CASANDRA’S CROSSING – Garden of Earthly Delights

Casandra’s Crossing is the latest collaboration between ‘80s hard rock guitar legend George Lynch and powerhouse vocalist Casandra Carson. While the former already made his mark in the rock ‘n’ roll world thanks to his contributions to Dokken and Lynch Mob, the latter is working her way up to the big leagues with her strong work ethic and current band Paralandra, a hard rock group that was founded in 2013. Paralandra actually released a new studio album, The Body Electric (2024), this past April through Legend Recordings, cementing her hard work ethic even further. For a genre mostly dominated by male vocalists, it’s refreshing to see a female singer with a siren prowess like Carson break down the barriers on her own terms. The album by Casandra’s Crossing is called Garden of Earthly Delights (2024) and it’s already available to stream, purchase, or however people consume their music these days.

A Rock ‘n’ Roll Duo That Works Well

What’s great about Casandra’s Crossing is that the songs aren’t happy, bubblegum melodic rock. With Lynch’s insane riffage and Carson’s jaw-dropping vocals, there’s some intense stuff on this record! It ain’t all rainbows and sunshine, that’s for sure. The opening track, “Stranger,” perfectly showcases Lynch and Carson’s talents at their finest; it’s a barnstormer with blazing riffs and monstrous drumming. The bass line on “Impatient” is dark and moody, and it really sets the tone for the song. Props to bassist and keyboardist Alessandro Del Vecchio for that. “Closer to Heaven” has commercial charm with its melody, pounding drums, and stadium rock vibes.

“Devastating Times” is the album’s power ballad, but it’s not really a power ballad, if that makes sense? It’s got a memorable chorus, melodic hooks, and it would be perfect for MTV (back in its heyday, of course). Carson’s effortless growls come into play for “Just Business,” which is a beast of a track with its ferociousness and attitude. “Wicked Woman” has a great groove and it’s funky. Nice backing vocals, powerful riffage, and again, lots of attitude. “Kneel Before You” is dark and atmospheric, a little doomy, and the guitar riff is excellent.

Final Assessment

The musicianship on the Garden of Earthly Delights album is worth praising. Though Lynch’s guitar playing can be wild and over-the-top sometimes (video game shredding), when he tones it down a little and lets the melody do the talking, that’s when he shines the most. Drummer Jordan Cannata poured his heart and soul into his drum parts, and the results gave Lynch competition for being the wildest musician of the bunch. The production gave modern, atmospheric, and tropical vibes that perfectly match the album cover (and album title, for the matter). The songs are memorable and some of the lyrics are really clever. It’s hard to judge a collaboration based on one album, but Lynch and Carson are off to a fine start. For those with the time and curiosity, give Garden of Earthly Delights, the brand new album by Casandra’s Crossing, a chance!

Album Tracklist

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

Band Lineup

Casandra Carson – lead vocals
George Lynch – guitars
Alessandro Del Vecchio – keyboards and bass guitar
Jordan Cannata – drums