ENDLESS WAY FROM YOU

Back in 2013 an unknown eclectic prog rock band from Minsk, Belarus emerged and took the prog world by storm with its own retro sounds that included some of the usual suspects such as Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator, Jethro Tull, Magma, National Health and Hatfield & The North among others with a touch of modern day flavors a la Birds And Buildings and a touch of avant-prog from Univers Zero, Present etc. But after proving to the world that this Eastern European band led by Sergey Gvozdyukevich (keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass, flutes, vocals) and Vladimir Sobolevsky (electric & acoustic guitars) had the chops to deliver some serious modern infusion of prog styles with the debut album "Of Things That Never Were," they all disappeared into the ethers and haven't been heard from since. Until the year 2019 that is.

The old saying that real musicians have day jobs is still quite relevant well into the 21st century and such is the case with these prog stalwarts who do whatever they do all day and only have time to craft their musical visions in their spare time. Add to that the perfectionist streak that keeps musicians continuously re-recording until they "get it right" and it has taken six long years for THE WORM OUROBOROS to deliver a satisfactory followup sophomore album titled ENDLESS WAY FROM YOU. Add to that, the band's previous label, AltrOck ceased to exist and other annoying delays kept the project at bay for what seems like an eternity in the prog world as years slip into the great cosmic history books. However all is good and i'm happy to report that THE WORM OUROBOROS has delivered a satisfying stellar slab of modern prog based in the retro traditions and captures the essence of its previous album without sounding like a mere retread.

ENDLESS WAY FROM YOU is a rich sounding album with many instruments providing the tones and timbres of a classic prog rock sound. In addition to Gvozdyukevich's swirling synth swirls, bass and guitar heft, Sobolevsky's accompanying playing on the same instruments and Mikhail Kinchin's jazzy drum rolls, this album features Vitaly Appow on bassoon, Alioina Sukilyan on oboe and Alexandra Gankova on vibraphone, xylophone and timpani. The album consists of nine tracks and is just shy of the 80 minute mark which makes this a lengthy listening session with two of the tracks stretching past the 13 minute mark. The length of the album is a result of the intention of two albums that have been merged into one. The first was supposed to be a more uplifting positive vibe style of album and the other a darker bleak sounding one. The squirmy WORMS kept this album in that theme with the lighter side appearing first and the darker as the second half.

The opening track "Cycles" is composed of four segments that correspond to the daily cycles of morning / day / evening / night as well as the cyclical nature of nature. The other lengthy track "The Reality You Can't Stop Dreaming" is on the darker side and simulates the changing scenery of dreams and nightmares, the latter of which is discovered to be true after waking up. The track was inspired by horror and giallo movie composers such as Fabio Frizzi and Ennio Morricone. There is a recurring bird theme as well such as on "Quest of the Kingfisher" and "The Whistler Shrill." The band also was helped by members of Rational Diet (now Five-Storey Ensemble) to record the woodwind parts. While other tracks are shorter, many are nearer the eight minute mark. "Stone And Lydia" as well as the birdie songs all generate a series of passages through proggy instrumental workouts with clever compositional workouts that exude a classic 70s sound.

Overall this second edition of THE WORM OUROBOROS canon is a much mellower affair with less emphasis on heavier rock aspects and if you ask me this one reminds me most of classic Camel as it's light and airy with an extra helping of retro keyboard sounds. The mostly instrumental processions also add to that feeling of albums like "The Snow Goose" coming to mind. The woodwind parts instill a folky vibe to the mix but there are still plenty of guitar and bass sounds to anchor this within the greater prog universe, it's just that they play a subordinate rhythmic role in relation to the more active winds and keys. This is an excellent second coming from this fine Belarusian band from Minsk. While the playing time may be a little too long for a single listening session, there are no disappointing tracks to be heard however there is less variation on this album than the debut and tracks begin to sound quite similar. While i still feel this band hasn't latched onto a true distinguishing sound and reached its full potential, there is no doubt that ENDLESS WAY FROM YOU is a beautiful prog release that will particularly thrill any retro prog lovers who dig classic keyboard sounds.