Whitecross: Triumphant Return | A Triumph Of The ’80s
(1989 – Star Song)
The ’80s will be—and are—remembered for the musical excellence and richness they have bequeathed to us. The originality, power, and distinctive brilliance of that decade have rarely resurfaced in subsequent years, except among those who strive to preserve the “magic” of those years in their music.
Of course, those were the golden years of heavy metal in general, and also of hard rock, which—beyond its “glam” California variant—had a significant impact on heavy music and served as the foundation upon which much of the rock and metal of those years was built.
That’s why we felt we couldn’t overlook a band that managed to combine elements from both genres (heavy metal and hard rock), with clearly Christian lyrics and all the musical clichés of the era. Whitecross epitomizes that blend, and with a strident vocalist like Scott Wenzel and a multi-instrumentalist like Rex Carroll, they managed to release several standout albums, including the one we’re discussing here—a classic album and, at least for us, the best the band has released since its founding in the ’80s.
Whitecross was founded in the mid-1980s—more precisely in 1985 in the Chicago, Illinois, area—and gradually carved out a niche for itself in the Christian metal scene.
In fact, Triumphant Return is Whitecross’s third album, following their 1987 debut album, “Whitecross,” and 1988’s “Hammer & Nail” (as well as the 1988 EP “Love On The Line”), managing to deepen and reaffirm all the strengths the band had been showcasing with a blend of sounds drawn from traditional heavy metal and evolving them into a much more powerful and effective form of hard rock. One of the hallmarks of Whitecross in general—and of “Triumphant Return” in particular—is its songs, which are packed with powerful riffs, fast rhythms, and strident melodies in the choruses, along with much better production than in the past, which gives “Triumphant Return” a life of its own and largely defines Whitecross’s signature sound.
The backbone of much of what you hear on “Triumphant Return” is Rex Carroll’s guitar, alongside a powerful rhythm section that underpins every track, ensuring that, in some ways, Whitecross’s sound stands out substantially from Californian hard rock or glam bands—despite drawing on many elements from that scene. Perhaps their musical kinship lies with bands like Dokken, Ratt, or even Whitesnake—more because of the similar name than anything else—though it’s true that their blend of virtuosity, hard rock, and great melodies may be the key to the musical comparison.
On the other hand, “Triumphant Return” stands out for its more direct and effective songs, conceived as if for a classic album destined for massive impact—which is exactly what it ultimately achieved. We won’t dwell on sales figures or awards won because, quite frankly, we couldn’t care less about them. Let’s get to the essentials: the album, its music, and what the record itself represents—both for the history of Whitecross and for White Metal in general.
The album’s title doesn’t actually refer to the band. Given its Christian content, “Triumphant Return” refers to the triumphant return of Jesus Christ, and that’s what the album and its songs are all about, with lyrics that are almost entirely Christian in nature.
Beyond the obvious comparisons, we have to be fair. Instead of looking for similarities, we need to learn to enjoy “Triumphant Return” and Whitecross as a whole, a band that has managed to maintain its own personality despite its obvious influences. It is precisely on “Triumphant Return” that Whitecross defines its sound, and where the sound, production, and so on are most refined. You just have to pay attention (pardon the redundancy) to the first track, “Attention Please,” with its tremendous load of fast, intense riffs, coupled with strident vocals that highlight Rex Carroll’s special emphasis on the guitars.
With a nod to the “Sunset Boulevard” scene, “Red Alert” appears—another standout track on the album—where not only the guitars shine but also the intense rhythm provided by Mike Elliot’s drumming, and in the same vein but even more precise is “Straight Through The Heart,” with excellent melodic handling over a solid, effective rock foundation, without resorting to keyboards.
“Down” has all the hallmarks of a ballad, but at its core it’s a classic ’80s anthem—powerful and brimming with that special charm the ’80s had. With that riff that runs through almost the entire song—and which has become one of the band’s most distinctive trademarks—it’s arguably one of the best tracks on the album, and indeed one of the band’s best ever. Carroll’s guitar solo could very well be considered one of the most epic in the band’s history. On its own, it’s “THE” Whitecross classic—at least for us.
What follows is the typical slow song that every ’80s album used to include—and in this case, it’s not the only one; that’s what “Behold” is all about, with a radio-friendly ballad vibe and a very interesting rhythm section, featuring some keyboards and special string arrangements that make it quite appealing. With a mix of riffs, guitar licks, and a fiery yet steady rhythm, “Shakedown” makes its appearance—a classic example of hard rock, heavy and solid at the same time.
And when we say that “Triumphant Return” is not only the best in Whitecross’s discography but also where Rex Carroll shines the brightest, just listen to the beautiful melody he creates in “Flashpoint”—a tremendous display of virtuosity on the six strings—and if that’s not enough, there’s “Simple Man,” a tremendous ballad featuring classic guitar work with a hint of the Beatles or Led Zeppelin, and riffs worthy of a guitar hero. Also noteworthy is Scott Wenzel’s vocal tone; far from his usual off-key vocals, he delivers a sublime performance in another of the album’s standout moments.
“Over The Top” is clearly poised to become another album classic, with a vibe that’s much more rock than metal but still keeps Whitecross true to its essence, featuring its unique take on intense hard rock that’s in keeping with the era in which it was released.
The album closes with “Heaven’s Calling Tonight,” which draws much more heavily on classic and traditional metal influences—a fiery march with strong, clear choruses; an excellent way to cap off an outstanding album that would ultimately become not only a White Metal classic but also Whitecross’s most notable album. Yes, there will be those who argue that the band has released better albums. In any case, it’s a matter of taste, but it’s undeniable that “Triumphant Return” holds a prominent place in Whitecross’s history.
One thing that stands out about “Triumphant Return” is its sound. Originally recorded between July and August 1989 at Grand Slam Studios in Newark, NJ, the production was handled by Rex Carroll himself alongside Joey Powers—a collaboration that we can safely say produced the best-sounding Whitecross album to date. While the album retains the typical characteristics of the era, special attention was given to the tone of the guitars and a particular emphasis on the percussion, resulting in every drum hit feeling like a real sledgehammer blow. The mix, handled by Doug Oberkircher, strikes the right balance between the rhythm section and the guitar riffs, giving Whitecross a sound that’s clearer and more forceful than ever before.
The artwork is noteworthy. The cover features a striking coat of arms, reminiscent of a car brand, yet still impressive enough to make “Triumphant Return” one of those albums recognizable by its cover alone. Given the era in which it was released, the inner sleeve doesn’t contain much—just the lyrics and photographs on the back. Not much else. Needless to say, it was also originally released on cassette and vinyl.
An interesting fact about this album is that, despite its impact and what it represents both for Whitecross and for the history of so-called White Metal, it was never reissued; it is currently completely out of print, making it a special collector’s item. To tell the truth, none of Whitecross’s albums have been remastered, reissued, or made available again. It’s a shame—and perhaps a wake-up call to labels dedicated to preserving historical material.
Later, following the release of “In The Kingdom” and “High Gear!”, the band split up. Rex Carroll left the band, leaving Wenzel in charge. With a different lineup but retaining the band’s name, Wenzel went on to release several more albums, in addition to the famous 1998 South American tour and their stint in Paraguay. However, the reality is that Whitecross was never the same again—at least musically speaking. There was a subsequent reunion between Wenzel and Carroll, during which they even re-recorded Whitecross’s first album, but ultimately it was the charismatic vocalist who left the band in 2018, being replaced by David Roberts, with whom the band released “Fear No Evil” in 2004—but of course, that’s another story.
“Triumphant Return” was, and still is, a great album. It’s Whitecross’s true triumph, and in a way, we wanted to revisit it and, above all, recommend it—so we can crank it up to full volume again and enjoy a classic of ’80s hard rock and metal…
And as part of this tribute, we’ve included the official music video for the song “Down” below—which, in our opinion, is one of the gems of “Triumphant Return”—and which we’re revisiting and listening to again in this post…
