Issa: Crossfire of Melodic Rock and Huge AOR Hits

Isabell Oversveen (Issa) is really something!!In the fourth solo album by the Italian label Frontiers, the norwegian singer Issa, show to us that she is undoubtedly one of the great voices of the Melodic Rock/AOR current, and i say without fear if she appeared at the height of style in the 80s, where groups like Journey, Toto, Heart, Survivor, Asia and other dominated radio and did sold-out gigs in stadiums, would certainly had a success compared to that names. We Cannot say that nowadays the style does not have a large number of loyal followers, because we have a lot of great new bands and artists, and some of the great names still releasing very good albums (Toto, for an example, will release the new one in march), and we have labels like the Frontiers Records, the most important label of Hard Rock/Melodic Rock nowadays, and even without support from the mainstream media, grows a lot through the years, but at the height 80's would be a much greater impact, it would be.
(Read Here Exclusive and very pleasant Interview with ISSA)

Well, Issa already has a large number of admirers, and not for nothing that she is in her fourth work for the label. With a great voice and a talent, with vocal performances full of emotion and feeling, plus the ease and the reach that the Melodic Rock style needs. Always together with a team of great musicians and high-level co-composers, this Norwegian singer causes chills on your audience, whether in vocalizations in high tones, soft ballads or simply creating beautiful vocal melodies. Always very well assisted by an excellent team around her and one high level production ( in this album by John Greatwood and James Martin), which gives all the necessary pomp and politeness that the style needs. And if that was not enough, "Crossfire" also has several other guests such as Steve Overland FM), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline) and Robert Sall (Work of Art), bringing even more "shine" to the album.

In "Crossfire" the listener really faced in a "crossfire" of big choruses and melodies, that is, something that fans of the singer are already finn since the Issa's first album, maybe the difference of "Crossfire" from the previous ones, is that the compositions are further directed to Melodic Rock, presenting even at times an accent "pop", similar, for an example, the Swedish duo Roxette (including, Issa cites Marie Fredriksson as one of her inspirations).

In the title track, which also was chosen as disclosure clip (in fact, Issa said to us that it was difficult to choose the music for the video, because she was really pleased with the whole album), is a Melodic Rock with everything that the Melodic Rock fans want: fantastic keyboards, delicious melodies, irresistible choruses and beautiful guitar solo, plus of course, the wonderful vocals, here in very high tones, really chilling! Instantly, the chorus is already in your head; "New Horizon" is softer, with pop pinches, but that contrast with more Hard Rock riffs and great melodies on synthesizers; the third track, "Raintown" is a "power ballad" where Issa sings in duet with Steve Overland (FM), climatic and emotional, instantaneous hit!

It's it hit after hit, then, i wish to review track by track, but I will try to quote some of the highlights of this wonderful piece of melodic rock called "Crossfire". How to resist to another great ballad like "Fight Fire With Rain"? with great melodies and more amazing vocals! and about the Hard/Pop piece "Heartbeat"? which is strongly reminiscent of the Swedish duo Roxette quoted, also owns those refrain fixing immediately in our heads, when you least realize is already humming the melody and the chorus ... "Ooooh oooh, missing your heartbeat !!". Highlight, I had to put on repeat! And what about the catchies keyboards and choruses of "Red Lights"? And the beauty of "Only You", where Issa again shows her vocal range and feeling, penetrating deep into our ears.

As I said before, hard to pick highlights, face the quality of all the songs, a roundup of 12 Melodic Rock "anthems", which had already been written some time ago, as the previous album, "Can't Stop" (2012), was a album of versions, so Issa and her "team" had a good time to reward us with excellent unrealeased songs. In short, a perfect album of melodic rock, filled with irresistible melodies, big choruses and choirs and the wonderful voice of Issa, which shows once again that is one of the great singers of the current Melodic Rock.

Text / Editing: Carlos Garcia

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Produced by John Greatwood and James Martin
Label: Frontiers Records

Issa - vocals and backing vocals

James Martin – Keyboards

Tom Martin – bass and Guitars

Michael Cruise – Drums

Guests

Steve Overland – duet on Raintown

Alessandro Del Vecchio

Steve Newman

Robert Sall

Daniel Palmqvist

Michael Kew

Daniel Johansson

Tracklisting:

Crossfire

New Horizon

Raintown

Long Time Coming

Fight Fire With Rain

Heartbeat

Electric Lights

Ghost

Inside My Heart

Red Lights

We Rise

Only You.