The Morningside - Moving Crosscurrent Of Time (CD)

melancholic dark metal, BadMoodMan Music, BadMoodMan Music
466.67 Р
CD
Price in points: 700 points
BMM. 025-09 x
In stock
+

The second long-awaited album by Russian masters of melancholic metal, The Morningside "Moving Crosscurrent Of Time", holds the direction chosen at the debut band album demonstrating combination of lyrical and heavy compositions touched with the mood of slight sorrow. New The Morningside work also demonstrates tendency to melodic complication while fragmental parties of atmospheric keyboards associating with Eduard Artemyev’s works ("Solaris", "Stalker") add depth to the album sound. The essential part of this album is inspired by Ray Bradbury’ novel "Something Wicked This Way Comes". Brand new album of The Morningside will be a perfect present both for old band’s fans and for all those Katatonia and Agalloch fans longing for a breath of autumn air filled with fallen leaves smell. The album is issued on a gold-plated CD with pit-art.

Tracklist:
1 Intro 4:42
2 Fourteen 6:13
3 Autumn People 6:58
4 Moving Crosscurrent Of Time 8:54
5 Insomnia 6:36
6 The Outcome (Admit One) 7:41
7 Outro 5:07

Artist:
The Morningside
Artist Country:
Russia
Album Year:
2009
Title:
Moving Crosscurrent Of Time
Genre:
melancholic dark metal
Format:
CD
Type:
CD Album
Package:
Jewel Case
Label:
BadMoodMan Music
Cat Num:
BMM. 025-09
Release Year:
2009
Country Of Manufacture:
Russia
Review
The Pit of The Damned
8/10
03.10.2010

Una lunga spettrale intro apre il secondo lavoro dei moscoviti The Morningside, autori un paio d’anni fa di un interessantissimo lavoro di death doom atmosferico, “The Wind, the Trees and the Shadows of the Past”. Proprio partendo da tali sonorità decadenti, ma ancor di più dall’influsso proveniente dal mitico debut “Dance of December Souls” dei Katatonia, possiamo dedurre su quali coordinate si muove il quartetto russo. L’ensemble est europeo non tradisce assolutamente le mie aspettative, peraltro proponendo al pubblico un lussuoso digipack con un elegante booklet interno. A parte l’estetica, visto che comunque anche l’occhio vuole la sua parte, la musica poi è pura delizia per le mie orecchie e per chiunque abbia amato gli esordi dei già citati Katatonia o dei Paradise Lost. Proprio sulla base di quelle sonorità di primi anni ’90, cosi malinconiche, depressive e autolesioniste, la band sfoggia 5 pezzi (più intro e outro) di raffinata bellezza. Ad aprire ci pensa “Fourteen” e già sono le chitarre ritmiche a mettersi in mostra, spennellando qua e là tinte autunnali di un dolce tramonto di metà novembre. È immediatamente chiaro che il disco ha suggestive emozioni da trasmettere, visto il ruolo cardine che giocano i fantasiosi riffs del duo Sergey-Igor, nell’economia generale del disco: non si tratta infatti di selvagge cavalcate di furente death, bensì vellutati tocchi di pura semplice poesia, con intermezzi acustici e parti atmosferiche, capaci di colmare il dolore dei nostri cuori feriti. La terza “Autumn People” si apre come un qualsiasi pezzo estrapolato da “Shades of God” dei maestri Paradise Lost e come i maestri, anche i The Morningside dipingono desertiche lande ove non v’è traccia d’anima viva. Magnifiche l’emozioni che si sprigionano dalle note di questo disco, complici anche alcune parti ispirate agli statunitensi Agalloch, per quel loro uso di parti acustiche che donano un tocco di magia all’intero lavoro; cosi come eccellenti sono i riffs di chiara scuola “Brave Murder Day”, certamente in grado di trascinare “Moving Crosscurrent of Time” verso un successo più che meritato. Vorrei sottolineare infine che, nonostante questa mia continua citazione di band a cui i nostri si ispirano, la musica dei Morningside non è una pura e mera rilettura dei classici ma un’intensa personalizzazione di quelli che sono i dettami di un genere che, se si è in grado di suonare, può suscitare forti emozioni e i Morningside si confermano talentuosi nelle idee e abili nel’esecuzione; bravi!

Author: Francesco Scarci
Review
Diabolical Conquest
7/10
17.02.2010

The Morningside's debut album The Wind, the Trees and the Shadows of the Past, along with an intro and outro, had three songs. They were called, "The Wind", "The Trees", and "The Shadows of the Past". Anyone who has listened to Katatonia's Brave Murder Day should be infuriated simply on principle, and I can assure you that even my far younger and naive self experienced some turmoil at such blatant imitation back in 2007.

Two years have passed and The Morningside have returned with Moving Crosscurrent of Time – while the fundamental Katatonia/Agalloch worship of the band's style has not changed, there is still some degree of maturation with their sound. They still sound like Agalloch trying to play Katatonia or October Tide or Empyrium without the symphony, but at least this time around they're somewhat bearable. What my little exposure to Russian (doom) metal has taught me is that the untouched and overflowing scenes of vast, desolate Russia professionally replicate the original sounds of foreign bands; sometimes well enough to gain a little recognition, most of the time rather poorly. The Morningside fit well within this generalisation, but at the very least Moving Crosscurrents of Time offers an enjoyable romp of ‘folk/doom', taking elements from numerous bands and meshing them into a very melodic and accessible piece of Muscovite metal.

It's rather difficult to pin The Morningside to a single genre, so rather than using established genres to define them one merely need refer to the two bands that they completely replicate in order to describe them. Essentially, take the raspy vocals from Agalloch (though slightly less of a whisper) and the band's tendency for flowing and noodling lead guitar lines, combine it with the fluidity and simplicity of Katatonia's Brave Murder Day, and then top it off with a little chug reminiscent of Dance of December Souls and at times Renske's other group October Tide. At the very least, the overbearing gothic elements that seem to pervade every single Russian band who have anything to do with doom metal are almost non-existent in Agallo- umm, I mean The Morningside's music.

What Moving Crosscurrent of Time really comes down to is how much the obvious copying will bother you. While it is highly unoriginal, The Morningside imitate rather well and I cannot really say that I haven't enjoyed listening to this record. There is a genuine improvement in their sound from their debut, and while the basic elements remain unchanged, the way they've further streamlined their style is somewhat notable. If the bands that have been mentioned appeal to you, then this album and band will undoubtedly do so as well. The Morningside fit well into this so called ‘folk/doom' niche that bands like Agalloch have established, and if your pagan giblets moisten at the thought of such metal, then Moving Crosscurrent of Time will probably spin incessantly in your player. As much as I can find enjoyment from these types of bands, innovation goes a long way for me, and The Morningside are devoid of it entirely. Here's hoping any third album by the band keeps originality at the forefront of the writing process.

Author: Berkay Erkan
Review
Doom-Metal.com
01.02.2010

The Morningside had released a good first album two years ago. 'The Wind, The Trees And The Shadows Of The Past' was that kind of accessible atmospheric Doom album that you could listen among friends that are not familiar with the genre. Music to relax, full of soothing moods, quiet and yet mournful moments. It had its dark edges, yet, an introspective dimension that made the band compared with Agalloch and Katatonia's 'Brave Murder Day'.

Today, The Morningside come back with a new offering that goes a few steps further in the dark territories they once only touched. 'Moving Crosscurrent of Time' is far more aggressive, in the Opeth way this time. The songs have given up their dreamy leanings; the music that followed some blurred and vague meanders on the first opus is now more structured, more progressive, richer and wider.

The sound is clearer also, which fits the new approach of the genre the band has decided to try. There is still a lot of Katatonia in it; the blackened vocals remind 'Danse of December Souls' whereas the clean vocals bears great similarities with the fragile and a bit off-key voice of the young Jonas Renkse. The musicianship is excellent on every level.

I knew the work of the band on 'The Wind, The Trees And The Shadows Of The Past', and I liked it very much despite its obvious lack of originality. The band displayed warm, sad and sincere moods that somehow gently took you by the hand to lead you in the intimate landscapes they conjured up. It was all conceived as a whole, like a long quiet walk in nature.

If I could describe that first album as a dreamy walk, this new one would be of a different kind: it's sombre, more dramatic. The elements of nature are always present - through discreet samples or sound effects that translate a "feeling of nature" - but they are pushed into the background, thought of as tools, pieces of a puzzle, with the purpose of building far more ambitious songs. Here a problem shows on the surface: when that "feeling of nature" was so omnipresent in 'The Wind...', effectively drawing the album's structure and ultimately giving it an identity of its own, them being just a 'brick in the wall' on 'Moving Crosscurrent of Time' prevents the album from gaining the same kind of solidity. In short, the three first times I listened to it, I was confused, a bit lost: Where do they want to go? It sounded incoherent as a whole. And it still does a bit.

There's a lot of bass playing in that album. And that's a good thing, it gives The Morningside's sound a roundness that I like. Funnily enough, I more than once wished to hear a real bass solo, which never happened. Too bad! The sound is still very dry, I like that also. The Morningside is not a Doom band per se, they more belongs to the atmospheric dark music spectrum which, as you know, can take some useful tricks from Doom Metal (there is still a huge Katatonia influence), Black Metal (Wodensthrone, Khors, Winterfylleth are bands that can come to mind as comparisons) or Prog. Metal (there is, jotted down in the course of the tracks, some magnificent guitar solos that Pain of Salvation or Riverside could pour on their lengthy compositions).

All in all, compared to the first opus, this is... Well, different. I can't really tell if it is better. I still like very much the first album of the band. Where the songs have become more ambitious, they also have lost a simple feeling that I loved. Anyway, The Morningside is a great band and 'Moving Crosscurrent of Time' is a really good album. Don't hesitate to make you own mind. This is worth checking (the artwork is beautiful if that can help!).

Author: Bertrand Marchal
Review
MetalZone
10/10
29.01.2010

Уходящий 2009 год ознаменовался выходом на российском лейбле BadMoodMan Music (подразделение Solitude Productions) второго полноформатного CD-релиза от московской группы The Morningside под названием «Moving Crosscurrent of Time». Коллектив продолжил линию своей атмосферной меланхоличной прогрессивной и дарк думовой металлической музыки. Творчество этой группы однозначно заинтриговало меня еще с предыдущего альбома «The Wind, The Trees And The Shadows Of The Past» 2007 года, а затем вскоре ознакомился и с новинкой, которая еще больше пришлась по душе. Я всегда относился очень скептично по части коллективов пост-советского пространства в большинстве стилей, но именно The Morningside является важным образцом качественной, очень насыщенной и красивой музыки для будущей не шибко разнообразной и все реже интригующей мировой метал-сцены. Творчество этого коллектива вобрало в себя очень интересные характерные черты - отчетливый протяжной скриминг, всё богатство прогрессивных и мелодичных гитарных льющихся проигрышей и соляков, тягучесть риффов, разнообразие игры ударных (различные сбивки на альтах, томе, бас-бочке - показуют весь диапазон красивой игры на ударных от trip-rock до dark/gothic doom), в том числе ритмики исполнения. Данная комбинация факторов у The Morningside является скорее редкой и проявляется в том, что можно местами и с натяжкой называть progressive doom metal - смесь американцев Agalloch, итальянцев Novembre, французов The Old Dead Three и, конечно же, шведов Katatonia. Альбом «Moving Crosscurrent of Time» состоит из 7 довольно длинных композиций, в том числе уже привычных для морнингсайдов Intro и Outro - которые являются наиболее атмосферными в плане клавишной подложки, эффектов, которые придают эмбиентность и «заряжают». Таким образом, материал равномерно распределен, последующие композиции плавно перетекают в друг друга, нету проходных или скучных вещей. Более того - уже после первых прослушиваний пластинки ощущается хитовость всего материала. Сам же материал насыщен различными и часто сменяющимися эмоциональными настроями - и некая легкая радость, и тоска, и ностальгия. Лично для себя отметил как раз последнюю композицию Outro - действительно шедеврального уровня вещь по красоте и влитому чистому вокалу, которая попала в мой личный TOP-20 лучших хитов 2009 года. Эта же композиция была раньше замечена также в русско-язычной версии, но в альбом, к моему сожалению, не вошла. «Moving Crosscurrent of Time» чудесно оформлен - обложка и буклет с текстами песен облачены в милые пейзажи российской природы в различные сезоны года, а сам диск с красивой гравировкой «The Morningside» на считывающей стороне. Новый альбом этой группы обязателен к ознакомлению всем поклонникам вышеупомянутых стилей.

Author: Napalmer
Review
Diztorted Dimension
15.01.2010

Меланхоличный (благодаря текстам и пояснениям автора, можно говорить о меланхолии, а не депрессии) середнячок из безпроигрышного думяка в духе незабвенных Katatonia 94-95. Как бы автор ни пытался сказать, что композиции написаны еще до выхода альбомов шведов и т.д., однако тень от нерукотворного ценотафа для меня уже около 10 лет погребённой группы Katatonia накрывает москвичей полностью, по крайней мере пока.

Звук и исполнение – на уровне и нареканий не вызывают. Композиции не замудрены́ и построены, как правило, из куплетов и припевов без излишней многомерности в структуре. После 3-5 прослушиваний можно говорить о хитовости некоторых из них и даже как о боевиках для концертов!

Как мне показалось, гитарный звук несколько резковат для меланхолии и как ножом режет полотно атмосферного мелодизма. Но, возможно, такова задумка! Клавиши тут на помощь практически не приходят, ибо саунд делают 2 гитары и бас. Партии последнего прослушиваются весьма неплохо, что не характерно для данного жанра, но что можно понять: ведь фронт мэном на сцене является именно басист, а не идейный вдохновитель и автор материала – Игорь Никитин – который с ритм-гитарой и вокалом скромно укрывается поотдаль-справа от ударника. Про вокал же сказать ни плохого, ни хорошего практически нечего. Он справляется со своей задачей в рамках жанра, но не более того.

Однако, я рекомендую данный релиз всем любителям жанра, ибо мелодии, найденные музыкантами, заслуживают прослушивания и прочувствования заложенной в них меланхолии. Если кому-то это поможет, определю релиз как «такой же клёвый, как Katatonia “For Funerals To Come” и похожий на “Brave Murder Day”». Мою коллекцию слушаемых и востребованных дисков этот релиз уже пополнил!

P.S.: В очередной раз не совсем понятно, почему вполне жанровые релизы выходят на экспериментальном подлейбле Solitude'а – BadMoodMan. Но это никак пока не влияет на их (релизов) содержание.

Author: Valentii
Review
HeadBanger
8/10
22.01.2010

Московский дэт-думовый коллектив мелодичной песни и медленной заворожённой пляски The Morningside появился аж в 1993 году. В 1995-м впал в анабиоз, из которого пробудился десять лет спустя, - чтобы некоторое время поиграть трэшу позабойней. А затем музыканты радикально сменили курс своего судна, отдавшись спокойным волнам туманного океана, где плавают призраки таких команд, как Paradise Lost, Katatonia, October Tide и Agalloch. “Moving Crosscurrent of Time” 2009 года – вторая работа ансамбля в этой стилистике.
Этот альбом – консервы из осени. Она везде: в текстах (неплохо почитать для создания настроения; почувствуй себя в шкуре осеннего человека, бредущего неведомо куда в поиске декабря…), в оформлении (буклет полон красивых пасмурных пейзажей) и в музыке. Главное в ней – густой бас, вывязывающий звучные плотные сети, и исходящая тоской лид-гитара, всю дорогу льющая на слушателя потоки прозрачной холодной воды. Некоторые ходы пахнут творчеством Paradise Lost года эдак 1992-го, - мне, например, на отметке 3:30 в песне “Fourteen” явился призрак Грегора Макинтоша, пытающегося с помощью характерного мелодического построения соло выбраться в космос. Или вот начало композиции “Autumn People” – это же типичный “Shades Of God”! Даже переслушать захотелось, - велика сила искусства! Впрочем, возможно, что Макинтош является мне только потому, что я так сильно фанатею от его солоплетения; не столь помешанному на Paradise Lost слушателю очевиднее будет сходство скорее с пластинкой “Brave Murder Day” от Katatonia.
Мне бросилось в уши практически полное отсутствие агрессии на этом альбоме. Быстрого уминательного чёса тут почти нет; это практически торжество меланхолии в музыке. Звук чистый, но абсолютно не давящий. Ударные не пытаются превратить вас в котлету, - они скорее играют роль хорошего гарнира к основному блюду – гитарным воспарениям под басовым соусом. Неторопливо питаться этой высококачественной едой под пустынные скрипы вокалиста – настоящее удовольствие! А умные люди говорили, что достижение удовольствия - смысл и конечная цель человеческой жизни. Не провороньте смысл вашей жизни – послушайте этот альбом!

Author: Richter
Review
Inwe(b)zine (extreme-metal.com)
22.01.2010

J’ai d’abord été surpris en recevant ce disque qui me vient du froid polaire russe. En effet, l’objet est plus que magnifique avec une très belle pochette ainsi qu’un liseré au dos du cd, sur la face de lecture, avec le nom du groupe faisant le tour du cd. J’avais envie de souligner ce trait de caractère visuel étonnant. Puis je me dois de souligner que les labels Solitude prod. et BadmoodMan me font bénéficier d’un cd original à chaque envoi, ça ne change rien à mon côté objectif mais c’est bien plus agréable qu’un lien vers des mp3.

Nos Russes pratiquent une espèce d’hydre, mêlant black métal avec parties atmosphériques et relents Doom, mais le gros du travail se situe quand même plus au niveau d’un black métal mélodique.

Ce qui pourrait être un défaut concernant ce Moving Crosscurrent of Time, c’est qu’il a tendance à être légèrement pompé sur nos comparses de chez Agalloch. Trahison me direz-vous, mais dans la façon de tenir leur métal nos ruskofs n’ont rien à envier aux amerloques car, comme eux, ils confèrent des rythmiques toujours soutenues par une guitare lead très présente et très lancinante et pendulaire, voire même hypnotique. Enrichie par une excellente voix rugueuse comme sait la déclamer John haughm, d’ailleurs on notera une légère ressemblance avec sa voix . Il est à noter que certaines chansons lorgnent un peu plus vers le côté Doom/Death, mais rien de bien transcendant.

La qualité de la production est très bien maitrisée, cela enrichit grandement l’aspect mélodique.

Le disque passe malheureusement trop vite, malgré ses huit titres, dont une intro et outro de rigueur, pour cinquante bonnes minutes. Mais le tableau idyllique peint sur la pochette reste et s’accorde très bien avec la musique quasi spirituelle…

Author: Haricot magic
Review
Metal Revolution
55/100
19.01.2010

The Morningside is yet another Doom/Death metal band from Russia. On their new album Moving Crosscurrent Of Time there’s only seven compositions, but they are quite lengthy. Still I think it is kind of misleading when they are being labelled as ‘death metal’ as I don’t hear a lot of death elements, but rather a whole bunch of doomy and progressive flair to it.

The vocals are most of the time raspy, while the guitar work is very slow yet melodic, but quite innovative too. This shit is definitely innovative but I only find it partly interesting as it tends to get a bit boring towards the end. There’s not much variation in their sound which to times sounds like a jazz record.
In other words; this album can only be recommended for the fans of Katatonia, Anathema and similar slow, melancholic and progressive bands.

Author: bato
Review
Flash Magazine
8/10

Una lunga spettrale intro apre il secondo lavoro dei moscoviti The Morningside, autori un paio d’anni fa di un interessantissimo lavoro di death doom atmosferico, “The Wind, the Trees and the Shadows of the Past”. Proprio partendo da tali sonorità decadenti, ma ancor di più dall’influsso proveniente dal mitico debut “Dance of December Souls” dei Katatonia, possiamo dedurre su quali coordinate si muove il quartetto russo. L’ensemble est europeo non tradisce assolutamente le mie aspettative, peraltro proponendo al pubblico un lussuoso digipack con un elegante booklet interno. A parte l’estetica, visto che comunque anche l’occhio vuole la sua parte, la musica poi è pura delizia per le mie orecchie e per chiunque abbia amato gli esordi dei già citati Katatonia o dei Paradise Lost. Proprio sulla base di quelle sonorità di primi anni ’90, cosi malinconiche, depressive e autolesioniste, la band sfoggia 5 pezzi (più intro e outro) di raffinata bellezza. Ad aprire ci pensa “Fourteen” e già sono le chitarre ritmiche a mettersi in mostra, spennellando qua e là tinte autunnali di un dolce tramonto di metà novembre. È immediatamente chiaro che il disco ha suggestive emozioni da trasmettere, visto il ruolo cardine che giocano i fantasiosi riffs del duo Sergey-Igor, nell’economia generale del disco: non si tratta infatti di selvagge cavalcate di furente death, bensì vellutati tocchi di pura semplice poesia, con intermezzi acustici e parti atmosferiche, capaci di colmare il dolore dei nostri cuori feriti. La terza “Autumn People” si apre come un qualsiasi pezzo estrapolato da “Shades of God” dei maestri Paradise Lost e come i maestri, anche i The Morningside dipingono desertiche lande ove non v’è traccia d’anima viva. Magnifiche l’emozioni che si sprigionano dalle note di questo disco, complici anche alcune parti ispirate agli statunitensi Agalloch, per quel loro uso di parti acustiche che donano un tocco di magia all’intero lavoro; cosi come eccellenti sono i riffs di chiara scuola “Brave Murder Day”, certamente in grado di trascinare “Moving Crosscurrent of Time” verso un successo più che meritato. Vorrei sottolineare infine che, nonostante questa mia continua citazione di band a cui i nostri si ispirano, la musica dei Morningside non è una pura e mera rilettura dei classici ma un’intensa personalizzazione di quelli che sono i dettami di un genere che, se si è in grado di suonare, può suscitare forti emozioni e i Morningside si confermano talentuosi nelle idee e abili nel’esecuzione; bravi!

Author: Francesco Scarci
Review
Mtuk Metal Zine

The major criticism of The Morningside’s debut album, 2007’s ‘The Wind, The Trees and the Shadows of the Past’, was that the band relied too heavily on their influences, and as such sounded, whilst competent, a sub standard knock off of their idols. At the time that was a harsh, but fair assessment of their sound, but everyone has to start somewhere and in the end true talent shines through. So it is with their second full length release, ‘Moving Crosscurrent Of Time’, the band have evolved, and though those influences are eminently recognisable and heavily leaned upon, the band’s songwriting and musicianship have evolved to deliver a thoroughly engaging and at times quite beautiful piece of work.

The opening track is a four minute atmospheric introduction, which feels a little overlong. The sounds of rushing winds and carrion birds set a nice scene, but after a short time, the impatient, (and I include myself here), will be reaching for the skip button to get down to the real meat and potatoes of things. So when the real music actually begins it’s well worth the wait. Flavours of ‘Brave Murder Day’ era Katatonia mix with Paradise Lost and Agalloch to serve up a deliciously mournful sound. Igor Nitkin’s vocals burst forth with a cold rasp that chills to the core, whilst the guitars of Igor and Sergey Chelyadinov produce some of the most gorgeously sorrowful doom I’ve heard in many a year, predominantly on the outstanding ‘Autumn People’ and ‘Fourteen’. Sometimes the influences are still a bit too obvious however, the Agalloch homage is constantly obvious, but nothing quite so much as during the title track, where it seems they have borrowed a whole section straight out of Katatonia’s ‘Brave’ (complete with piercing death scream) and set it to the riff from Paradise Lost’s ‘As I Die’. That aside though, the end result more than makes up for these indiscretions. ‘Insomnia’ has a lead riff that is completely infectious, sticking in my brain for days at a time, whilst the title track keeps things interesting as it twists and turns through various stages and styles, all held together with some dreamy riffs and some excellent technical drumming from Boris Sergeev. I honestly don’t mind that they’ve Frankensteined bits out of Katatonia and Paradise Lost songs to make this one; at least they picked decent songs! ‘The Outcome (Admit One)’, is a ten minute melodic doom opus, chock full of creamy guitarwork, meandering through to a Pink Floydesque synthesiser close, and is the clearest indicator of just how much they have matured musically since their debut offering. The ‘Outro’, is a slight change of style from the rest of the album, but no less welcome, sounding as it does like it would not be out of place on The Cure’s ‘Disintegration’. Did someone mention ‘Day’?…

The Morningside have obviously taken the criticisms thrown at them after the first album and reacted constructively, delivering an album here that is as mature in its songwriting and musicianship as it is excellent in its structure and quality. It sounds also like a lot of effort has gone into the production, giving a full and lustrous sound that gives the music room to breathe. Yes it’s derivative, but despite that, The Morningside are starting to come through to allow their music its own identity and personality, and it’s actually bloody good. Quite frankly, I adore this album.

Author: Lee Kimber
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