originally written by Chris McDonald
Although the cover art seems strangly reminiscent of a Nevermore album, The Morningside actually deals in airy, melodic death/doom strongly influenced by Agalloch and Katatonia, as well as Finland’s lucrative death/doom scene. While listeners experienced with these genres may not hear anything terribly innovative in Moving Crosscurrent Of Time, that doesn’t change the fact that this Russian outfit is paying their homage to the greats with extremely worthwhile results.
The Morningside’s focus lies on conveying a depressing, naturalistic atmosphere through a patient, steady sense of build-up and release in songwriting. Much like the aforementioned Agalloch, The Morningside delivers their hooks in the form of sorrowful, catchy lead guitar refrains backed by misty, doomy soundscapes. “Fourteen” makes a huge opening impression following an atmospheric intro with a gorgeous array of depressive leads, while “Autumn People” solidifies the backing riffs into more of a steady march before delivering the album’s first rousing chorus (spearheaded by, surprise, more terrific lead guitar). The epic title track follows suit with an impressive trade-off of acoustic and electric passages before delivering a superbly catchy riff at the halfway point. While guitar is obviously the primary focus of The Morningside’s compositions, the band also incorporates some deft bass guitar flourishes which are given plenty of room to shine thanks to the album’s top-notch mixing job, which renders each instrument with a smooth, organic tone that perfectly suits the nature of the music at hand. There’s even a beautiful wash of ambient keyboard sounds at the end of “The Outcome (Admit One)” that somehow feels right at home with the rest of the record’s guitar-centric delivery.
Some may feel that The Morningside’s sound is too reminiscent of other bands, or that the lengthy intro and outro are excessive, but fans of deathy doom metal with a melodic bent should find a great deal to be excited about in the depressive folds of Moving Crosscurrent Of Time. This outfit’s ear for songwriting and affinity for extremely memorable lead guitar compositions should stand out to anyone regardless of the apparent nature of the influences, and if the members of The Morningside can find a way to add a bit more of their own personal flair to this style they perform so well, they could find themselves standing proudly alongside the very bands they so obviously admire. As it stands, Moving Crosscurrent Of Time is a quality piece of death/doom in its own right and goes highly recommended to fans of the genre.
