STORM WARNING

It has been about ten years since I last wrote about keyboard player Andrew Roussak. Back then I was reviewing both his debut solo album and the debut from Dorian Opera where he was keyboard player, and I see that both of them have released an album I haven't heard, but now he is back with his third solo release. Andrew is a multi- instrumentalist, but he has brought in some additional guitarists on a couple of songs, as well as a couple of singers, but for the most part this is all Andrew. He is a keyboard player who is more Wakeman than Emerson, but way more Emerson than Jarre, and the result is an album which moves, twists and shifts like any good rock album should. The use of Hammond sounds will always make me sit and up and pay attention as that is one of the truly classic rock keyboard basics, and here he deploys it to great effect.

Keyboard-based albums can be boring affairs at times, even when there are other musicians involved, but here we have loads of rock songs which just have a keyboard base and often a keyboard lead. In many ways this is very reminiscent of Wakeman when he is in full rock mode, except not quite as bombastic. He has no problem with stopping on a pin and pivoting the sound to acoustic guitar, while the use of lead singers (sparingly) also points more to the caped crusader. This can be enjoyed the very first time of hearing, while it is also a grower and the more it is played the more there is to be discovered and enjoyed. Personally, I would prefer if he had kept the album fully instrumental, as I am not a huge fan of Max Kottler's vocal style, but overall this is an album which keeps the listener engaged throughout and if classic Seventies-style keyboard-led albums interest you then this is definitely worth discovering.

Russian born, Germany based composer and musician Andrew ROUSSAK first appeared as a recording solo artist just over a decade ago, releasing his first ever solo album on Russian label MALS. A second solo album appeared a couple of years later, then through French label Musea Records. With "Storm Warning" Roussak marks his return as a solo artist, this time opting to release his album through US label Melodic Revolution Records.

It is good to see that Andrew Roussak has returned as a recording solo artist, and for fans of keyboard driven, mainly instrumental symphonic progressive rock that incorporates elements from classical music, jazz and liberal amounts of organ driven groove style hard rock into compositions with a heart firmly placed in vintage era symphonic progressive rock...this is good news. An album easy to recommend to this specific audience.

Andrew Roussak , this unfairly little known keyboard player released his third solo album in 2019 named Storm warning. I known his previous 2 works, debut from 2008 No trespassing who was more then solid, follow the piano album Blue intermezzo in 2010 and third this one Storm warning. In between of his fist album and new one he was the keyboard player of german progressive metal band Dorian Opera who released 2 albums .

I am really glad that the new album is keeping the same attitude as the debut, solid compositions, keyboard driven progressive rock, almost all album is instrumental, combining symphonic parts with jazz/classical music passages, his style is very much in Rick Wakeman direction, a thing that I like a lot, and not in ELP direction.

Roussak is helped by other musicians, 3 vocalists, and the guitar player is as on debut, the rest is made by Roussak himself. He is a multi instrumentalist and done a good job here, the album has plenty to enjoy, twisting and changing moods, all is here .

The compositions are bombastic, with quite great keyboard leads and solid musicianship, the perfect example is opening Enter Code, the rest of the pieces are also very strong.

All in all, a fairly good album, I like what I've heared here and his music is needing a far more recognition, in same level with his first release No trespassing (not counting blue intermezzo here), specially overall sound has that specific seventies-style keyboard-led albums. 3.5 stars for sure, a nice one. Nice art work aswell