The Morningside - The Wind, The Trees And The Shadows Of The Past (CD)

melancholic dark metal, BadMoodMan Music, BadMoodMan Music
40 reviews Write a review
466.67 Р
Price in points: 700 points
BMM. 006-07 x
In stock
+ −
The debut conceptual album of Moscow band The Morningside unwraps before the listener the cloth which has embodied all shades of autumn, filled by light grief and a melancholy. The rich musical material has incorporated set of black metal and doom metal styles. The Morningside music will suit fans of Katatonia ("Brave Murder Day" period), Agalloch and Opeth, and everyone who like dark, sincere music.

Tracklist:
1 Intro 1:34
2 The Wind 11:10
3 The Trees 9:55
4 The Shadows Of The Past 12:40
5 Outro 4:46

Artist:
The Morningside
Artist Country:
Russia
Album Year:
2007
Title:
The Wind, The Trees And The Shadows Of The Past
Genre:
melancholic dark metal
Format:
CD
Type:
CD Album
Package:
Jewel Case
Label:
BadMoodMan Music
Cat Num:
BMM. 006-07
Release Year:
2007
Country Of Manufacture:
Russia
 Prev
1 2 3 4
Next 
Review
Icon Music Mag
8/10

Se for deg en mix mellom Opeth og Agalloch. Med Agalloch som leder mesteparten av showet og stiller med alt de har emosjonalitet, med utdratte gitarer som glir ut i et ekko, som sakte forsvinner i det fjerne. Agalloch a la Ashes Against The Grain altså. (ikke lette og akustiske White EP eller de tidligere mer bm fokuserte utgivelsene)

Men overgangene mellom partiene i låtene kunne vært fra Opeth. Skjønt, jeg vil kanskje fjerne hele Opeth når jeg hører på «The Shadows Of The Past» igjen, det holder å si at det er Agalloch, med lange sanger og veldig mye forskjellige ting i hver sang.

Du kan ikke vite hva som venter deg.
Men du kjenner at det bygger opp til noe.

Denna plata spiller på følelser, på samme måte som Agalloch. Men ikke så obskurt, og det kan kanskje være litt avskrekkende på noen. Når den rene vokalen begynner på «The Shadows Of The Past» (The shadows of the past, my endless damnation being alone) kan det kanskje blitt vel mye, man skal i allefall ikke være veldig kynisk for å påstå at det hele låter en smule påtatt.

Men jeg vil gi dem den sjansen egentlig. For dette er ei bra skive. Jeg kjeda meg noen ganger på de mer agressive delene i f.eks «The Wind», som nesten har et melodeath preg på seg, uten at de helt har den aggressiviteten heller. Det ligger alltid en overhengende melankoli og lurer på denne skiva. Og det er vel det jeg liker best med den.

Author: Magnus H. Blystad
Solitude Productions 21.10.2009, 23:42
Review
Hardsounds
8/10
13.02.2008

Non è stato per nulla facile reperire informazioni biografiche circa questo gruppo russo, vuoi perché o The Morningside non hanno né un sito ufficiale né tantomeno una pagina su MySpace, vuoi perché sul sito della label (russa anch'ella) le poche info erano in lingua madre...
Comunque grazie al traduttore di Google ho potuto approfondire il background artistico di questo nuovo quartetto, nuovo solo in questa forma giacché i musicisti che lo compongono sono tutti esperti essendo da anni sulle scene e si sente.
Si sente subito che chi suona sa quello che sta facendo e dove vuole andare a parare, e se ci fossero dubbi ci pensa l'artwork molto esplicito a sollevare ogni possibile dubbio circa le fattezze musicali del progetto artistico.
Semplice ed essenziale, così come il sound qui riproposto, 'The Wind...' riporta alla mente ed alle orecchie gli antichi fasi dei Katatonia (era 'Brave Murder Day') e Agalloch che furono, senza plagiare nessuno, ma anzi inserendovi ingenti dosi di personalità, senza cadere nei cliché (ho letto cose come "folk russo" eccetera... tipico di chi ascolta solo il primo minuto della prima traccia e poi stende la sua bella recensione).
Nati all'inizio del 2005 come death/thrash metal band quasi per gioco, all'inizio il progetto prevedeva solamente il bassista Ilya Egorychev e il chitarrista Igor Nikitin per poi cambiare genere col tempo (fortunatamente, aggiungo io).
Ora come ora 'The Wind...' si presenta come un elogio di 40 minuti a tali sonorità prima menzionate, dove nulla è lasciato ala caso e le sognanti immagini di corredo al booklet si adagiano perfettamente col sustrato musicale che si ode.
La produzione è veramente buona e dimostra notevole cura nei dettagli, come si conviene del resto a tale tipo di musica.
Lodevole pr chi è del ramo e piacevole anche per i neofiti del genere.

Author: Gabriele "Anaconda" Frontini
Solitude Productions 21.10.2009, 23:41
Review
Metal-Waves
16/20
29.07.2009

En matière de Doom Metal, les russes nous ont toujours régalés avec des albums dans les règles de l’art, puissants et variés. The Morningside ne faillit pas à cette règle, et prouve encore une fois que la scène russe n’a vraiment rien à envier aux autres.

The Morningside nous livre un Death Doom avec une portée mélodique omniprésente qui rappelle Katatonia, avec un goût prononcé pour l’instrumental, chose que je retrouve très souvent chez les groupes russes. L’album est constitué véritablement de trois titres "The Wind", "The Three", et "The Shadow Of The Past" qui forme le titre de l’album, chose qui rappelle encore une fois Katatonia avec leur album "Brave Murder Day".

Les compositions sont très travaillées, avec des riffs variés et expressifs laissant évoquer des pionniers comme Agalloch, toujours avec cette veine mélancolique et triste. La rythmique est très variée, le batteur évolue presque dans un champ d’inspiration progressive avec une précision impressionnante et des roulements millimétrés. Le bassiste est présent tout au long de l’album avec des contretemps et des jeux quart de temps qui apportent une belle touche aux titres. Côté chant, le vocal s’en sort très bien avec un chant criard et quelques poussées vocales en clair qui interviennent de temps à autre pour approfondir le côté triste et mélancolique, à l’exemple de "The Shadows Of The Past", un titre qui m’a vraiment marqué, où on voit le groupe «oser» avec ce côté progressif, presque Post Rock, et qui donne une toute autre dimension à leur musique.
La production est excellente, on distingue de manière claire et nette chaque note et chaque bruitage de l’album, chose qui fait vraiment plaisir.

Un album très bien soigné, bien élaboré, de l’artwork jusqu'à la production. Une réalisation magistrale exécutée par des musiciens très talentueux.
Un album que je conseille vivement à tous les amateurs du genre.

Author: Mercredi
Solitude Productions 21.10.2009, 23:40
Review
Hakk of Metal
8.5/10
10.03.2008

Poca información se puede aportar acerca de la banda ya que únicamente tienen este album. No hay noticias de demos ni nada similar. Por ello vamos a pasar directamente a lo musical, que al final es lo que realmente interesa.

THE MORNINGSIDE es una banda que tiene su sonido ligado a dos nombres de forma ineludible: OPETH y KATATONIA. La música presente en "The Wind, the Trees, and the Shadows of the Past" es como un fusión de ambas bandas. Pero lo mejor de todo es que esto se ha logrado de una forma simplemente genial, consiguiendo que a pesar de las influencias más que evidentes, su música posea personalidad. Han conseguido mezclar la variedad técnica y la fuerza de OPETH con el sentimiento de un "Discouraged Ones" de KATATONIA.

El disco se compone de 5 canciones, incluidas la intro y outro (muy buenas por cierto), por lo que al final nos quedamos con únicamente tres temas. Pero que tres temas. Entre ellos suman casi treinta y cinco minutos de duración (muy del estilo de OPETH) durante los cuales nos muestran un abanico de sonoridades y texturas que consiguen dotar a los temas de una versatilidad y complejidad excepcional. Pero ante todo y sobre todo lo mas apreciable es el "feeling" que emana. El sentimiento de melancolía y romanticismo contenido está presente a lo largo de todo el compacto.
El sonido en general está compuesto de riffs de guitarra contrapuestas muy al estilo KATATONIA del "Brave Murder Day", al que añaden múltiples variaciones de tonalidad y de tempo. A esta base ritmica le sobreponen lineas ejecutadas por un guitarra solista, que es el que realmente marca la melodia de los temas. Todo esto se ve complementado con numerosos pasajes atmosféricos de gran calidad, muchos de ellos con el piano como estrella. En cuanto a la voz se refiere, la tonalidad prevaleciente durante todo el album se encuentra a mitad de camino entre un grupo de black metal y la de Mickael Åkerfeldt de OPETH.

Como sus compatriotas y compañeros de sello KAUAN también tienen bastante en común con AGALLOCH. El tratamiento de las atmósferas de los temas y esa sensación "orgánica" que desprende son muy similares en ambas bandas. Otro aspecto que en el que se asemejan es la buenísima producción, que tiene la virtud de estar orientada al producto y no el producto a la producción como ocurre bastante a menudo.

Un aspecto que sin duda hay que destacar es el artwork del album, poco habitual en el género, pero muy acorde con el concepto del album en general. El carácter paisajístico y otoñal que han elegido para su diseño, ha sido abarcado con un gran gusto y sencillez, haciendo del producto final un cd muy apetecible.

Resumiendo otro gran album venido de Rusia. Un disco lleno de sonidos de la naturaleza, melancolía, riffs llenos de melodía, voces desgarradoras y susurros cautivadores. Una obra que logra atraparte con su belleza. THE MORNINGSIDE nos dejan con ganas de más, espero que no tengamos que esperar mucho para escuchar la continuación de este magnífico "The Wind, the Trees, and the Shadows of the Past".

Author: aldarion
Solitude Productions 21.10.2009, 23:39
Review
Rock Underground
8.5/10

The Wind, The Trees And The Shadows Of The Past é o primeiro álbum do grupo, ou seja, o debut, com 5 temas nos quais destaco os 3 que dão nome ao trabalho. Depois de uma intro, bem tradicional, surgem The Wind e The Trees, dois temas que contam com um som algo na onda do Progressive Metal, Dark Metal passando pelo Doom e o Ambient. Mas o resultado final, apesar de leve e suave, é Doom. Sim, muita coisa hoje que é chamado de Gótico, e de Doom e na verdade, um Progressivo bem sombrio, como quase tudo que é feito pela alcunha de Prog. Misturando também alguns sons naturais e ambientes como o cair da chuva e o vento a rugir dão um toque de inocência, intimidade e realidade ao álbum, e o mais importante, naturalidade, ou seja, as letras falam disso e eles tentam ser o mais fiéis aos seus princípios. Vocalmente estes dois temas são Black, sussurrados, ríspidos, guturais, agressivos. A melodia fica por conta das guitarras, calcadas no Metal escandinavo. Viaje no misticismo e o imaginário medieval, terras altas repletas de nevoeiro, o negro e o desconhecido, bruxas e magos, o arcaico, o profundo, cinematograficamente falando cai-o num instante em filmes como o Conan, O Bárbaro ou O Último Viking. Que te dar a sensação de estar numa bruma? Ouça este disco com uma máquina de fumaça ao lado (gelo seco) e você vai viajar em todos os sentidos neste tipo de música espiritualista.
Solitude Productions 21.10.2009, 23:38
Review
Zwareetalen
9/10
14.11.2007

Uit Moskou komt het vierkoppige The Morningside, en aangezien eigenlijk alle info over deze band verder in het Russisch is, kan ik verder weinig vertellen over het concept wat achter dit debuut album zit.

De band combineert op dit album melancholische, melodieuze black met melodieuze, progressieve doom metal. Waarbij de namen Katatonia, Agalloch en Throes of Dawn eigenlijk vrij snel door je hoofd schieten. Op dit album wordt heel veel ruimte ingenomen door instrumentale stukken, stukken waarin er een lekker druilerig herfstsfeertje uit de muziek naar voren komt. Wat met name komt door flinke stukken cleane gitaren met een laag tempo en ingetogen drumwerk.

Tijdens de stukken waar het allemaal een slagje intenser wordt komt er een black scream door de muziek heen die me ook weer aan Agalloch doet denken, die zang vult de muziek goed aan en geeft er net iets meer scherpte aan het geheel. Zanger Igor gebruikt naast de scream ook nog een cleane zang, waarbij helaas zijn afkomst wel heel duidelijk te horen is, maar de beste man heeft absoluut geen vervelende zang. Hij weet zich ook goed aan de muziek aan te passen, mooi somber en ingetogen brengt hij de teksten ten gehore. Vooral bij de stukken met cleane zang zou je een vergelijking met enkele van de wat rustigere postrock/core bands kunnen trekken, maar die geldt niet voor het complete album.

Rusland blijft een groot leverancier van nieuwe, onbekende, maar kwalitatief hoogstaande doombands. Ook dit The Morningside weet weer kwaliteit te brengen, ze zullen echt niet de eerste zijn die deze stijl probeert, maar er zijn velen die dit nivo nevernooitniet bereiken. Tip, op de site van de band is het album in zijn geheel te downloaden!

Author: Jan Hendriksen
Solitude Productions 21.10.2009, 23:38
Review
Brutalism

The Morningside are four guys from Russia, started in 2006 with The Morningside. In 2007 their debut album is released named "The Wind, The Trees And The Shadows Of The Past" a conceptual album about all shades of autumn, filled by light grief and a melancholy.
The album has it roots in melancholic doom metal with a dark atmosphere. The Morningside also adds influence from black metal in the desperate and demonic vocals. Mostly it is instrumental with great atmosphere in long duration songs. But the length of the songs are no problem as the emotion in the songs is well balanced and gently flows like a peaceful river.
The band refers to bands like Katatonia and Opeth and in this corner you have to put them. Nice debut album for a long and lonely evening.
Solitude Productions 21.10.2009, 23:37
Review
Harm.us
13.02.2008

"The Wind, the Trees and the Shadows of the Past" is the 2007 debut from Russian outfit, The Morningside. In my opinion, this is one of the best albums i've ever listened from a Russian metal band. Very close to the style i like and with really good songs

Atmospheric doom metal is the genre they are into and more specific with many influences from the sound of Agalloch and especially Katatonia. They blend crushing riffs with acoustic melodies in an excellent way and the result is very good. I think the better way to describe The Morningside's music to you is the following: imagine Agalloch cover Katatonia's "Brave Murder Day" in their own style. That's it.

Fans of the style should check this album out. I'm sure you'll have a pleasant listening. If The Morningside manage to acquire a more personal sound in their next albums then we will have one more great band in this sound

Author: Bleeding
Solitude Productions 21.10.2009, 23:36
Review
Archaic-Zine
28.01.2008

Labeling The Morningside proved to be a rather time-consuming endeavor. No, it’s not just another pure and “traditional” doom act. In fact, on “The Wind the Trees and the Shadows of the Past” there is a range of different influences to be heard. The advanced guitar play sometimes sounds rather progressive in nature – with a big twist of doom of course! The vocal is rather raspy, almost like in black metal (think of Ancient’s Aphazel). At times – like on “The Wind” – the mood is quite uplifting and the song swerves towards gothic-rock. The drumming, on the other hand, is slow-tempo and can be labeled traditionally “doomy.” In general, the music is quite beautiful. There are the slower, doomier parts and then there are the heavier bits. Although quite atmospheric and emotional, the music wasn’t quite as melancholic as is usually the case when it come to doom metal – perhaps this is the reason for my ongoing confusion as how to describe this band accurately. I think this is purely because of those progressive elements (when it comes to the rhythm mostly) that, at times, seem to linger in the air. Don't get me wrong: the album is quite breath-taking and has its beautifully and emotionally magnificent moments. However, this is not an element that is present throughout the whole abum. Nonetheless, I highly enjoyed this “nouveau doom.” “The Shadows of the Past” is a passionate and melancholic track which incorporates clean vocals solely. This is a track that reminded me a little of Katatonia; perhaps this is my favorite track off the album (for said melancholic feeling).

In short, The Morningside is quite experimental (in my opinion) and does not oblige under one specific style. They seemed to have incorporated a different amount of richly filled musical styles, from melodic black metal, to prog, to doom metal. Impressive, I say, for it goes to show that music is an ever-rotating, constantly changing universe where the fittest aren’t afraid to grasp and experience said concept. Having only experienced 3 full tracks (there’s an intro and an outro as well on the album), I can’t wait to hear what these Russians will concoct next time around. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be good. “The Wind the Trees and the Shadows of the Past” is an impressive debut album. For fans of Katatonia, Opeth, Agalloch and everyone who likes doom or dark music, be sure to check this great release out.

Author: Randall Ras
Solitude Productions 21.10.2009, 23:35
Review
The Metal Observer
8/10
07.03.2008

I’d seen mention of this band a few months before I got the promo. With comparisons to AGALLOCH, OPETH, and KATATONIA, Russia’s THE MORNINGSIDE was all set to fail to pass a bar set unfairly high. Now that I have heard “The Wind, The Trees, And The Shadows Of The Past” (come on, that’s not an album title, that’s practically the tracklist!), I have to say that I’m really not hearing the OPETH and KATATONIA comparisons, but there is something to this AGALLOCH comparison, but this is still a good and a bad thing.

Honestly, my opinion of this album the first time I listened to it was the rather glib “It’s like somebody took FALL OF THE LEAFE’s ‘Evanescent, Everfading’—the song, not the album—and made an entire album out of it.” For those of you who haven’t heard “Evanescent, Everfading”, substitute the second half of IRON MAIDEN’s “Afraid To Shoot Strangers.” Of course, that’s not fair. While the guitar-driven sound does have a highly melodic quality, like the two previous mentioned pieces, it’s not quite so dreamy. The three titular songs are all long, between 9:55 and 12:40 and are almost all guitar solo. You won’t find any shredding, but AGALLOCH-style cascades that seek to capture the mood and melody of the wind, the trees, and the shadows of the past.

But unlike their Pacific-Northwest counterparts, THE MORNINGSIDE really only has two speeds; their normal mid-to-slow, gentle inspection and their clean, guitar-only introspective parts. The opening of “The Shadows Of The Past” seeks to combine the two, but it almost gets to the point where you can predict the breaks. Vocals, by Igor’ Nikitin (also one of the guitarists) are usually of the one-dimensional Black variety with some unremarkable clean singing in “The Shadows Of The Past,” acceptable but by no means pushing the envelope. Though the songs are never really repetitive, at times they don’t stand out. The album very easily loses your attention if used as background music.

All in all, this is actually really promising. Like I said, it is a gentle album, so don’t expect anything extreme, but if you like melody in your nature worshipping then this album can be quite rewarding. At worst it’s mild white noise and at best it’s beautiful and profound. But it’s a debut album and so it’s natural that the band has room to grow and develop. I have to say that I am excited to see where they’ll go. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.

As of this writing, portions of all the songs can be streamed from the band’s website.

Author: Keith
Solitude Productions 21.10.2009, 23:34
 Prev
1 2 3 4
Next 
Write a review

All Labels