ALEA IACTA EST

I recently discovered this band, it was a nice surprise. This is a really well played album, quite simple lyrics, but rich in sonic nuances and very well produced. Behind this work is the compositional skill of Ryszard Kramarski (vocals, keyboards, acoustic & electric guitars) who makes use of four other musicians, but basically Framauro is practically a "one man band". Musically it is a work of Neo(symphonic)Prog with echoes of Genesis, IQ; Marillion, Twelfth Night... the final track, the one that gives the album its title, is a small masterpiece, very suggestive and very inspiring. Albums like this are welcome in this period in which "chart music" is terribly poor and and predictable. Alea Iacta Est is already a title that promises well, and this Polish band seems able to keep its promises.

Ryszard Kramarski founded Framauro back in the late 1990s and then Millenium. While he gave his all to Millenium (17 studio album releases since 1998), he let Framauro (more of a solo project) sleep until 2022. This is his second release since then.

1. "Like Father Like Son (Part 1 Father / Part 2 Son)" (7:48) a blues-rocker that, in my opinion, has more in common with classic rock bands like THE ROLLING STONES, TOM PETTY and the HEARTBREAKERS, JACKSON BROWN, DIRE STRAITS, SNIFF 'N' THE TEARS, and BONNIE RAIT and than prog. A good classic blues rock song. (13/15)

2. "My Beloved Songs (Records from My Shelf Part 2") (5:50) a slow, blues-guitar-driven song that reminds me of something from CORVUS STONE/COLIN TENCH. (8.6667/10)

3. "Dogs & Cats" (9:00) all the standard late-1970s prog/classic rock instruments are present (even a keyboard- generated bass). A bit of a lame subject matter--especially for prog. (17.25/20)

4. "Painter of Our Souls" (8:25) despite nothavoing the right voice, this one plays almost exactly like a PETER NICHOLLS-led IQ song (with some PINK FLOYD bombast in the chorus). (17.25/20)

5. "Lost in Music" (5:40) pretty piano opening precedes a CAMEL-esque set up and sound. This is Ryszard's ode to his beloved muse, Music. Nice job--with some nice quirk in the fourth minute. (8.75/10)

6. "Alea Iacta Est (The Die Is Cast)" (9:01) despite the "classical" piano opening, this is a blues rocker that reminds me a lot of both ROYE ALBRIGHTON (NEKTAR)'s 21st Century musical production and ELOY's releases from the late 1970s and early 1980s. (17.25/20)

Total Time 45:44

Bluesy prog rock that reminds me of the German Prog/Pop scene in the second half of the 1970s--the blues-rock Pink Floyd imitators like The Eloy, Anyone's Daughter, and even Nektar (and, later, IQ). This may be a collaborative product but it sounds very much like a one-man show.

B-/3.5 stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you like the bluesier side of prog.