- -- Release information ----------------------------------------------- -- -
Artist : Issa
Album : Crossfire
Genre : Hard Rock
Year : 2015
Label : Frontiers Records
Cat# : FRCD679
Source : CDDA
Bitrate : avg. 264kbps
Size : 87,86 MB
Runtime : 46:18
URL : https://www.facebook.com/issasite
- -- Tracklist -------------------------------------------------------- -- -
01. Crossfire 03:28
02. New Horizon 05:32
03. Raintown 04:16
04. Long Time Coming 04:25
05. Fight Fire With Rain 03:52
06. Heartbeat 04:16
07. Electric Lights 03:44
08. Ghost Inside My Heart 03:57
09. Red Lights 03:48
10. We Rise 04:02
11. Only You 04:58
- -- Release notes ---------------------------------------------------- -- -
Fans of female fronted Melodic/AOR Rock rejoice! Norwegian
singer Issa is back with her latest studio release entitled
Crossfire, and it is packed with enough energy to please even
the most jaded listener, and surprise even her most devoted
fans. Cut from the same basic cloth as her earlier releases,
Issa's Crossfire blends radio friendly Melodic Metal with
tinges of '80s hair metal and wraps it in a nicely produced,
pleasant to hear package.
This is Issa's fourth studio release, and she is joined by
long time collaborators James Martin (keyboards) and Tom
Martin (bass, guitars), ably backed by drummer Michael Cruise.
Although Issa has built a very strong band around her voice,
one of the true highlights of Crossfire is the duet she
performs with FM's Steve Overland on "Raintown." A number of
other veteran guests appear on the album, indicating the
support Issa has earned not only from Frontiers Records, but
from the entire European rock community as well. Through it
all one constant remains - the listener can tell that Issa
loves to sing, and that sense of joy is obvious throughout the
album.
"Crossfire" is an incurably upbeat pop-rocker with a strong
vocal line and solid performances from the entire band. The
energy level is set high, and the balance of the album
delivers. "New Horizon" is a highly polished and smooth modern
rocker with a great guitar solo. "Raintown" is truly an
amazing duet ballad - Issa goes toe-to-toe with the near-
legendary Steve Overland and both leave everything on the
table in a too-close-to-call contest. "Long Time Coming" is
more synth heavy tune with big riffs and a solid bass line. It
keeps Issa at the top end of her vocal range both in tone and
power, and at times she sounds a bit like the always powerful
Robin Beck.
The power gets turned way down on the keyboard driven ballad
"Fight Fire With Rain," but Issa is able to display her full
range and emotional depth - a true vocal expo. "Heartbeat" is
a driving up tempo rocker with some slick guitar work and a
massive chorus. "Electric Lights" has a very modern sound with
nicely done layers of vocals over a strong keyboard line - a
somewhat different sound from the balance of the album, but
very effective. "Ghost Inside My Heart" has a real late-80s
vibe to it, albeit with many modern flourishes. One could
easily imagine it being done by Vixen or Heart note for note.
Strong keys, bouncy bass, and kicky guitars make "Red Lights"
a sticky sweet pop-rocker with a surprisingly edgy guitar
solo. "We Rise" is another '80s-style piece with a fluid vocal
line and nicely performed guitars and drums. The backing
vocals on this track are extremely well done, producing a very
full sound to the bridge and chorus. The crisp and simple
"Only You" closes the album in fine style. A lively vocal line
tiptoes over clockwork drums and pointy keyboards, and a very
"metal" guitar bridge and solo changes it up just enough that
it become one of the more memorable songs on the CD.
Overall, Issa's Crossfire is probably her strongest effort to
date. Issa has matured significantly as both a singer and a
songwriter since her debut, but she has lost none of her fire
and enthusiasm. Fans of melodic metal, AOR, or female fronted
rock will definitely enjoy this one. Upbeat, up tempo, and
even uplifting, Crossfire is a nicely packaged, radio friendly
release. Strong vocals, good songwriting, excellent
musicianship, and good production combine to make this a fine
album that should have broad appeal. Issa's Crossfire is
highly recommended!
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