The music has a distinct texture that is evident in Progressive Rock and that is what draws the listener in.  -Bryan Bertsche (‘The Aisle of Plenty’, Progressive Rock Radio show, www.classxradio.com)

This is keyboard heavy progressive rock with elements of classical and jazz. The musicianship is very good, especially the keyboard work although there are some nice guitar moments as well. The keyboards come at the listener in waves and Fernandez gets a lot of sounds out of his instruments. The organ playing is exceptional throughout. Although this album is far removed from metal there is an intensity here; the music is allowed to build and the layered keyboard sound can be quite dense and is usually up front in the mix.  – Jon Neudorf (Sea of Tranquility)

In short, the keyboards are the most important thing here, which is absolutely wonderful in my opinion. I absolutely adore keyboard-driven prog rock. It helps that J.R. happens to be an excellent keyboardist. There’s a lot of keyboards here, from the low-tuned hammonds (as described before), to regular-sounding hammonds, to spacy synths, to blistering  synths, to piano, etc. The rest of the instruments are excellent as well, I just feel like the keyboards deserve special mention because of how well they’re done. Also, I’m a bit biased because I have a special fondness for Hammond organs. – Dan Thaler (‘Prog Sphere’,  www.prog-sphere.com)

J.R. Fernandez proves that he can fuse disparate influences with his own inspiration, and come up with an album that, while not wildly innovative, manages to hit the progressive spot. Lovers of classic, keyboard-oriented prog will find a lot to interest them in this solid debut by a gifted musician and composer. This a disc that makes good use of both tradition and technological innovation, and is also a very pleasing, rewarding listen for everyone but the most snobbish of progressive rock fans. (Fire of an Unkown Origin reviewer: progmistress Raffaella)

Progressive Rock meets Symphonic Rock is the name of the game here. NOVUS REX is a band from Colorado, USA and musically it is a trip or should I say a journey back in time, because the massive synthesizers/keyboards do remind one immediately of the legendary EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER in their heydays. Gabor Kleinbloesem (‘Strutter Zine’, www.strutter.co.nr)

Musically, Novus Rex follows a Retro-Progressive Symphonic line, adding elements of Electronic, Jazz and Fusion to the compositions. Fernandez, the father, is influenced by his old favorites: the Progressive bands “ELP”, “Genesis”, “Pink Floyd”, “Yes”, “Gentle Giant”, “Spock’s Beard”; the electronic keyboardists “Vangelis”, “Mike Oldfield”, “Alan Parsons Project”, “Larry Fast” (“Synergy”); the Jazz-Rock-Fusion musicians “Al Di Meola”, “Chick Corea”, “Jan Hammer”, “Josef Zawinul” (“Weather Report”); and the Jazz pianists “Keith Jarrett” and “Lyle Mays”. Fernandez stays as the central core of Novus Rex, piloting his keyboards – mainly synthesizers and a Hammond B3 – and producing a sound that is simultaneously bombastic, majestic, and free-flowing. –  Marcelo Trotta,  www.progressiverockbr.com

Rating: 9/10 – If you want a trip back to the kind of music Keith Emerson made back in the 70s, this is your ticket. New sounds with familiar reminders. A story filled with five epic tracks and one closer. This will make anyone missing that keyboard driven sound happy. Just sit back and let your mind wander.  Mark Johnson (ProgNaut, www.prognaut.com)

There is much to appreciate and enjoy with the music of Novus Rex. Fans of the music of Vangelis, Moraz, Ars Nova and perhaps even Emerson Lake and Palmer will find much to enjoy. Jerry Lucky (‘The Progressive Rock Files’, www.jerrylucky.com)