The mission for the metal thrash band Whitecross, since their humble beginnings as a Waukegan band in 1985, is “to seek to fulfill God’s calling on their lives to use their music to spread the word around the world.” Through those efforts, they have travelled the world, pulled down three Dove Awards and garnered a “Metal Album of the Year” honor.
The band first formed in 1985 preaching their heavy metal version of God’s word full of fast shredding guitar from Rex Carroll and solid lead vocals from Scott Wenzel, the two being the foundation of the band. Their debut self-titled album in 1987 set the tone for what to expect from Whitecross. It was a period where alternative Christian music was coming to the forefront on consumer tastes. By 1990, Whitecross was leading the way, pulling down three Dove Awards (the Christian music equivalent of a Grammy) for their album Triumphant Return, with the follow up In the Kingdom named “Metal Album of the Year.”
By 1994 Wenzel and Carroll’s paths were diverging. Just before heading into the studio to work on their next album, Carroll left to form the band King James with former Stryper members Robert Sweet and Tim Gaines. Over the next few years Carroll would work with Fierce Heart, Eden, and his own Rex Carroll Band. Meanwhile Wenzel would regroup and continue with Whitecross, finishing four more albums between 1994-98 as well as two solo projects. Wenzel then took a two-year hiatus to do mission work in Paraguay putting Whitecross on the shelf.
Wenzel and Carroll re-united in 2000, re-emerging at the Cornerstone Festival. As the band settled back into a stable lineup with original drummer Michael Feighan and new bass player Benny Ramos, they headed back into the studio in 2005. That project – Nineteen Eighty Seven – drew back to updated re-recordings of material mostly from their self-titled debut. Then in 2017 Carroll and Feighan joined with David Bach and Jamie Rowe of Guardian to record Revival, a new compilation of both Whitecross and Guardian tracks. Wenzel announced his retirement in 2008, again returning shortly thereafter.
The band reached another fork in the road in 2019. As noted on the group’s Facebook page, “After 34 years together, the band was at a crossroads. Different goals, different personalities, and different directions finally called for a parting of the ways between Rex and Scott.” This time, it was Wenzel who was out. Stating that their musical direction, “to honor God through great melodic hard rock music and reach a desperate world with a message of good news through faith in Jesus Christ,” Whitecross is continuing under Carroll’s direction.
“Out of a tremendous respect for the history of the band and Scott Wenzel’s enormous contributions, the unanimous agreement of the band is to honor the Whitecross legacy by referring to the new version a little differently. Therefore, the new band lineup will be referred to as –
Whitecross 2.0.” That honor appears to be short-lived as here in 2022 their tour dates are being promoted simply as Whitecross with Dave Roberts as their new vocalist. (www.facebook.com/Whitecrossmusic).
Discography
WHITECROSS
1987 Whitecross (Pure Metal 7900601937)
1988 Love on the Line (Pure Metal 7900603263)
1988 Hammer & Nail (Pure Metal 7900603697)
1989 Triumphant Return (Pure Metal 7900601964)
1991 In the Kingdom (Star Song 8183)
1992 High Gear (Star Song 8249)
1994 Unveiled (R.E.X. Music 41009)
1995 Equilibrium (R.E.X. Music 41022)
1996 Flytrap (R.E.X. Music 5241)
1998 One More Encore (R.E.X. Music 5141613592)
2005 Nineteen Eighty Seven (Girder GR 1001)
SCOTT WENZEL
1993 Heart Like Thunder (Word Entertainment 7011504028)
1995 Film at Eleven (Word Entertainment 7011517022)
REX CARROLL
1994 King James – King James (Star Song 1006)
1995 The Sessions (Star Song 20056)
1995 Fierce Heart – Fierce Heart (Mirage 90235)
1997 King James – The Fall (Kalubone 366711009)
2000 Inferno (Burning Rock Aggression) (Gravity GV 1017)
2001 Adrenaline (Energetic Athletic Action) (Gravity GV 1022)
2010 Rex Carroll Band – That Was Then, This Is Now (Retroactive RAR 7899)
2011 Rex Carroll and the Bleed – Take Back a Life (Retroactive RAR 7910)
2013 King James – MaXimus (Madison Line 05073)
2020 Fierce Heart – War for the World (Dark Star 0261)