Nocturnal Doom was a band formed by lead vocalist/song writer Count William Jannusch in 1987, at the age of fifteen. The line-up changed several times before lead guitarist Dereck Anderson joined and the band recorded the “Shades Of Despair” album in 1991 with Dan Lamb-drums, and Gary Oakley-bass. After gigging all over Chicago and Indiana, playing all age metal clubs and roller rinks, the band developed a strong following. Soon problems with the line-up began again, and Dereck and Bill decided to hire a new drummer and bassist.

Soon after, the band recruited drummer Gary Pedersoli and bassist Roger Massey in the Summer of 1992, and the band changed their name to Witchcross. By the end of the year, they had a whole albums’ worth of original material and were also playing a catalogue of Ozzy era Black Sabbath classics live too.

In 1993, Witchcross recorded their debut self titled album in a local college recording studio and heavily released it on professionally printed cassettes and later cds. Then heavy live concert gigging began again.

Over the years the band continued to do shows all over the Chicago,IL. and Indiana area. Band members also split into other band projects over the years, while still regrouping to perform with Witchcross. Count William Jannusch did Ravensthorn(who went on to release three albums..”House Of The Damned”(2002-now currently re-released as a remastered edition cd-2015), “Hauntings And Possessions”(2004-followed by a four day stay overseas for a two date festival concert performance in Germany in 2005), and “Horrors Of The Black Mass”(2012) ) and also in the years before that, Shadowlord(playing and recording regularly throughout the middle nineteen nineties, releasing a full album self titled cd in 2000). Dereck did The Devil Inside and they released a very bluesy cd album. Witchcross always reunited and performed more concerts, as well as writing a myriad of new original material, and performing as a Black Sabbath tribute band at many other shows.

By 2008, Witchcross decided to record another album that would be entitled “Innocence And Evil”, and released it professionally on cd, self financed, and distributed through underground distros and local record stores. Many more live concert performances continued on a regular basis, though also once again the band began focusing more on other band projects and kinda slowed down, Count William once again drifted further into Ravensthorn, with the band playing out a lot more and becoming immersed in the band’s “Horrors Of The Black Mass” album project and promotional live concert shows that went on for a few years at several studios before being released in 2012, though during this time Witchcross was still playing out live on a regular basis between Ravensthorn(heavy metal band) shows…

When Witchcross began the recording for 2014’s “Crypt Of the Undead” album at Chicago’s The Dead Room Studios with engineer producers Joe Duhr and Chad Elliott,and final mastering done by Sasch Machyne (of Mighty Monster Records-Germany). They wanted to properly capture the band’s live sound, and they finally did. For once the band was 100% focused and also captured in a recording properly, and wickedly in the right way..

Currently, in 2015, Witchcross has released a very heavy and Occult based third album of wickedly produced Horror Doom Metal Musick, working together stronger than ever, a 13 song album, called “Crypt Of The Undead” on Germany’s Metalizer/Battle Cry Records, and also performing many new concert shows all over the place. Another very heavy new Witchcross record will be in the works at the end of 2015 too!!!