Without even listening to the music, Crossing Rubicon’s debut album, Perfect Storm, comes off as one of those obscure late 90s/early 2000s AOR releases that you’d shockingly stumble across at your local Goodwill store. A vague yet retro sounding name? Check. A cover depicting geological landforms? Check. A project that sees two veteran musicians of the scene coming together to celebrate their love of all things melodic and rocking? Check and check. “How on earth can this NOT slap?”, I asked myself, eager to crank the album on my work computer.
In case you haven’t figure out by now, Crossing Rubicon isn’t so much a proper band as much as it’s a collaboration between current Babys vocalist John Bisaha and former Winger multi-instrumentalist Cenk Eroglu. And let’s not kid ourselves: Crossing Rubicon rolls off the tongue better than Bisaha & Eroglu. While the pronunciation of their last names is hard, it’s easy to tell melodic rock holds a special spot in their heart. Yet despite all the AOR releases that come my way (and there’s A LOT), there’s something about Perfect Storm that so exquisitely combines the finest qualities of AOR into one, more so than the rest.
In terms of instrumentation, arrangement, and production, if you played this for me blindly, I never would’ve believed it came out in 2022. The opening title track sets the tone for this retro celebration, with its hard driving riffs, classic synths, and powerful vocals that never crossover into the grandiose. The gripping AOR of “Reason to Die” and unapologetic arena rock of “On the Run” channel the glory days of Night Ranger and Survivor, while cuts like the passionate “Too Late” and dreamy “100 Thousand Years” would fit in on Foreigner’s iconic 4 (1981).
Not ones to settle for predictability, Crossing Rubicon are sure to throw in a few curveballs without drastically deviating from course. The moody “Scar” boasts a brooding atmosphere and tinges of electronica, making for an invigorating listen. “Get Away” and “Crash & Burn” are the obligatory adult contemporary forays, while the metallic muscle of “Cry Me a River” is a headbanger’s delight, chock full of Priest-esque riffing. Closing this affair out is the pseudo-prog stylings of “Time (Without You)”. I’m not sure if it’s the vocal delivery, guitar playing, or a little bit of both, but this one sounds distinctly like Queensrÿche gone AOR AKA Empire (1991).
It isn’t often that AOR releases of this nature (musician friend A having fun with musician friend B) boast such substance. It’s clear that Bisaha & Eroglu didn’t phone in this release, making sure every last musical morsel was fit for consumption in the process. I also never imagined the day would come when a fly by night Frontiers project would grab me more than a new Journey album, but “here we stand” (you know you just sang that last line). I better end this review now so to avoid making another Journey pun before “the lights go down in the city”. DAMMIT!
8 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: AOR
For fans of: Survivor, Night Ranger, Foreigner