Mgła - Exercises In Futility

Albums I like a lot: Part VI

(Originally submitted to the Metal Archives on September 5th 2021) 

The underground is arguably the most important stop in one’s listening journey. It’s where everyone who gets invested in music or a specific genre go to in order to find more obscure and interesting artists. Metal in particular has always been an extremely underground genre with an immense wealth of bands and releases to check out. Following a period where I indulged myself in more popular black metal bands, more specifically those of the Norwegian second wave, I decided that it was time for me to take the plunge and start perusing the underground. Said plunge led me to Mgła, and more specifically their third album, Exercises in Futility, which blew my mind when I listened to it 4 years ago, and manages to impress me to this day.
On a surface level, this might appear to someone as an average black metal album, but its character appears the more layers you peel away from it. The riffs themselves aren’t particularly mind-blowing, adhering to traditional black metal with an added touch of melody, but it’s how they’re used that makes them stand out. Mgła squeezes their riffs dry when it comes to how long they’re used, leading to a mesmerising effect. The entire album as a whole has this desolate and hopeless feel to it, which is supplemented by the aforementioned repetition. That being said the riffs never become boring, and that’s thanks to Darkside’s drumming. The man arguably has one of the most distinct styles in black metal, with his effortless cymbal work permeating all of the band’s releases. This one is no different, with him delivering what might just be his best performance to date. His work on tracks like “II” (just listen to those snare rolls) and “V” elevates them to a whole other level and nullifies any chance of them becoming boring.
The lyrics are also one of the album’s defining characteristics, and I would be remiss not to discuss them. As one might be able to infer from the title, the lyrics tackle the futility of human existence. They detail man’s inherent lack of purpose and meaning in life, along with his inevitable decay and our inherent tendency to repeat our mistakes time and time again. It paints a very bleak picture about our species as a whole, showing us as little more than people who never learn, seeing history repeat itself before our very eyes. Said hopelessness is supported my M.’s delivery, a raspy, hollow growl that reverberates through the soundscape, as if overseeing a desolate land.
Said soundscape is also one of the reasons this album is as potent as it is. The production is decidedly lo-fi, with the guitars having a thin and buzzing tone to them, while the bass adds more texture as it pulsates underneath, and the drums serve as the rhythmical foundation of the album, with their comparatively crisp sound driving the music forward. It’s all mixed in such a way where it feels spacious without being empty, thus enhancing the bleak and forlorn atmosphere the compositions themselves conjure. It’s arguably one of my favourite aspects of the album, and it never ceases to make an impression on me no matter how many times I listen to it.
Exercises in Futility was my introduction to the underground, and its display of bleakness and nihilism have managed to stay with me since. Mgła’s ability to get so much out of the simple components that comprise black metal as a genre is nothing short of astounding. This album doesn’t break out of the box, but instead expands it, creating something that is completely fresh despite its inherent familiarity, which makes it stand out in a genre so focused on being as orthodox and traditional as possible.
Highlights: I, II, V, VI

Rating: 100%  

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