Whitecross (band)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (October 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Whitecross
Whitecross in 2013
Background information
Origin	Waukegan, Illinois, US
Genres	Heavy metal, Christian metal, hard rock
Years active	1985–present
Labels	Pure Metal, Star Song
Members	Scott Wenzel Rex Carroll Michael Feighan Benny Ramos

Whitecross is an American Christian metal band from Illinois, formed in 1985 by singer Scott Wenzel and guitarist Rex Carroll, and re-formed in 2000. The band won three Dove Awards in the 1990s.

History[]

Whitecross formed in 1985 in Waukegan, Illinois, releasing their first recording in 1987. Their early albums, which often invite comparisons to Ratt, are laced with fast, technical guitar work. In 1994, Rex Carroll split with lead vocalist Scott Wenzel. Wenzel retained the use of the name "Whitecross" while Carroll went on to form King James with Jimi Bennett (see below). At this point the band's sound underwent a drastic change.

Whitecross has won three Dove Awards with Triumphant Return (in 1990) and In the Kingdom (in 1992) winning "Metal Album of the Year"^[1] and Come unto the Light from the Unveiled album winning "Hard Music Recorded Song of the Year" at the 25th GMA Dove Awards in 1994.^[2]

In 1994 prior to work starting on the Unveiled album, guitarist Rex Carroll left to form the band King James and pursue other musical ventures. In 1998, singer Scott Wenzel took a two-year break to do mission work in Paraguay, South America. During this time, Whitecross went on hiatus before re-emerging at Cornerstone Festival in 2000 when Carroll and Wenzel re-formed the band with Carroll, Wenzel, Michael Feighan and newcomer Benny Ramos providing bass, keyboards and vocals. Finally having achieved a long-sought lineup stability, the band started performing on a regular basis.

In 2005, the band went back into the studio to record Nineteen Eighty Seven, which featured re-recordings of nine of the ten songs from the band's self-titled debut album (You're Mine being the exclusion), as well as a re-recording of the song Love on the Line (previously unavailable on CD) and a new guitar instrumental by Rex Carroll.

On April 5, 2008, they played at the festival in Ennepetal, Germany. Beginning in July 2008, they played the first of several short tours in Guatemala featuring shows in Guatemala City, Panajachel, Huehuetenango and other cities.^{[citation needed]}

In 2017, Carroll and Feighan joined with David Bach and Jamie Rowe of Guardian to record Revival, a new compilation of Whitecross and Guardian tracks and went on a short tour to promote the project. ^[3]

Albums[]

With Rex Carroll[]

Album	Year
Whitecross	1987
Love on the Line (EP)	1988
Hammer & Nail	1988
Triumphant Return	1989
In the Kingdom	1991
High Gear	1992
Nineteen Eighty Seven	2005

Without Rex Carroll[]

Album	Year
Unveiled	1994
Equilibrium	1995
Flytrap	1996
Unveiled (re-issue)	2005

Compilations[]

Album	Year
At Their Best	1991
To the Limit	1993
By Demand	1995
One More Encore	1998
Mega 3 Collection	2005
The Very Best of Whitecross	2006
Their Classic Hits	2009

Videos[]

• The Reign Goes On - 45 minute VHS, 1992 Star Song Communications (extremely rare)

Members of Whitecross[]

Current

• Scott Wenzel – lead vocals (1985–present)
• Rex Carroll – guitar, vocals (1985–1993, 2000–present)
• Michael Feighan – drums, vocals (1991–1995, 2000–present)
• Benny Ramos – bass guitar, vocals (2000–present)

Former

Guitars

• Barry Graul (MercyMe) (1994–1995)
• Quinton Gibson (1996)

Drums

• Mark Hedl (1987–1988)
• Mike Elliott (1989)
• Troy Stone (1996)

bass guitar

• Jon Sproule (1987–1988)
• Rick Armstrong (1989)
• Butch Dillon (1991)
• Scott Harper (1992–1993)
• Tracy Ferrie (1994–1995)
• Brent Denny (1996)

	Whitecross	Hammer & Nail	Triumphant Return	In the Kingdom	High Gear	Unveiled	Equilibrium	Flytrap	Nineteen Eighty Seven
Vocals	Scott Wenzel
Guitars	Rex Carroll					Barry Graul		Quinton Gibson	Rex Carroll
Drums	Mark Hedl		Mike Elliott	Mike Feighan				Troy Stone	Mike Feighan
Bass	Jon Sproule		Rick Armstrong	Butch Dillon	Scott Harper	Tracy Ferrie		Brent Denny	Rex Carroll

See also[]

• Contemporary Christian music
• Glam metal
• Heavy metal

References[]

• Powell, Mark Allan (2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music (First printing ed.). Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 1030–1033. ISBN 1-56563-679-1.