Frontiers Music project CROSSING RUBICON features former members of THE BABYS and WINGER, to name a couple. There are also several well-known guest musicians on the album, and it has been getting some good press. A word of caution, however. Of the hundreds of these projects by Frontiers Music, some of them just don't quite measure up. For AOR, it's all about the chorus. Can they make something memorable? We will see. So, let's dive into this AOR beauty and give it a listen.

The title track is the first cut. The verses are fairly flat, and the riffs pretty average, and I am waiting for that big moment in the chorus, but it never comes. The vocals are decent...not great. "Reason to Die" begins with a little more promise, but it too falters in the chorus. The bridge is probably the worst part...it's just so flat. The guitar solo is pretty well done, but it's not enough to save the song from mediocrity. "Scar" is more of a Power Ballad of sorts...remember those? Although, the power is not very active and energetic. They have got to find a way to lift these songs up.

"On the Run" opens with crowd noise...is this a live track, or a reproduction of one? It begins with a loud and high scream. There are some harmonies in the chorus, and the band is beginning to detail what it needs for successful songwriting. "100 Thousand Years" features some subtle keys and vocal harmonies. The chorus is pretty memorable here, and the vocalist delivers a much better performance. This is what I have been waiting for on the album...a song with punch. "Cry Me a River" has a more energetic sound from a raucous riff. The lyrics are a bit predictable however and the chorus is just OK. The guitar solo is smoking though. "Get Away" is a Power Ballad with more substance, but again, it falters at the chorus. Backing vocals are what is desperately needed here.

"Crash_Burn" features Holly Bisaha as a guest. It's a tender song with intelligent songwriting, and I wish there were more of these on the album. "Time (Without you)" closes the album. It's a decent song with a decent chorus, but just not overwhelming. As with a lot of these Frontiers Music projects, the talent of the band is not in question. What is primarily wrong is the lack of substantive songwriting. It's almost as if they hand pick musicians to get together and just think that the magic will develop on its own. But you have to work smart and hard to really create something memorable. Although there are a few winners, this is one album that falls short of the mark.