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.
Star Song Communications is a Christian record label that was started in 1976 by Wayne Donowho, who recruited his friend Darrell Harris. It gained notoriety when it issued Resurrection Band's ground-breaking debut album, Awaiting Your Reply in 1978. Originally, a distribution deal was made with Benson Records. From 1983 until 1986, distribution was done by Word Records. After that, a deal was made with Sparrow Records. Independent distribution was started in 1989, and picked up distribution for ForeFront records and DC Talk in 1991. This distribution was maintained until the sale of the company to EMI, and the launch of Chordant Distribution in 1994.
The Orange County Supertones were a Christian ska band from Orange County, California. The band was signed to Tooth & Nail Records and its imprint, BEC Recordings, before becoming an independent band. The band temporarily disbanded in 2005, though reunited in 2010 to resume touring and recording before permanently disbanding in 2017. The OC Supertones were one of the first widely successful Christian ska bands.
Jon Robert Gibson is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumental musician and record producer. Originally a blue-eyed soul singer, he switched from secular music to contemporary Christian music in the late-1980s.
Guardian is an American Christian hard rock and metal band. The band has released seven studio albums, three additional albums in Spanish, and toured extensively worldwide. There are also numerous compilations, independent releases, live records and bootlegs available.
One Bad Pig is a Christian punk and metal crossover band from Austin, Texas, which formed in 1985. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes them as "quite possibly the most popular hard-punk act ever to arise within the Christian music scene." They were known for their mischief and irreverence on stage, as reflected even in their reunion at Cornerstone in 2000.
Vengeance Rising was an American Christian thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. Fronted by vocalist Roger Martinez, they originally formed as Vengeance in 1987, but changed their name in 1989 to avoid conflict with another band from the Netherlands. Band members Larry Farkas, Doug Thieme, Roger Dale Martin, and Glen Mancaruso left following Once Dead and formed the band Die Happy. Roger Martinez stayed on to record two more studio albums, but aside from him, Vengeance Rising's lineup changed for each subsequent album. While the group was a ground breaking Christian metal band, today Vengeance Rising is known for vocalist Martinez's turning from Christianity to Satanism to atheism. AllMusic describes Vengeance Rising's history as "one of the most entertaining and bizarre stories in the realm of heavy metal."
Bloodgood was an American Christian metal band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1983. By 1988, Bloodgood represented one of the four largest Christian metal bands alongside Barren Cross, Leviticus, and Whitecross.
R.E.X. Records, also known as R.E.X. Music, was an independent record label founded by Doug Mann and Gavin Morkel, which operated from 1987 until running into financial difficulty in 1995. Operations were based in Chicago until 1990 when the company moved to Nashville. The label was artistic in nature, and though they were especially active in the Christian metal genre some acts were also marketed to mainstream audiences. Sublabels included Storyville Records and Street Level Records, founded by Randy Stonehill.
Rex Carroll is an American guitarist known for his work in the Christian metal band Whitecross. He is also the leader and guitarist of other bands including Fierce Heart, King James and the Rex Carroll Band. He also filled in and did all the guitar work on Eden's 1994 album Fan The Flame.
Squad Five-O is an American punk rock band from Savannah, Georgia no longer formally touring or recording, but rather only performing occasional weekend concerts. Like their initial ska-punk stylings, their name was derived from a cross between the television shows Hawaii Five-O and The Mod Squad. Between 1997 and 2006 the band grew lyrically and in popularity, and also shifted its style significantly. Over the course of their career they moved from a small indie Christian label to the major label Capitol Records and released five albums in the process.
Leviticus was a Christian metal band from Sweden. The band formed in 1981 and was led by Bjorn Stigsson. They released four albums before breaking up in 1990.
Shout was an American rock band formed in 1987 by Ken Tamplin. Musically, the band was similar to Journey and Styx, with the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describing them as "more competent than Stryper". Cornerstone magazine wrote that Shout was more straightforward than other Christian metal bands such as Bloodgood. The band garnered a Dove Award after their breakup in 1989.
Sacred Warrior is a Christian heavy metal band formed in 1988 and based in Chicago, Illinois. Their music is often compared to that of Queensrÿche or Iron Maiden.
Mortal was a Christian industrial/dance band fronted by Jerome Fontamillas and Jyro Xhan. Both members went on to found the alternative rock group Fold Zandura, and for a time were members of both bands simultaneously. The band is known for its lyrical intelligence, incorporating advanced theology with what has been billed as "Industrial Praise and Worship." According to CCM Magazine "Mortal has had a much greater influence... on industrial music than its modest output would suggest."
Human Sacrifice is the first studio album by the Christian death and thrash metal band Vengeance Rising. It is the first full-length Christian thrash metal album as it was released in 1988. Though controversial, Human Sacrifice and the following album, Once Dead were huge successes in the world of Christian music, making Vengeance Rising one of the few bands in the genre to cross over into the secular music scene. Dave Caughney of Cross Rhythms magazine wrote in 1990 that this "legendary classic debut [...] breathed much needed freshness into the somewhat stale white metal scene". HM Magazine editor Doug Van Pelt called Human Sacrifice "the most radical Christian album ever released". In 2010, HM ranked Human Sacrifice the best Christian metal album of all time on its Top 100 list because it "tilted the Christian metal world on its ear".
Whitecross is the eponymous debut album from the Christian metal band Whitecross, released on September 5, 1987. It reached No. 17 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Christian Albums chart. In 2010, HM Magazine listed Whitecross No. 29 on its Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time list stating that "listen to this album. It'll blow your mind. It's simplistic '80s metal to a fault, but the shredding lead guitar by Rex Carroll in every fill, nook and cranny is primo." Heaven's Metal fanzine ranked it No. 4 on its Top 100 Christian metal albums of all-time list.
Love on the Line: The 6.98 EP was a $6.98 EP recording from the Christian metal band Whitecross. It was never released on CD; it was only released on cassette tape & 12" vinyl record formats. Tracks 3 and 4 are taken from the Whitecross debut album, while track 1 would later appear on the remake of their debut album Nineteen Eighty Seven. Track 1 can also be found on a few compilations which are available on CD. Track 2 is available on CD as a bonus track on the Japanese version of In the Kingdom. The B-side repeats the four songs from the A-side.
As They Sleep is an American extreme metal band from Detroit, Michigan. They have released two albums and an EP.
Dante Bowe is an American Christian worship singer, and songwriter. He is known as a former member of the Bethel Music collective and Maverick City Music.
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