CASANDRA’S CROSSING – Garden Of Earthly Delights (Album Review) (2024)

Step into a new garden of sound.

Some musical couplings seem destined even when they come with an age gap measured in decades, and the recently minted project dubbed Casandra’s Crossing is arguably the most auspicious to come into being in years.

Combining the vocal talents of Paralandra’s front woman Casandra Carson, who has been making a respectable splash in the American rock scene for roughly a decade, and the iconic guitar chops of ex-Dokken and Lynch Mob virtuoso George Lynch; it’s a fold that follows the recent trend in Lynch’s career of frequent collaborative efforts, yet also one that stands out pretty easily from said pack.

With arguably the only obstacle of note being the heightened expectations that tend to dog Lynch’s post-Dokken studio exploits, “Garden Of Earthly Delights” is the sort of debut that is technically a first outing, but comes with a level of experience and gravitas normally reserved for releases preceded by an extensive career of development and progression.

To qualify the eleven expansive rock anthems rounding out this opus as the handiwork of two certified musical titans wouldn’t be far off, as while Casandra might be a less-known quantity relative to Lynch, she delivers a vocal performance that matches the instrumental excellence surrounding it and even rivals her superstar contemporary Lzzy Hale. The range of expression served up proves massive, as moments of soulful smoothness are contrasted with explosive fits of gritty power and pizzazz in rapid succession while never sacrificing that needed sense of structure and accessibility that defines the hard rock genre.

Whether it is raging, mid-paced modern groove machines with an anvil-like heavy edge like “Just Business” and “Mind Eraser” that see Lynch’s songwriting channeling his underrated songwriting on Dokken’s checkered mid-90s opus “Dysfunctional,” or mystical to outright spacey forays into 60s psychedelic wonderment with a modern twist like “Impatient” and “Wicked Woman”, Carson’s vocal persona adapts accordingly and fits the mood seamlessly.

The songwriting aspect of this collection of banger entries is no less intricate than the dynamic performances of its two masterminds, tastefully anchored by the superb rhythm section of jack-of-all-trades – and recently named Vanden Plas‘s keyboardist – Alessandro Del Vecchio in the 4 strings and keys department (is there something this guy doesn’t excel at?), and Slaughter‘s drummer Jordan Cannata manning the sticks.

Right out the gate, Lynch delivers what can be best described as a high-octane celebration of his glory days with Dokken in “Stranger”, which channels the swift metallic bluster of “Tooth And Nail” and “Till The Living End” with a less than subtle nod to “Dream Warriors” during the verse riff that rivets with the best of them. Busy riffs and flashy lead guitar passages drenched in double kick beats trade blows with a raw vocal performance out of Carson that occasionally reminisces upon Janis Joplin’s pioneering contribution to hard rock history.

The similarly metallic crusher “Run For Your Life” and the up-tempo and crunchy riff monster “Ring Me Around” also showcase a bombastic vocal display coupled with enough guitar heroics to take the listener back a few decades while still having a decidedly modern character. Occasions are naturally made for some nuance, namely via the haunting verse display that occurs in “Devastating Times”, but for the most part, this is a continual succession of anthems where the decibel level is pushed to the limit.

When measured against Lynch’s recent musical forays alongside the likes of Stryper’s Michael Sweet, Willie Basse, King’s X’s own Doug Pinnick in KXM, let alone the rock scene at large over the past decade; “Garden Of Earthly Delights” comes out standing pretty tall. Those who normally go for the overt retro rock stylings of Greta Van Fleet and Rival Sons will find plenty of old-school bluesy goodness between George’s flashy guitar high-jinks and Casandra’s soulful wails, but overall this is an album that is pretty consistently geared towards the sort of modern, female-fronted rock splendor that is regularly associated with Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless.

One could argue that perhaps is not quite on the same level as the certified classics that featured Lynch’s signature licks under the Dokken moniker during the 80s – as it plays things a little safer than the first two Lynch Mob albums – but at the age of 70 this classic rock staple and his trusty six-string master shows zero signs of slowing down, and matches the youthful exuberance of his vocalist counterpart, culminating in a very solid slab of hard rock that brings some needed credibility to the 2020s years.

Released By: Frontiers Music SLR
Release Date: October 25th, 2024
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock / Modern Rock

Musicians:

• Casandra Carson / Vocals
• George Lynch / Guitar
• Alessandro Del Vecchio / Keyboards and Bass
• Jordan Cannata / Drums

“Garden Of Earthly Delights” 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. Run for Your Life
10. Wicked Woman
11. Kneel Before You

Order “Garden Of Earthly Delights” HERE