Over the past few years, Whitecross has garnered the reputation of being a band that is uncompromising in its approach to the preaching of the Gospel. Their treks over to Europe and even Central America and now its affiliation with the youth outreach organization Teen Mania, proves that these guys mean business and that they aren't about to change anything when it comes to reaching out to those who need the message most. To an unfortunate degree, their latest album High Gear also reflects this sentiment with regard to artistic creativity.
Let's take, for example, songwriting. Hard rock/heavy metal is somewhat a limited medium in which to attempt broadening horizons, yet such visionaries as Bride, Rez, and even Petra have reached deep inside and reinvented their sound and have been able to assume new heights in artistic integrity.
Whitecross, on the other hand, continues to produce assembly line, four-four riffs and metered rhyme that differ very little from song to song or for that matter, album to album. The title track is a prime example of this stagnation. Singing to a tune not all that different from Motley Crue's "Dr. Feelgood," vocalist Scott Wenzel belts out "Here we are rockin' tonight/Havin' fun, flyin' high as a kite/Feelin' good, got the joy inside/We're liftin' up Jesus, we got nothin' to hide...Gotta' get in high gear/You're gonna reap just what you sow." There certainly is truth in what is said here, but haven't we all heard this before in other Whitecross staples like "No Way I'm Goin' Down" or "Good Enough?"
If you're tired of the Scott Wenzel/Steve Pearcy (Ratt) vocal comparisons, try this new one on for size; on ballads Wenzel sounds like Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon. And there certainly are plenty of ballads on this release that bear this out (4-1/2 in all). "In America," which is part two of the last album's "In The Kingdom" in content and music, is a good example. But even more noteworthy of this comparison is "I'm Askin' You Today," a song about the timeliness of God's salvation, which by the way, has a lovely cello and oboe accompaniment. Other than this twinkle of innovation, however, the album lacks any real ground-breaking strides.
Even the lead playing of guitar virtuoso Rex Carroll is run of the mill when compared to the high standards he has set on other albums. While the customary guitar track he presents on each release (in this case, "Overdrive") fails due to the sound effect overdubs of jack hammers and other machinery, he redeems himself during the bridge of "Dancin' In Heaven" with some tasty arpeggio licks in synchronization with Scott's singing. Throughout the rest of the album, though, it's just a rehash of his previous work.
Contrary to popular belief, reviewers hate to have to be critical of artistic expression, especially in the case with a band like Whitecross whose desire to truly touch and change people's lives is so overwhelmingly evident. But the fact is, unless you're a really big Whitecross fan, you'll find that High Gear's stick shift is stuck in neutral.
3/5
Other coverage for this album
Heaven's Metal #39Reviewed by Doug Van PeltIf you're like me, you've paid close attention to this band since its debut album in 1988. Have you also wondered, since its disappointing "In the Kingdom" album last year, "Just how commercial are these guys gonna get?" The good news is that this album is an improvement over last year's Dove Award winner. The title cut has that familiar Whitecross sound: nice cutting guitar lines over very hooky…