Reviewed by Edward Scott

With lead singer Scott Wenzel "temporarily" halting Christendom's premier metal team this compilation is an ideal opportunity to assess the story-so-far. This takes in tracks from the first Pure Metal album to their recent 'High Gear' with two newies produced by top man Beau Hill (Ratt, Winger et al). The balance is good, both between its musical and lyrical content and between metal, hard rock and ballads. Scott's vocals are really strong especially in the last cut, "Simple Man", which talks about the love of the Lord. Other tracks which stand out are "In America" which, though talking about the good old USA could really be talking about any country and "Shakedown", which gives us a warning about luke warm commitment towards the Lord. Long time Whitecross fans will have most of these tracks (only two are new) but completists and anyone wanting to explore what metal is about should go into their local Christian music shop and ask for a blast. Make sure there are no old ladies by the speakers.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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