The Morningside
The Wind, the Trees and the Shadows of the Past

This is the debut album of the Russian band The Morningside released in 2007.

The eponymous "Intro," which opens the album, is a classic ambient introduction of about a minute and a half in the style of "Summoning The Rain" by Drudkh, with wind instead of rain that seems incessant, accompanied by a synth that perfectly evokes the idea of a typical Siberian autumn storm, leaving the listener breathless until anticipating the next track...

...And we've come to "The Wind", an eleven-minute piece where the evident sonic influences of some very important bands from the doom/death scene can be noticed, from the initial guitar riffs reminiscent of the melancholy of Katatonia’s "Brave Murder Day", simply splendid and phenomenal, or from the phrasings and clean guitar arpeggios that dominate the heart of the track, bringing to light the atmospheres of Agalloch's "Pale Folklore" and "Ashes Against The Grain"; all in a deeply melancholic blend: as if we find ourselves, after a sad day, watching the autumn landscape from a window in a mountain house where the wind carries the leaves of trees that are almost bare, bringing back to mind who knows what memories from our past...

....when suddenly we notice that the gray clouds carried by the wind quickly cover the sky and it starts to rain, and the next track opens "The Trees" where the sound of a thunderstorm is recreated and where the aforementioned synth returns in the opener, introducing a magnificent riff followed by the other rhythmic guitar and a slow and changing rhythm of bass and drums destined to evolve and then suspend, giving space to a touching guitar phrase gently covered by the sound of the wind, recovering until the last minute of the track, recalling the sound of rain...

...then the storm ends leaving a sad and desolate landscape at dusk where memories surface as if they never want to go away, and here comes the time for "The Shadows Of The Past," a suite with a long introduction of over four minutes with an arpeggio similar to that of "The Melancholy Spirit" by Agalloch and with a wise choice from vocalist Igor Nikitin to sing clean, avoiding the scream and growl of the previous two tracks, accentuating a greater reflection on the part of the listener, continuing with a wonderful part completely instrumental for over half the track in post-rock style until the end of the track.

The work ends with an eponymous "Outro", where the winds echo once again in the night and where the guitars emanate atmospheric sounds that closely resemble the post-metal scene of the American Isis, with a slow but rich groove of bass and drums and an indispensable keyboard backdrop.

I conclude by saying that it is a great start for an emerging band and an unmissable album for genre enthusiasts and beyond, as it recalls many of the aforementioned sounds, as it can be defined overall as an Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal album with Folk and Post-Rock influences.

Listening advice: during an intense rainy day where you're forced to stay indoors, perhaps while drawing or reading a good book... ;) ENJOY THE LISTEN!