Casandra’s Crossing – Garden Of Earthly Delights – Album Review

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Review Graeme Wright

Frontiers Music are doing as much as anyone to keep Heavy Rock music alive, both with their hugely impressive roster and a multitude of new music releases every month. I can’t lie though, at times their hybrid band releases where they put a number of artists together don’t always work for me and they occasionally strike me as contractual obligations. From the outset however, the combination of legendary guitarist George Lynch and Paralandra singer Casandra Carson piqued my interest as I am a huge fan of both artists.

There is a real connection between these musicians and the vocal style of Carson fits perfectly with the axe work of one of the greatest guitarists that ever lived, with the combination on display here producing an album of the highest quality. Opening track and first single ‘Strangers’ will give you a good idea of what to expect. Soaring vocals, huge riffs and above all an intense and immediate melody that all combine to produce a song that doesn’t just introduce itself to the listener, it actually kicks the doors down and it is a monumental opener. I’ve loved Lynch since his Dokken days and you can recognise his style a mile off. Unlike some recent records from old school guitar masters this album doesn’t stint on huge solos as well as a dynamic buzz that persists throughout the entire record and most of all the stylings of a man who is still at the very top of his game. ‘Impatient’ is a heavy, yet still bluesy song while ‘Closer To Heaven’ is a chugging beast of a track that doesn’t stint on melody or high emotion. Casandra’s vocal performance on this track is hugely impressive and you get the vibe she should be a musical superstar once this album hits the streets.

‘Ring Me Around’ keeps the Heavy Rock train rolling with another big chorus and some stealthy guitar acrobatics, while ‘Devastating Times’ has a touch of Prog Rock to it before it swings into a full blown Metal song that blows away the cobwebs. ‘Waltzing Nites’ has a big fat bluesy sound to it and is a touch more laid back than the rest of the album, while ‘Just Business’ has an opening guitar salvo that sounds like prime Dokken and perfectly offsets against the almost hypnotic vocal tone of Casandra Carson.

‘Mind Eraser’ is perhaps the only weak link on the record. It’s perfectly serviceable but a touch generic for my liking and definitely overlong at over five minutes in length. ‘Run For Your Life’ soon sets things right because it’s an absolute banger which sounds almost like something Girlschool would have hammered out back in the day. ‘Wicked Woman’ s a pretty standard rocker but album closer ‘Kneel Before You’ ends things with a bang and it’s a heavy grinder that is both powerful and immediate that sounds great to these ears.

In conclusion, if your looking for Heavy Metal with amazing vocals and dazzling guitar work you’ve come to the right place. This is a great album that barely makes a misstep and I’d be seriously interested to hear more music from this duo.

Band Members:

Casandra Carson – Vocals

George Lynch – Guitar

Track Listing.

1. Stranger

2. Impatient

3. Closer To Heaven

4. Ring Me Around

5. Devastating Times

6. Waltzing Nites

7. Just Business

8. Mind Eraser

9. Wicked Woman

10. Kneel Before You

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