Novus Rex - 2019 - Zoi

(52:49; Novus Rex)

Track list:
1. Act 1: Inception 9:17
2. Act 2: Independence 10:38
3. Act 3: Devotion 9:00
4. Act 4: Wisdom & Surrender 23:54

Line-up:
Scott Hume - drums
A. I. Fernandez - guitars
J. R. Fernandez - keyboards, bass, guitars


Prolusion.
US band Novus Rex is a venture that was formed back in 2008. They released their first album back in 2009, and following a spell of little activity they have since released a further three studio productions. "Zoi" is one of those albums, and has 2019 as its official year of release. The text on the CD itself states that the year of copyright is 2018, hence this album is presumably made later than the album "Belteshazzar's Dream" that also has 2019 as the official year of release, but where 2014 is the year that this album was copyrighted.

Analysis.
This second album released under the Novus Rex moniker in 2018 is a creation that in some manners is a marked improvement over the other album they released the very same year, but it is also an album that comes with a minor but critical flaw. Which may or may not be the reason that this album appears to have been withdrawn by the band at some point. But as I see that substantial parts of this album is used on their 2022 album "Seventh Seal", that may also be a reason of course.

The material on this album strikes me as being of a bit more atmospheric laden variety, with a stronger focus and emphasis on flowing motions and gliding textures, with frequent use of alternating keyboard and guitar sections as well as several instances of arrangements where the flow, tone and melody lines struck me as being more similar in nature to a band such as Tangerine Dream than they are to classic era symphonic progressive rock. The latter is still very much a part of the experience though, albeit perhaps not explored in a manner quite as expressive as on the aforementioned "Belteshazzar's Dream".

One aspect of this album that is a marked improvement over previous albums, albeit with one fatal flaw, is the mix and production. Some of the instrument details, and for the guitar in particular, still strikes me as sounding a bit odd and perhaps even a bit off or distorted. But the soundscapes are cleaner, the arrangements more balanced, and the sound in general has what I'd describe as a warm and organic feel to it. The small but fatal flaw, at least for attentive listeners, is that some of the sounds are breaking up. Most often this is a factor for the drums, but occasionally also for some of the keyboard sounds used. While not a dramatic or dominant feature, for those who listen closely to the music in a manner similar to what I do this will be regarded as a disruptive element, and is a detail that will harm the overall listening experience. So while I do find that this is the most well made production by Novus Rex of the three I have encountered, this flaw also makes it the least enjoyable for me as a listener.

Conclusion.
If you can track down this album, as a few copies appear to be available here and there on the internet, what you get here is a more atmospheric laden variety of symphonic progressive rock, with floating and flowing dreamladen keyboard and guitar sections as dominant features throughout. One specific flaw in the mix and production department will make this production less suitable for people that have the habit of listening to music with strong attention to detail though. Those who believe a more relaxed variety of symphonic progressive rock sounds interesting and the occasional nod in the direction of a band like Tangerine Dream interesting should have a fair chance of finding this to be an enjoyable production.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, January 2023

Links:
http://novusrex.net/