After hearing 2 songs (available on the band's official website) we can expect at least a good album.

The real standout of the album is its sheer energy! This is not by-the-numbers, soulless modern black metal: there is a fiery passion here that is ignited throughout the entire album.

I agree with what @Apatheria said.

Very good album, better than debut. Maybe more in Kriegsmaschine* style.

*another project of the band members

Hey, wow, I didn't expect it to be so good!

Listened to about half the album on youtube and I'm having trouble understanding why this the 4th highest rated album on RYM. I'm finding it extremely repetitive and mediocre at the very best of times.

The main force of Mgła is repeatability and mediocrity lol.

Written by Paz on 03.04.2012 at 00:12

The main force of Mgła is repeatability and mediocrity lol.

Since when is mediocrity a positive thing?

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 03.04.2012 at 01:57

Since when is mediocrity a positive thing?

I was joking with that (since when Mgła started to make music hehe).

The amount of praise this is getting (outside of MS anyway) is patently absurd. I'm gonna have to give this another listen, just to be sure this is the bland slab of average I think it is.

Written by Guest on 05.04.2012 at 06:13
The amount of praise this is getting (outside of MS anyway) is patently absurd. I'm gonna have to give this another listen, just to be sure this is the bland slab of average I think it is.

I'm gonna have to give this a listen to see what I think. 2012 is passing me by with all these releases and part of me doesn't even really care. There just seems to be fewer and fewer releases I'm interested in.

Losing interest in metal, music, or just new stuff?

Written by Troy Killjoy on 05.04.2012 at 06:57

I'm gonna have to give this a listen to see what I think. 2012 is passing me by with all these releases and part of me doesn't even really care. There just seems to be fewer and fewer releases I'm interested in.

Losing interest in metal, music, or just new stuff?

To be honest it took me 3 months till I started checking out 2012 releases. I go through phases of old and new really. You'll probably get a spurt of trying out new stuff at some point I would imagine. To be honest though, you aren't missing a great deal from 2012.

Written by Guest on 05.04.2012 at 13:20
To be honest though, you aren't missing a great deal from 2012.

That's what I feel like right now. There's nothing that makes me want to listen to it, including this album.

Actually I do wanna hear the new Worm Ouroboros - because it's getting bashed on here and it's a Profound Lore release.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 05.04.2012 at 13:23

That's what I feel like right now. There's nothing that makes me want to listen to it, including this album.

Actually I do wanna hear the new Worm Ouroboros - because it's getting bashed on here and it's a Profound Lore release.

I've heard bits and pieces. Sounds all right I guess, not the kind of thing I'd expect on Profound Lore though.

Completed another spin and am bumping this up to a 6.5 just because it's well constructed and tight but it's still ultimately very repetitive (and not in the good psychedelic, droning way).

Destined to become the overrated black metal album of the year I would think.

Written by Guest on 06.04.2012 at 18:18
Destined to become the overrated black metal album of the year I would think.

Fuck it, I'm dropping everything and listening to this right now in the hopes I disagree with you.

It'll be a sad day when our music tastes begin to overlap.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 07.04.2012 at 04:03


It'll be a sad day when our music tastes begin to overlap.

If we both like more than one album that's the same per quarter it could spell disaster on a global scale. You better love this.

Written by Guest on 07.04.2012 at 04:05
You better love this.

Only just started the fourth track but it's safe to say I'm going with at least a high seven/low eight on this.

So I don't love it... but I do think it's a lot better than you say, so balance isn't exactly destroyed.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 07.04.2012 at 04:20

Only just started the fourth track but it's safe to say I'm going with at least a high seven/low eight on this.

So I don't love it... but I do think it's a lot better than you say, so balance isn't exactly destroyed.

I'd probably bump it up to a 7 if it hadn't been so hyped everywhere I looked. I just found as I was listening to it that it had very samey progressions and approaches on each song which irked me a bit.

Written by Guest on 07.04.2012 at 04:24
...very samey progressions and approaches on each song which irked me a bit.

First thing I noticed. I'm halfway through now and honestly the overall structure from one song to another differs, at best, minimally. Being one who thoroughly enjoys simplicity and repetition in atmo-black metal, I totally dig it. But I can objectively look down on it for failing to venture into any kind of truly engaging territory.

And I completely fail to see the reason behind the hype. Like... it's a pretty awesome album, but what about it warrants any kind of special attention? No different than the slew of atmo-black albums I was throwing mid-8s to at the end of 2011. Good shit and fans of the genre should enjoy it, but even then it's not like we're being exposed to anything different.

I suppose I can see why everyone's complaining about it not breaking any new ground. That said, this is probably one of the most enjoyable albums I've listened to this year. It's not that I'm convinced Mgla is the future of black metal or anything, but for lack of a more intelligent thought this album just exudes a kind of passion and vitality I never get out of straight black metal like this. There's something about the melodies that are so emotionally absorbing, and it makes defending this album frustrating because it no doubt is repetitive and largely unwilling to break a whole lot of new ground. I guess an issue like that doesn't bother me at all when the execution is so damned tasty

This album took me by surprise. Simply amazing. Black metal is at its best the past few years, hope it'll stay like this

Great album...
don't know whats wrong with black metal album being repetitive....

I don't mind the repetitiveness, I actually like it. And there is progression in some songs (even though ultimately the structure might be similar). But the main thing that draws me to this album is the atmosphere and rawness.

Moments like the beginning of this song (0:00 - 2:15) give me goosebumps. Doesn't happen that often anymore...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHfUsIm0z28

Written by Troy Killjoy on 07.04.2012 at 04:03

It'll be a sad day when our music tastes begin to overlap.

Good to hear that someone feels the same way lol.

The passion in this album is what gets me even tho, yes, it's repetitive.

First deep incursion into Mgla territory.... and it's epic !!! Till now just listened to a couple songs from previous albums thinking it was typical orthodox BM click-click-click-repetitiveness.
And it is repetitive, yes, but in an awesome way. It adds to the atmosphere playing those great riffs over and over again, and some of them together with the progressions are way too excellent. Vocals are very discernable too, and more rough yells than simple shrieks. Production is also the way modern BM should be done, not too clean yet updated sound with every instrument audible.
Hmmm quite late to the party, but glad I decided to check it out

Written by Vombatus on 13.03.2014 at 21:29

First deep incursion into Mgla territory.... and it's epic !!! Till now just listened to a couple songs from previous albums thinking it was typical orthodox BM click-click-click-repetitiveness.
And it is repetitive, yes, but in an awesome way. It adds to the atmosphere playing those great riffs over and over again, and some of them together with the progressions are way too excellent. Vocals are very discernable too, and more rough yells than simple shrieks. Production is also the way modern BM should be done, not too clean yet updated sound with every instrument audible.
Hmmm quite late to the party, but glad I decided to check it out

I still think this is a really boring and repetitive (in a non-awesome way) album. Much prefer them when they sounded like this:




That's what I call a great "song."

Written by Guest on 14.03.2014 at 03:49

That's what I call a great "song."

I'm only checking back catalogue now, but I don't see much difference (in the composition) if only for the production (grimmer for sho'). That song even starts in a very similar way than With Hearts Towards None I (and it's great too). Granted I might prefer the sound as it was on Further Down... and that Hearts... got an unnecessary praise considering the progression of the band (kvlt circles got all crazy over it), but it's one of the kinds of BM I can really appreciate, so all good for me !!

This album is Good but Grozo is much more Better.

Man, I remember listening to this in late 2012 / early 2013 and not thinking it was anything special, but here we are years later and people I know are still going nuts over this band. Maybe I should give them another chance soon?

Written by Jaeryd on 11.02.2017 at 05:13

Man, I remember listening to this in late 2012 / early 2013 and not thinking it was anything special, but here we are years later and people I know are still going nuts over this band. Maybe I should give them another chance soon?

Nah... It's nothing special, really