MGLA - Exercises in Futility

Mgła – Exercises in Futility (2015, No Solace | Northern Heritage)

While it almost felt into my blindspot category of 2015, the third full length album by Polish black metallers, Mgła, is one of the most celebrated releases of the genre this year. With six intense songs of pure black metal with a melodic undertone of a solid yet typical guitar riffing. Typical but above the rest in contemporary black metal. Exercises in Futility unravels as this complete and dense album that delivers a true to the best of the heritage of the genre but also with a contemporary production that give justice to the grandeur and depth of their music.

Keep in mind that the melodic element of their black metal is far away from the obvious Dimmu Borgir or Keep of Kalessin. Even early Dissection is too mainstream compared to Mgła. Stated as the true heirs of Dissection in Andy O’Connor’s review, which I think is wrong because of the less obvious melodies of heavy metal guitars and more as an ensemble band than Jon Nödtveidt’s own personal oddity, Mikołaj ‘’M’’ Zentara vocals and guitar are more constraint and in the same vein as Maciej "Darkside" Kowalski drumming. The form an homogeneous ensemble of great performances thorough the entire album.

Exercises in Futility is one of the year’s best black metal albums. It is homogeneous and the pace of the songs is the strength of this well balanced solid release.

8.9