Review : CONSECRATION – “.avi”

Consecration – .avi
released May 10, 2010 on Geenger Records

Rating: 5/5

Interestingly, and thankfully enough, I discovered Consecration for myself shortly after learning ISIS was breaking up. As I prepare for their final show tonight at Club Soda in Montréal, I have hope that this Serbian quintet will pick up where that band left off, creating genre-bending atmospheres for our aural pleasure.

Originally formed ten years ago in Belgrade, Consecration has endured lineup changes, label disinterest, DIY touring, and self-released albums. Their debut aux was released two years ago for free download, along with a live album entitled 2^nd April 2008. It was these live tracks that would be showcased for their curiously-titled sophomore studio release, .avi.

Recorded in similar fashion to the live tracks themselves, the band manages to sound both organic and spontaneous, feeding off of – and into – one another. “Aligator” starts with a Sleep-y swagger, but defers to a segment more expected of Explosions in the Sky before returning to conclude with delicious heaviness. The title track allows for more of this airy expansion, giving you a lot to drink in at 14 minutes length, before pouring the sludge back on for a slow crawl to finish.

The brief guitar interlude “Cisterna” keeps things loose and fun for about a minute before we break into “Somna”, which features beautiful high, clean vocals by founding member/guitarist Danilo Nikodinovski. It is probably no coincidence that the only song with throaty roars follows, if for no other reason than contrast. Not only does “Idiot Glee” demonstrate the band at its heaviest, it also proves the importance of the bass, as it keeps the song’s midsection gloriously buoyant.

photo by Aleksandar Zec

Speaking of importance, Nemanja Trecakovic’s keyboard and sampler work really does that special something to better remember this exceptional group. Whether in the forefront or the background, his contributions are always welcome, echoing Clifford Meyer’s work on ISIS‘ Wavering Radiant.

Consecration is the first band in a long time to put me at a loss for negative words. It is difficult to turn off this album once begun, and certainly falls under the ‘best experienced as a whole’ category. If there is justice in the world and people recognize true talent, .avi will be vastly downloaded from their Bandcamp page, hopefully for more than the bargain minimum of €3 EUR.

A Best of 2010 pick!
FCC OK
Try 1, 2, 4, 5

01. Aligator
02. .avi
03. Cisterna
04. Somna
05. Idiot Glee
06. Djavo Nije Urban