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Framauro - 2024 - "Ethermedia 2024" (57:57; Lynx Music) Following on from the two new albums, Ryszard was somewhat surprised to be asked if he would be reissuing the 1998 debut, 'Etermedia'. This was not something he had considered, especially as he had included a lot of the material on the 1998 TRK Project album 'Sounds from the Past'. However, he was never truly happy with that, so took those session tracks and recorded his own vocals as well as new guitar and keyboards, while Marcin Kruczek added some new guitar to his originals, Krzysztof Wyrwa added bass and fretless bass while the drums are again by Grzegorz Fieber. It was then mixed by Kamil Konieczniak (Moonrise) with new translations of the lyrics by Zdzislaw Zabierzewski. I have never heard 'Etermedia', and it is a long time since I last played 'Sounds From The Past', and I deliberately have not gone back to that as the best way to treat this is as a brand-new album, just with its roots more than 25 years ago. A lot of the work for this was undertaken during the recording of 'Alea Iacta Est', but this is quite a different album indeed, perhaps unsurprising given the source material, as this is much more in the Neo vein with similarities at times to both IQ and The Flower Kings. Yet again we have strong guitar and powering keyboards, yet there is also room for the occasional acoustic guitar and one of the delights of this is the use of space and how Krzysztof easily makes his presence felt with some well-chosen notes here and there. It is a release which allows the listener to drift inside the music, yet never relax for too long as there is always the feeling that something bombastic is going to come along at any second. This is prog which is meant to be played in arenas, as it has that huge sound which fits that setting way more than it ever would in a small hall. "Welcome To My Channel" is very much a case in point, as it shifts and turns, dramatic and in your face at points and lulling and inviting at others. This was the third album in consecutive years from Framauro, while the other bands are still very active (the latest Milennium has just been released) and Ryszard is releasing many albums on Lynx Music but let us hope he somehow manages to keep up the pace as Framauro are class from beginning to end. Progtector: October 2024 Related Links: Lynx Music