Moving Crosscurrent of Time

Russia’s The Morningside have grown in infamy since their arrival on the death/doom scene. Though they were performing under clear influence from bands like Agalloch and Katatonia respectively, the majority still seemed to enjoy what this band had to say, regardless of how close to those two they tried to sound. Although almost all sense of individuality was lost, The Morningside were still regarded as one of Russia’s brightest stars in the faltering death/doom scene which hasn’t seen a true giant since the 1990’s, when the hybrid was performing its best work. Only two years after their critically acclaimed debut, ‘The Wind, the Trees and the Shadows of the Past’, The Morningside have returned with a greater sense of individuality, whilst keeping their highly influenced sound at the forefront of our minds. Despite the fact that the band are clearly aspiring to sound like their idols, particularly Katatonia’s iconic ‘Brave Murder Day’, the Russians are still very likeable despite the fact that they’re essentially a “clone” band, a concept which is vastly looked down upon in other genres, particularly black metal.

Having read several recommendation threads on various forums, I have noticed that there is a huge market for bands who sound a lot like more prominent one’s so, despite the lack of creativity in such a band, The Morningside still have a fairly substantial market to target and I imagine that people will probably be more fond of this record than the debut. In terms of changes from the one to the other, there haven’t been many. The Russian’s are still clearly influenced by both Agalloch and Katatonia. As aforementioned, a lot of the guitar work sticks by the sound generated on ‘Brave Murder Day’ as songs like ‘The Autumn People’ shows. The textures of the songs greatly reminds me of the aforementioned giants, with the guitars, in particular, sweeping from one influence to another in a short space of time during the same song. First, The Morningside will build up with a typical Agalloch sound riff and then move on to a sharper sounding Katatonia based riff, then the solo will usually be conducted under the pretence of both, meshing the textures of both bands together to create a luscious sound which depicts the cooler seasons vividly and with great expression. I find the bass has been given more of a free role on this record, as shown on the brilliant ‘14’. From the very beginning of the song until the end, the bass is much more audible and bouncy.

I find the production has vastly improved, giving the soundscapes more room to manoeuvre in and giving the instrumentation a lighter, airy feel as the riffs brush over us like autumnal winds through the trees. ‘14’ is a particularly brilliant song, showcasing more individuality as the free roaming bass melodically weaves in and out of the industrious guitar work. The riffs are more expansive, with the other instruments pitching it to make a far more expressive showcase. I feel myself being far more pleased with the brighter, more vibrant sound of the sophomore than the limited style of the debut, which although good, isn’t as accessible as this piece. However, I suspect a number of death/doom fans won’t appreciate the more timid approach in terms of production as it doesn’t allow the old crushing hybrid style to constrain the listener with exceptionally dark themes. Though the lyrics, or even the song titles may suggest that The Morningside are as dark as ever, the light production which lightly taps at our door instead of breaking it down in an aggressive haze, doesn’t exist with the same force as it did during the 1990’s, though I suspect it isn’t meant to.

The melancholic, but highly infectious ‘14’ is an indication of the changing times as The Morningside have become alive and colourful in sound with the simple change in production style that allows areas like the bass and percussion to become more fixated on the listener, instead of dissolving into the background. The bass is, as you might be able to tell, the most improved area besides the spirited stance on sound quality. ‘Moving Crosscurrent of Time’ has shown a great response to the feelings taken away from the debut. It has dealt with its issues and has come back with renewed vigour and a feeling that things can only get better from here on in. Despite the fact that the guitar work is obviously influenced by both early era Agalloch and early Katatonia, the musicianship is at a superior level whereby the fact that The Morningside are essentially “clones” does not really factor into the piece as a whole, which is how it was on the debut also. The only real concern is the vocals, which aren’t that important to the sound of The Morningside. They’re definitely not up to scratch on this effort, having less impact that both Jonas and John respectively. However, this can easily be overlooked. ‘14’ is definitely the highlight of this largely improved and spirited affair.