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Mgła - Age Of Excuse review




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Band: Mgła
Album: Age Of Excuse
Release date: September 2019


01. Age Of Excuse I
02. Age Of Excuse II
03. Age Of Excuse III
04. Age Of Excuse IV
05. Age Of Excuse V
06. Age Of Excuse VI

You've heard black metal albums beginning with spits, shrieks, growls and all sorts of sounds that the human mouth can make. Age Of Excuse kicks off with E.V.T. -the guitarist of Medico Peste who also performs live with Mgła- gnashing his teeth.

There are a few reasons that explain why these Polish black metallers are quickly climbing the scale of popularity amongst metalheads and these reasons are all present in their fourth full-length LP. It's the accessibility attained by the melodic elements in their songs that at times feel they could be part of a meloblack release, as it is mainly demonstrated in the second and in the final track. It's also the way they handle tension and release; they build and build and build their riffs until they explode, like they do on track #5, which commences slowly and distressingly with spoken words and an ominous melody that gradually gets faster along the way until it transforms into a raging blastbeat that rains fire and plague. But above all, it's their ability to come up with something truly memorable and their audacity to let it play for longer than most bands would dare. This characteristic repetitiveness, which is less exercised in Age Of Excuse compared to any other album before it, is aptly reflected in the most interesting -and dissonant- song, "III", which has this ingenious lead guitar part that sounds like a black metal emergency siren and seems that it is going to go on forever (and you wish it would).

But it is not only Mgła's music that deserves admiration. The cover art by Zbigniew M. Bielak is reflected in the cynical, existential and nihilistic lyrics of Age Of Excuse, just like the case was in Exercises In Futility where the blind man in the album cover was referenced in its words. This time the rider of what looks like the pale horse of death is hiding his face with his hand and is holding a blade that cuts both ways over a wretched crowd facing imminent demise. The album starts with the line "A species had been armed with a double edged blade", goes on to describe how "The living dead stare at the gaping void waiting for the blade to finally come down" and ends by stating that "We cover our eyes in a call to arms and turn one edge toward ourselves". The lyrics in this album, and in any Mgła release for that matter, are not secondary to the music but of equal value; they are there to further fuel the emotional impact that the musical instruments create.

Not much can be said about the two musicians involved that hasn't been said before. Darkside is once again killing the cymbals and his signature playing puts the perfecting touches on the canvas of horror, anger and anguish painted by M's guitar and vocals. The path was paved long ago and the band has not taken any drastic steps away from what they have done before, so if you are an ardent listener of their stuff you are going to love Age Of Excuse. Has the time come for Mgła to release a less than great album?

"Not just yet."





Written on 04.09.2019 by Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud!


Comments

Comments: 15   Visited by: 407 users
04.09.2019 - 09:41
Rating: 8
Lord Slothrop

For whatever reason their last album didn't garner any admiration from me, but I think this one is great. A solid 9, for sure. I think I need to revisit their past releases and give them another chance.
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04.09.2019 - 09:57
Rating: 9
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Even the most elitist and hardened trve black metal crusader would find it difficult to fault this album, never mind the ones before it.

These guys just do everything right and I'm totally not upset about my own lack of artistic success in life by comparison.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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04.09.2019 - 10:01
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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04.09.2019 - 20:27
Rating: 9
Reaper_Redeemer

" It's the accessibility attained by the melodic elements in their songs that at times feel they could be part of a meloblack release" "It's also the way they handle tension and release"
This could not be said better. Great review.
Mgla prove again and again they are top level musicians and artists altogether. They are managing to keep their fans even with the recent drama concerning their involvement with neonazi bands (which I am just mentioning - not necessarily believing).
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04.09.2019 - 21:51
nikarg

Written by Reaper_Redeemer on 04.09.2019 at 20:27

" It's the accessibility attained by the melodic elements in their songs that at times feel they could be part of a meloblack release" "It's also the way they handle tension and release"
This could not be said better. Great review.
Mgla prove again and again they are top level musicians and artists altogether. They are managing to keep their fans even with the recent drama concerning their involvement with neonazi bands (which I am just mentioning - not necessarily believing).

Cheers man, I hope the gig in Athens doesn't get canceled because I've been noticing an effort lately by some local media to reproduce the Metalsucks article that connects them with NS bands.
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05.09.2019 - 03:25
Rating: 9
SAY10

Written by Troy Killjoy on 04.09.2019 at 09:57

These guys just do everything right and I'm totally not upset about my own lack of artistic success in life by comparison.


Funny enough this is how I usually describe the band when recommending it. They just do everything right...
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05.09.2019 - 03:29
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Defo on my to check out list, you basically seconded Jeff going on about it in social media.
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get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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05.09.2019 - 16:52
nikarg

Written by BitterCOld on 05.09.2019 at 03:29

you basically seconded Jeff going on about it in social media.

Have you got a link?
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05.09.2019 - 20:36
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Written by nikarg on 05.09.2019 at 16:52


Have you got a link?


was just a short post extolling the virtues. bought via Bandcamp last night, enjoyed it.
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get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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06.09.2019 - 16:38
Rating: 9
Reaper_Redeemer

Written by nikarg on 04.09.2019 at 21:51

Written by Reaper_Redeemer on 04.09.2019 at 20:27

" It's the accessibility attained by the melodic elements in their songs that at times feel they could be part of a meloblack release" "It's also the way they handle tension and release"
This could not be said better. Great review.
Mgla prove again and again they are top level musicians and artists altogether. They are managing to keep their fans even with the recent drama concerning their involvement with neonazi bands (which I am just mentioning - not necessarily believing).

Cheers man, I hope the gig in Athens doesn't get canceled because I've been noticing an effort lately by some local media to reproduce the Metalsucks article that connects them with NS bands.


Yes I know... In their previous gig I did not see any NS tendency in the crowd. I don't believe people listen to Mgla because they consider them as NS, at least here in Greece. Let's hope we are going to have a show without troubles though...
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07.09.2019 - 09:41
The Entity

Was obsessed with the new Mispyrming, then with the new Wormwood and now Mgla. Great year for black metal so far!
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https://enigmaticalofficial.bandcamp.com/
Industrial / Cosmic Black Metal
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17.09.2019 - 20:52
BetulaObscura

Mgła didn't disappoint! Since Mgła beginning they creates really classical BM world. Every album is very well constructed - both lyrically and musically. This album is like another definition of BM made by Mgła. Or rather: developing Mgła conception about BM definition. However Mgła didn't add too much new elements to this definition. it is not bad but differences between this and previous album aren't as substantial as between "With Hearts Toward None" and "Exercises in Futility".
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"Inspired by the future of the past"
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25.09.2019 - 16:57
Rating: 8
MetalManic

Yeah, that drumming is sexy. The cymbal work really puts it over the top.

Anyone else get a mega Chapel Of Disease vibe? Certainly vocally.
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25.09.2019 - 20:20
nikarg

Written by MetalManic on 25.09.2019 at 16:57

Anyone else get a mega Chapel Of Disease vibe?

The two bands are definitely equally catchy and awesome
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16.03.2020 - 22:59
Rating: 10
terroriser

Wonder why nobody mentioned here Mgła's connections with nsbm. For me band is great but I cannot accept proven connection to that nsbm garbage hence I refuse to listen to their music
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https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4i2hn2aUeKBtxzw8UN2EML?si=_gXZwweyShiek4Dmk5UzpA
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