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Barren Cross

 
Artist: Barren Cross
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Similar Artists:

Armored Saint, The 77's, Undercover, Bride, Stryper, WhiteHeart

Influenced By:

Van Halen, Judas Priest

Performed Songs By:

Mike Lee
See Barren Cross Lyrics
  • Formed: 1983, Los Angeles, CA
  • Disbanded: 1994, Los Angeles, CA
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "Hotter Than Hell! Live", "Rock for the King", "Atomic Arena

Biography

Although they never achieved as much notoriety as their Orange County neighbors Stryper, Los Angeles' Barren Cross were among the best-known Christian (or "white") metal bands to emerge in the 1980s. Formed in late 1983 by singer/guitarist Mike Lee, guitarist Ray Parris, bassist Jim LaVerde, and drummer Steve Whitaker, Barren Cross rehearsed assiduously before performing their first concert six months later at, of all places, a home for juvenile delinquent girls. Shortly thereafter, the boys used their Christian connections to approach producer Dino Elefante (whose famous sibling John was then the singer with prog rock giants Kansas) and ask for help with their career. Good Samaritan that he was, Elefante agreed to produce Barren Cross' aptly named debut E.P., Believe, which the band released and distributed in May 1985 using $10,000.00 they had raised themselves. The gambit paid off when independent label Star Song signed the group, remastered the EP's six tracks, and had Barren Cross record three new ones for release as 1986's full-length debut Rock for the King. By then, white metal was a growing rock & roll commodity, thanks to the work of Stryper (and countless equally devout, but far more discreet acts, such as Chicago doom favorites Trouble), but Barren Cross were still fighting an uphill battle. Although their powerful, Judas Priest-derived style sounded far more legitimate than Stryper's gooey pop-metal, most heavy metal fans found the genre's fascination with the occult as attractive as the music itself. Christian metal was therefore a living contradiction, and most major labels remained similarly unconvinced about white metal, and therefore, Barren Cross', commercial potential. And despite many attempts to make the jump to a major, the band would see subsequent efforts, 1988's Atomic Arena and 1989's State of Control (both of them also championed by John and Dino Elefante) relegated to independent Enigma Records. Choosing to name their 1990 live album Hotter Than Hell was, in retrospect, obviously a sign of frustration, and it wasn't surprising to see Barren Cross give up the fight only a short time later. Some bandmembers have since remained active within Christian music circles, and even briefly reunited as Barren Cross in 1994 in order to record another studio album named Rattle Your Cage before going their separate ways once again. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Barren Cross
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Barren Cross
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Heavy metal
Years active 1984 - 1994; Present
Labels Star Song, Enigma Records, Medusa Records, Rugged Records
Former members
Mike Lee
Jim LaVerde
Steve Whittaker
Ray Parris

Barren Cross is a Christian metal band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983 by high school pals Ray Parris (guitar) and Steve Whitaker (drums). The band released six albums from 1986 to 1994 and has been on hiatus ever since. They reunited for a few shows in recent years, and officially announced reunion on May 28, 2008 as well as plans to record a new album.

By 1984, bassist Jim LaVerde and vocalist Mike Lee were added. In 1989 the band appeared on The Morton Downey Show alongside members of KISS and Anthrax.[1] In 1990 Mike Lee left and joined the band Bare Bones, but would appear on the band's later releases.[1]

Contents

Music

Musically, the band is often compared to Iron Maiden, mainly due to the similarity of the vocals between Mike Lee and Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson.[2] Lyrically, the band is noted for its uncompromising stance on a number of social issues. Their songs addressed personal and societal ills such as suicide, abortion, terrorism, and prejudice from a Christian worldview.[1]

Biography

Over the years, Barren Cross has seen their share of successes since their start out of High School in 1982. In 1985 their first EP, Believe, an independent release, garnered national attention and trade marking their raw metal sound. The following year, Star Song Records released CD, Rock for the King. 1988 saw a second full-length Release, Atomic Arena, this time on Enigma Records (now Capitol Records) alongside label mates Poison, Ratt, Slayer, Stryper and more.

In 1989, as a follow up to their Enigma debut, they released a third CD, State of Control and a full production Live CD on Medusa Records called Hotter than Hell Live! was released the following year. A few months later, Rock for the King was reissued and has since become a collector's item. Subsequently, the band enjoyed a bit of a break while lead singer Michael Lee (now known as Michael Drive) pursued another project (becoming writer and lead vocalist for the band BareBones) until Barren Cross' last release (to date) in 1994 on Rugged Records, the stylistically evolved Rattle Your Cage.

Besides six major label releases (five of them full-length), Barren Cross earned their stripes through relentless touring in their day. Their sound earned them respect and airplay on VH1, MTV, countless radio stations and several label and metal compilations. For over twenty years, international music magazines have featured the band consistently.

Band members

Discography

References

  1. ^ a b c Powell, Mark Allan (2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music (First printing ed.). Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 67–68. ISBN 1-56563-679-1. 
  2. ^ Hale, Mark (1993). "0270". Headbangers (First edition, second printing ed.). Ann Arbor, Michigan: Popular Culture, Ink.. pp. 32–33. ISBN 1-56075-029-4. 

External links


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