not sure as I wasn’t a part of the early releases. I think “Cinis” added a new dimension and “Exanimis” is the evolution of that. I can see us taking that further and evolving onto something nastier. But also, with some dark beauty in terms of harmony and the depth of the music itself.
Nuclear Winter Records is handling the release across CD, LP, and MC formats this May. How has the partnership with the label helped in realizing the visual and physical presentation of "Exanimis" exactly the way you envisioned it?
First of all, I am a huge Dead Congregation fan so working with them has been a dream come true. The label has been incredibly supportive. In fact, this is the best relationship we have had with a label to date. That is not to discredit Redefining Darkness, as they were also great.
Your past live appearances include milestones like UK Deathfest and Esoteric’s 30th Anniversary. With these eight new monolithic tracks ready, are there any touring plans to bring the bleakness of "Exanimis" onto stages in 2026?
Yes of course. We have had some great live shows in the past. We are playing Norwich a couple of times plus Bristol, Manchester and Plymouth. One of those is for Barker’s Blastfest which is a great event for a great man. Nick Barker has been a giant in the metal scene so it will be an honour to play for his cause.
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