New MGŁA album

[Juggz]

That's true.  The music has to do the talking, and that should hold up in the end but what is wrong with allowing yourself to get swept up in the experience and taking it for what it is? A huge part of what makes BM so potent (if you are into it) is that it takes itself seriously and views itself as being elitist to and separate from the frivolous aspects of the rock and metal scene.  When I say someone doesn't get it,  I'm not saying they are incapable of making a deeper connection with the music as such,  I'm saying they are perhaps too cynical to allow themselves to get lost in the experience.  All of the baggage that comes with black metal is part of its charm.

Nothing wrong with that at all. The music and aesthetic are part of the whole experience, no doubt about it. It's as true for the likes of Chic or Duran Duran as it is for any BM band. When being exposed to the human reality of a band or genre and it doesn't match the fantasy you have in your head or the image the band have contrived to project, however, and this affects your ability to enjoy the music you believed you loved in the first place, that's just a little funky to me.

[Grim Reality]

Not sure I'll bother to check this out, despite being a big fan for most of this decade.

The recent gig here was probably the final nail in the coffin and the magic for me is gone. Rammed in surrounded by people whooping, dancing and holding up their phones.

Aura of the band shattered.

I'll never watch them live again but maybe over time if I just listen to their records I can build up that connection again as in the early pre-live era they were a brilliant coherent package. But for now I associate them with frivolous displays of humanitarian joy which is obviously fine in context but Mgla is the wrong context.

Not grim and frostbitten enough for ya. You're right though. People enjoying themselves at a gig just takes the joy out of gigs.

You've missed my point. I'm certainly not an adherent of the 'grim and frostbitten' black metal clichés. Corpse paint and bands grimacing in photos and other such nonsense. Quite the opposite in fact. I like bands expressing a coherent aesthetic and vision. It's a difficult thing in black metal as the pitfalls are numerous and the whole thing is so often close to parody. For example a faceless, impersonal, nihilistic band playing to whooping, dancing millenials.

[Grim Reality]

Everyone will have their own opinion on who benefits or loses,  depending on their biases and I have seen Mgła live a few times and enjoyed them,  but I can understand how the misanthropic facade they present through their music and lyrics could be regarded as being at odds with the drunken party vibe of a gig.

I think what's perplexing is what would seem to be someone blaming a band for how the audience were behaving at one of their gigs. Apparently, in the abstract, there was no problem with them playing live, otherwise Mr.Reality surely would have had the common sense simply not to attend himself. So, once the gig was happening, and the audience were behaving in a way "contrary to the aesthetic of the band" (or whatever), what would Mr.Reality have wished to happen? That the band stop the gig? I wonder what his post-mortem of the concert would have been if Mgla had stopped playing and announced, "Sorry scum, we cannot keep playing - you people are ruining our image!"

No Chris. I'm not blaming the band for how the audience behaved. I'm blaming them for playing in the first place and continuing to undermine their original aesthetic (in my opinion of course). In reality a few select gigs here and there in the right setting and context I think would be fine for a band like Mgla as the music does translate well live. But in recent years they are never off stage and play every support and mixed bill fest going. It just cheapens their vibe for me.

I was actually not arsed about going to this on the day, as I sort of expected it to be how it was, but decided to go in the end to confirm or deny how I was starting to feel about the band. I've seen them numerous times since their live debut around 2012/13 and I just feel they've lost it a bit in the intervening period. It's been coming a while and the Dublin gig was certainly no revelation or shock that would see me wishing for the gig to be stopped or something FFS 

Look its not a biggie, the band aren't doing it for me anymore and I move on. There's shit tons of bands out there and you have to have standards lads not tap your toe and bop your head to every little riff you hear.

McLove knows the score but that's not surprising, I've met the man a few times and he knows the craic.

[Grim Reality]

That's true.  The music has to do the talking, and that should hold up in the end but what is wrong with allowing yourself to get swept up in the experience and taking it for what it is? A huge part of what makes BM so potent (if you are into it) is that it takes itself seriously and views itself as being elitist to and separate from the frivolous aspects of the rock and metal scene.  When I say someone doesn't get it,  I'm not saying they are incapable of making a deeper connection with the music as such,  I'm saying they are perhaps too cynical to allow themselves to get lost in the experience.  All of the baggage that comes with black metal is part of its charm.

Nothing wrong with that at all. The music and aesthetic are part of the whole experience, no doubt about it. It's as true for the likes of Chic or Duran Duran as it is for any BM band. When being exposed to the human reality of a band or genre and it doesn't match the fantasy you have in your head or the image the band have contrived to project, however, and this affects your ability to enjoy the music you believed you loved in the first place, that's just a little funky to me.

Look, the music itself is still great but the overall aesthetic is weakened so the whole package suffers. They were one of the few bands with a coherent presentation for me and a bit of that is gone now so they are just gone back to the pack like any other band with some good aspects and some shitty aspects.

[O Drighes]

Despite the criticism over their "aesthetics", they still keep writing the best fucking lyrics anyone into BM has seen. This is so fucking good... definitely the work of a highly educated person. I was highly impressed with the Cioranian references on EiF  and the fact he lifted a whole line out of "Taxi Driver" on WHTN and fit it perfectly, but for fuck sake, wherever he took this level of nihilistic cynicism from, I want to read it...

"The stench of zeitgeist
Is the incense of discarded shrines
As the corpses put on powder and rouge
So that the hoax can proceed, ever sidewards

A cheaped out incarnation into a shopworn sarx
The soul congeals into a grimy lump
Substance of the world, dreary and pale
At the feet of a spirit detached

Between the grinder and the abattoir
Such are the landscapes of grief
Grayness and glitz
Glitter and gehinnom

Between tedium and fright
Such is the song of the nether world
The hissing of rats
And the jarring chants of angels

A sacrifice to the gutter gods
Squandered redemption, misplaced grace
As an ailing mole burrowing in Eden
Living breathing downfall

Between the grinder and the abattoir
Such are the landscapes of grief
Grayness and glitz
Glitter and gehinnom

Between tedium and fright
Such is the song of the nether world
The hissing of rats
And the jarring chants of angels

It's a land of sun gone down
In a comical grandeur
A sluggish danse macabre
Hyenas waltzing about

Would a new flood please finally come
A real rain and an assortment of plagues
And when all is said and done
Even the Devil won't care enough to spit in the mud"

[Eoin McLove]

Yeah, his lyrics are fantastic.

[Necro Red]

Despite the criticism over their "aesthetics", they still keep writing the best fucking lyrics anyone into BM has seen. This is so fucking good... definitely the work of a highly educated person. I was highly impressed with the Cioranian references on EiF  and the fact he lifted a whole line out of "Taxi Driver" on WHTN and fit it perfectly, but for fuck sake, wherever he took this level of nihilistic cynicism from, I want to read it...

"The stench of zeitgeist
Is the incense of discarded shrines
As the corpses put on powder and rouge
So that the hoax can proceed, ever sidewards

A cheaped out incarnation into a shopworn sarx
The soul congeals into a grimy lump
Substance of the world, dreary and pale
At the feet of a spirit detached

Between the grinder and the abattoir
Such are the landscapes of grief
Grayness and glitz
Glitter and gehinnom

Between tedium and fright
Such is the song of the nether world
The hissing of rats
And the jarring chants of angels

A sacrifice to the gutter gods
Squandered redemption, misplaced grace
As an ailing mole burrowing in Eden
Living breathing downfall

Between the grinder and the abattoir
Such are the landscapes of grief
Grayness and glitz
Glitter and gehinnom

Between tedium and fright
Such is the song of the nether world
The hissing of rats
And the jarring chants of angels

It's a land of sun gone down
In a comical grandeur
A sluggish danse macabre
Hyenas waltzing about

Would a new flood please finally come
A real rain and an assortment of plagues
And when all is said and done
Even the Devil won't care enough to spit in the mud"

Yea, loved the use Emil Ciorans nihilistic aspect on the previous record. I mean, the lyrics are just bloody brilliant!
The thing about the band though, and I'm referring to the discussion here is that Black Metal probably isn't paying their bills.
I reckon that's why they are playing as frequently as they are which as said above has ruined the mystery/ aesthetic of the band.
I understand the argument completely, still a band has to make money though and put bread on the table.

[stevie-0]

.

[Blizzard Beast]

I was listening to MGLA and Kriegsmaschine "Apocalypticists" cropped up on you tube which at first listen reminded me MGLA until I saw there is ex members in that band also.
Some cool drum beats.

[Abandon All Hope]

I was listening to MGLA and Kriegsmaschine "Apocalypticists" cropped up on you tube which at first listen reminded me MGLA until I saw there is ex members in that band also.
Some cool drum beats.

Not Ex members just a side project of M and Darkside ( Legend of a drummer ) Apocalypticists is a belter of a release..

[koper]

I was listening to MGLA and Kriegsmaschine "Apocalypticists" cropped up on you tube which at first listen reminded me MGLA until I saw there is ex members in that band also.
Some cool drum beats.

Not Ex members just a side project of M and Darkside ( Legend of a drummer ) Apocalypticists is a belter of a release..

True, so is Enemy of Man. Between these two releases and last two Mgła albums I probably listened to the latter pair much more. At the same time, somehow I consider Kriegsmaschine latest output to be crowning achievement of everything M has ever done (starting with the killer material from split with Infernal War really). Its just last two Mgła recordings I can listen on earphones while jogging for example. Kriegsmaschine is just a bit more challenging listen.

[Melmoth]

Full album just uploaded on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J03woJbLrgA

[O Drighes]

That's 4 flawless albums...not many bands can claim that, can they? Age of Excuse VI raises another bar...

[Ollie]

Full album just uploaded on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J03woJbLrgA

Oooh, I'm on it.

Love the initial YT comments too LOL.
"Their music is literally a luxury to my ears."
"Too late to explore the world, too early to explore the universe, but just on time to enjoy Mgla releases."
"I would rate this album a modest 11 points out of 10."
"Sorry PornHub but Mgła has new album out"
"My favourite track is  Age of Excuse"

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

That's 4 flawless albums...

3 flawless albums if, like me, you think the new one sounds exactly the same as the last. I still can't decide whether that's praise or criticism though.