Whitecrosss - "Nineteen Eighty-Seven (Gold Edition)

Whitecross - Nineteen Eighty-Seven (Gold Edition)
2005/2015, Retroactive

1. Who Will You Follow?
2. Enough is Enough
3. He Is the Rock
4. Lookin' For a Reason
5. No Way I'm Coming Down
6. Seein' Is Believin'
7. All I Need
8. Nagasake
9. Signs of the End
10. Love on the Line
11. Re: Animate
Bonus Track:
12. Angel's Wing

I never purchased or listened to Whitecross's debut album back in the day. I don't know why. I guess I figured I had Triumphant Return and In the Kingdom so I didn't need anything else. I didn't even get it the second time it came out in 2005 - newly rerecorded with beefier and more modern production. Chalk it up to my wanting to archive things I finally picked up the Gold Edition of Nineteen Eighty-Seven. I am a little disappointed in myself that I waited so long to pick this up. There's nothing like listening to a shredder like Rex Carroll - a man wholly at one with his instrument. He is a true virtuoso that will probably never be widely recognized as a guitar hero because of his "Christian" status. Have I said that before? I feel like I said that before. It doesn't matter, though, because it bares repeating. The more modern production of the rerecording only helps highlight Carroll's considerable chops. I do kind of wish the Gold Edition came with some lyrics or liner notes or something. Also, I'm not wild about this move over to cardboard sleeves for everything. I know it's cheaper...but I like my stuff to have some weight, y'know?

Useless Fact: There are some outtakes at the end of the CD which are interesting once. There's also "Scott's Rant" which is basically telling people they shouldn't be looking for the devil, they should be looking for God. This was back when people were really upset about backward masking (that's when you have a vinyl record and you purposely spin it backward and it makes weird noises, kids). I can't remember if that message was actually on the debut album as a real backward message or what. Still a good point, I feel, in this day and age when a lot of Christians are busy looking for the devil in everything up to and including Pokemon Go.

Whitecross - "Hammer and Nail"

Whitecross - Hammer and Nail
1988, Pure Metal

1. Living on the Edge
2. When the Walls Tumble Down
3. The Hammer and the Nail
4. Take it to the Limit
5. Walk With Me
6. Because of Jesus
7. When the Clock Strikes
8. Resist Him
9. Living in a Lost World
10. Top of the World

Ah, yes... Whitecross. I sure do loves me some classic Whitecross. When fans talk about their favorite Whitecross album they usually mention Triumphant Return or this one. While I generally prefer the former I can't blame anyone for loving Hammer and Nail. This is pure, slick LA Glam metal that totally rocks the house. Rex Carroll's guitar is a delight to the ears no matter how you cut it. Most of the songs have a mid-groove swagger about them. I admit that "Walk With Me" is not my favorite ballad from these guys, but hey, can't win 'em all, right? This disc is out of print and pretty hard to find these days. I scored mine at a little used CD shop while on vacation in my hometown.

Useless Fact: I have no fact for this record.

Whitecross - "In the Kingdom"

Whitecross - In the Kingdom
1991, Starsong

1. No Second Chances
2. We Know What's Right
3. In the Kingdom
4. In His Hands
5. Good Enough
6. Love is Our Weapon
7. The Eternal Fire
8. You Will Find It There
9. If He Goes Before Me
10. Tell Me the Time
11. Holy War

Um... yeah... thanks Starsong for ruining a great metal band. This disc is an attempt to reach a broader audience by writing boring ballads and rap songs. Ick. There are several good Whitecross songs here like "No Second Chances" and "Good Enough" but there's also a lot of crap too. Naturally this was the band's biggest album and won them a Dove award for best metal album (even though it's not metal - but the Dove awards are chosen by monkeys so that's probably why). I absolutely need the skip button handy when I listen to this album. I should also mention the abysmal "Holy War" which is a rap/rock mash-up with Starsong artists D.O.C. It sucks out loud. I literally sounds like two different songs cut and pasted together. I don't even think Whitecross and D.O.C. were in the same studio to make this song. Ugh... and it doesn't get any better from here.

Useless Fact: Like I said... High Gear was boring an uninspired. Rex Carrol left the band and they got even suckier after that eventually moving into alt-rock and grunge.

Whitecross - "Triumphant Return"

Whitecross - Triumphant Return

1989, Pure Metal

1. Attention Please

2. Red Light

3. Straight Thru the Heart

4. Down

5. Behold

6. Shakedown

7. Flashpoint (Instrumental)

8. Simple Man

9. Over the Top

10. Heaven's Calling Tonight

When my cousin first heard these guys she was really, really excited. She called me up and said, "These guys sound just like Metallica." She only said that because at the time Metallica was my favorite band. They don't sound anything like Metallica, they sound like Ratt. If Ratt had a master guitar player and better songwriting. There's a reason why you've only heard one Ratt song, people! But enough about them, Triumphant Return is an awesome album that represents the very best of what the L.A. glam metal scene had to offer. Rex Carrol's guitar is simply unbelievable - you just have to hear it. Tight and precise, lighting up the songs with riffs and fills and glorious face-melting leads. This album is just about as close to perfect as you can get I think and definitely the high water mark for this legendary band.

Useless Fact: I heard once that Rex Carrol does the vocals for "Simple Man" but it sounds like Scott Wenzel to me.