A few months back I reviewed a compilation by the Polish black metal band Mgła and lamented that I had actually bought the wrong release when I was looking for this album. That worked out well though because I actually loved the compilation. So, eventually I knew I had to track this one down as well and that finally did happen.
Mgła's sound is not really anything new. If anything they sound like a more misanthropic version of Inquisition. It is black metal stripped down to its core essence. It relies on constantly repeating riffs with the occasional solo to bring a brief glimmer of melody. But besides that, the music is dark and intense with a feeling of desolation.
The lyrics are just as dark and hopeless as the music. The songs are all titled after the album title with only Roman numerals afterwards to distinguish them. The first lines are "The great truth is there isn't one and it only gets worse since that conclusion". This bleakness and nihilism continues throughout the album.
Honestly I think I prefer the compilation from earlier to this album. That one had more of a raw feel to it, while this is much more refined. That being said, this is still a terrific example of true black metal without any of the outside elements that have been brought into the genre recently. There is a lot of great black metal in the last few years and Mgła is at the top of the list.
Showing posts with label northern heritage records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label northern heritage records. Show all posts
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Mgła: Mdłości + Further Down the Nest (2007)
I feel like I have been really negative this week. I'm not really sure why that is. Time to change that.
Just a short post today, because it is a very short release. That name is pronounced "Mgwah" apparently. Mgła is one of those great Polish black metal bands I talked about briefly a couple weeks back. Honestly, I ordered the wrong release here. I meant to pick up the band's 2015 album Exercises in Futility, which was a massively hyped album and finished high on a lot of top albums lists. But, I mistakenly grabbed this 2007 compilation. No matter though because fuck, this is fantastic.
As stated, this release is a compilation. On one side of the album is the band's two-song 2006 EP Mdłości. On the other side is the 2007 EP Further Down the Nest. I cannot pick between the two of them which one is better, they complement each other so well that it is easy to believe that they were intended to be packaged together. Both are terrific examples of melodic-leaning black metal. The production is terrific, capturing every riff, scathing lead, and tortured howl. The band's sound calls to mind Scandinavian masters like Mayhem at their most vital. But Mgła is its own creation. They take a fresh spin on old ideas.
My only complaint about this album is that it is too short. With just four songs and just over 20 minutes in length, it is over so quick. I desperately want to hear more. This is true black metal at its strongest. I am definitely going to find as much as I can from Mgła.
Just a short post today, because it is a very short release. That name is pronounced "Mgwah" apparently. Mgła is one of those great Polish black metal bands I talked about briefly a couple weeks back. Honestly, I ordered the wrong release here. I meant to pick up the band's 2015 album Exercises in Futility, which was a massively hyped album and finished high on a lot of top albums lists. But, I mistakenly grabbed this 2007 compilation. No matter though because fuck, this is fantastic.
As stated, this release is a compilation. On one side of the album is the band's two-song 2006 EP Mdłości. On the other side is the 2007 EP Further Down the Nest. I cannot pick between the two of them which one is better, they complement each other so well that it is easy to believe that they were intended to be packaged together. Both are terrific examples of melodic-leaning black metal. The production is terrific, capturing every riff, scathing lead, and tortured howl. The band's sound calls to mind Scandinavian masters like Mayhem at their most vital. But Mgła is its own creation. They take a fresh spin on old ideas.
My only complaint about this album is that it is too short. With just four songs and just over 20 minutes in length, it is over so quick. I desperately want to hear more. This is true black metal at its strongest. I am definitely going to find as much as I can from Mgła.
Labels:
black metal,
mgła,
northern heritage records,
poland
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