Make no mistake, this new release by Whitecross qualifies as a comeback attempt. All of the ingredients are here: new members, new record label, and, most of all, a couple of disappointing (even, at times, boring) records in dire need of a rebound. Unlike many, Whitecross has much to rebound to. Namely, its status as one of Christian metal's most successful bands. But, with the departure of crowd favorite Rex Carroll, who no doubt inspired a generation of bedroom air guitarists, vocalist Scott Wenzel and company have their work cut out for them.
To go hand-in-hand with the new aspects of Unveiled seems to be a decided change in approach. While all the Whitecross albums previously were basically of the Scott, Rex and Two-Revolving-Musicians theory of making the most of individual talents, Unveiled is the first record that sounds like a band. As in four guys settling into a groove, complementing each other's strengths and filling in for weaknesses - not just a great guitar lick, an outstanding vocal take and...well, um...you get the picture. Wenzel has definitely matured in this area, as he sounds more controlled - and in control - than ever before, all while regaining a vocal bite that had been MIA for a several few years. Unveiled is undoubtedly Wenzel's finest performance to date; subtlety is indeed a wonderful thing.
The songs themselves range from fantastic to mediocre. "Salt City" and "Home in Heaven" are both driving, powerhouse rockers cut from the same cloth as recent Bride - where the band is a unit and the ending comes too quickly. "Come Into The Light," though, never reaches the elusive "click point," and fizzles out soon after it starts. "Angel's Disguise" shows some lyrical depth, urging the listener to look beyond the clothing and appearance and into the heart of people, as God does. "King of Angels," though, smells like the calculation of In The High Kingdom Gear. Is it just me, or does Whitecross have more crowd-participation numbers than a "Wave your hands in the air like you just don't care" rap posse?
When Unveiled scores, it can be traced back to substance. "Goodbye Cruel World" is a mid-tempo 70's jam that drips of Led Zeppelin, and it's here more than any other where Whitecross sounds like a gritty, blue-collar band playing for its life. For all we know, it may be.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Brian A. SmithHair metal returns with the re-release of Unveiled, one in a series of reissues from Retroactive Records. Scott Wenzel and company sound really dated here, but the disc is a fine example of the style of the day -- big guitar solos, pounding drums, chanted choruses, and the like. Two demos from the original session that got Whitecross signed are added as bonus tracks. "If You Believe" is standard…The Lighthouse October 1994Reviewed by Rob SzarkaLet's get this right out in the open: Whitecross' Unveiled, like so many Christian albums, is an album full of derivative and unexceptional tunes. There is nothing here that hasn't been done at least as well elsewhere. Having said that, Unveiled does have its modest charms. While most songs are reminiscent-sometimes uncannily so-of earlier tunes from AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, or the like,…Syndicate Aug 1994Reviewed by Arsenio OrtezaChristians who number the Vince Neil-era Motley Crue among their guilty pleasures will find in Whitecross's "new" sound an acceptable substitute. Scott Wenzel still sings like Neil, and, if anything, the production of Jimmy Lee Sloas (who's produced such un-Crue-like acts as the Imperials and PFR) enhances, rather than smoothes out, the band's metallic contours. Between crunchy nuggets like "Salt…More from Whitecross
1996Flytrap
1992High Gear
1991In the Kingdom
1992The Reign Goes On (Video)
1989Triumphant Return
1995Equilibrium
