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WHITECROSS
"Hammer and Nail" (Star Song;
1992)
Reviewed by Jeff Rogers
With so much music out there, you would have to be plugged into
so many outlets to hear it all that an overload would be inevitable. Now I don’t want to contribute to your demise,
but word of mouth is the best network I have found when looking for new and old music.
Whitecross were formed in Chicago, 1986. They are part of the Christian Metal that came out to rival the secular music that was fueled by big companies who
offered no less than up to a thousand bands who sounded alike and the only thing that set them apart was their marketing.
Christian music did the same thing for a while. They offered up a few bands that could switch lead singers with
any of the secular bands and you wouldn’t know the difference. For example, Scott Wenzel
of Whitecross sounds a lot like the vocal style of Ratt. If you didn’t know any better,
you'd think that Steven Pearcy was belting out the tunes on this disc ... and
I'm not exaggerrating. The guitar is all over the place: the rhythms, the solos and the sound are pure
90s and Rex Carroll can trade licks with the best of the best. He has that guitar swagger that makes your ears perk up when you hear his sound.
There is an instrumental on this album that was supposedly written to match Eddie Van Halen’s
“Eruption.” Now, I don’t know the true story here but there weren’t many who would
challenge Eddie Van Halen in his heyday. The instrumental is much like “Eruption” and I’m going to have to challenge you to give it a listen and let me
know what you think (now take in mind this was written a few years later).
The best cuts are “Living On The Edge,” “Take It To The Limit,” and “Resist Him.”
Whitecross: Scott Wenzel – vocals; Rex Carroll – guitars; Mark Hedl – drums; Jon Sproule – bass.
For more information, check out http://www.whitecrossmusic.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
04 Dec 2023 22:19:33 -0500.
