Mgła - With Hearts Toward None
Since
2005, Mgła's unique sound has developed a cult following within the
black metal underground. With their monumentally excellent EP Mdłości
and
its quality follow up Further
Down the Nest,
they refined a song-writing style centered on melodic leads, backed
by thick rhythm guitar, varied drumming and deep growls. After four
years of silence, they've finally hit us with With
Hearts Toward None,
the follow up to their 2008 debut album Groza,
delivering everything fans have come to expect from the band.
To
get my main problem with the album out of the way quickly, With
Hearts Toward None
follows the style they perfected on Mdłości
and
Further Down the Nest pretty
closely. Mgła's style is unique, but I'd really love to see them
expand upon what they do with it. I find it impossible not to compare
it to their debut album, Groza,
which had more adventurous song writing and a clever use of bass that
is unfortunately rare in black metal. While I'm not going to claim
that Groza
revolutionized black metal, With
Hearts Toward None
is less exciting in the composition of its songs. This could have
something to do with the song lengths; it has 7 songs averaging
around 6 minutes, while Groza
has
4 songs averaging around 9 minutes each. As such, the album provides
less space within each song for variation, so I'm inclined to be
forgiving.
Though
that's certainly an issue I have with the album, the nuts and bolts
of the songs are brilliant. It says a lot about Mgła's song writing
that, even if it feels a bit less complicated than Groza's,
With Hearts Toward
None
is still one of the most enjoyable black metal albums I've
experienced in recent years. As usual, Mgła's ability to shift from
riff to riff is reminiscent of the early works of Darkthrone and
Burzum, with each switch feeling like a smooth, natural progression.
Their leads provide memorable melodies, with “III” and “V”
being some of my favorite in Mgła's catalog. The lead guitars
contrast with and compliment the darker rhythm guitar, which make a
strong showing. The bass is there, but is less audible and used to
lesser effect than in Groza.
The rhythm guitars steps in to provide interesting moments instead;
they make dramatic showings in “I” and “IV”, and the riffs
they play in “II” and “VI” are album highlights. “III” is
a good example of the albums subtle strengths; the military snare
roll that shows up during the bridge and the solo at the end of the
song are stand out. The vocals are as usual excellent, their depth
and strength being reminiscent of Mikko Aspa of Deathspell Omega and
Clandestine Blaze fame. Their depth gives the songs a sense of
invocation that compliments the Orthodox style of black metal they
play, and you can even make out the lyrics! The 10 minute long ending
track, “VII”, is particularly worth mentioning. As I said, the
length of the songs in Groza
are to its benefit, and the 10 minutes allotted to “VII” give it
the room to breath that gives it a great deal of gravitas.
While it may not be my favorite track on the album, it is a worthy
finisher.
With
Hearts Toward None
isn't a step in any new direction for Mgła, but it's listenable in
the extreme. Despite the fact that they developed this style expertly
on Mdłości,
and that Groza's
song writing and bass work make it more structurally unique, songs
like “III” and “V” prove how utterly enjoyable With
Hearts Toward None
is. Both old fans of Mgła and those new to them will find much to
enjoy here, and Mgła have proved once again that an individual take
on the traditional black metal sound can be as interesting and fresh
as any experimentation.
8.9/10
-Faulty
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