MGLA - Exercises In Futility LP (Black Vinyl)

Poland’s strongest orthodox black metal export, Mgła, return with their third full length album of nihilistic and misanthropic hymns, Exercises in Futility. According to press releases, this album aims to be the band’s most cohesive and natural album to date. After gaining a relatively large following with 2013′s With Hearts Towards None, which has already been declared by many critics to be a modern day classic, Mgła had very large shoes to fill with their follow up.

Exercises in Futility brings exactly what we’ve come to expect from the band, and those who have followed the band in the past should find no surprises within the album. That being said, it’s an exceptional album that may even surpass Mgła’s past efforts. The band brings the same formula of orthodox black metal riffing and brilliant percussion (that incredible cymbal rolling style placed throughout just needs to be heard), yet the overall presentation is anything but formulaic. Fast paced trem riffing with tons of cyclical rhythms and melodic accoutrements surge forth while, offering a chaotic yet inviting background for the acerbic, barked growls to weave their narrations of fruitless efforts.

Varying tempos are at play, offering an expansive approach and allowing the six tracks to unfold like the chapters from a story rather than as individual offerings. Exercises in Futility is one of those albums that begs to be listened to from start to finish, as the intricate melodies and dissonant riffing play off each other, complimenting each opposite. The band may claim to believe that nothing in life matters, the instrumentation belies that belief as there is an outpouring of emotion placed into every passage, riff and note; encapsulating tragedy and triumph in one fell swoop.