Search - Anthrax :: Sound of White Noise

Anthrax reborn - and reissued

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 02/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was always aware of Anthrax growing up, but aside from their goofball "I'm the Man" single, the band never really made much of an impact on me until they replaced vocalist Joey Belladonna with Armored Saint's John Bush. Bush's energetic and intense yet still melodic vocal style just seemed like such a better fit for Anthrax's brand of thrash, and I still view that lineup's debut - 1993's Sound of White Noise - as the best Anthrax album ever.



Sound of White Noise is a tour de force performance by a band that obviously felt they had something to prove after the loss of long-time vocalist Joey Belladonna. John Bush brought an incredible energy to the band, resulting in one of the most high octane metal albums I've ever heard. When I first saw the video for "Only" my jaw hit the floor and I remember thinking "THIS is Anthrax?" I bought the album the next day and was amazed at how track by track it just seemed to get better and better, from the melodic "Only" to the ultra-aggressive "Packaged Rebellion", "Burst" and "Hy Pro Glo" to the downright haunting "Black Lodge". There are no weak tracks on this album at all. I think a big part of Sound of White Noise's appeal, at least for me, is the incredible amount of melody ("Only" is a perfect example) that is now present in Anthrax's thrash metal sound. That sense of melody ensures that these songs stay with you instead of fading into the background. It's rare that an album has this kind of heart attack impact on me, but Sound of White Noise definitely made an immediate and lasting impression. To me, this will always be the definitive Anthrax album.



NOTE: The 2001 reissue of Sound of White Noise features digitally remastered sound as well as four bonus tracks. In addition to an alternate "string mix" of "Black Lodge", the band gives us three very diverse cover songs - Cheap Trick's "Auf Wiedersehen", Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song", and the Smiths' "London". That last cover previously appeared on the Airheads movie soundtrack. When it comes to cover songs, Anthrax never ceases to amaze me with their unorthodox cover choices. Thin Lizzy wasn't entirely unexpected, but the Smiths? Come on, who saw that one coming? This new version of Sound of White Noise sounds fantastic, and is a must-have upgrade for anyone who enjoyed this great album.



NOTE 2: Nuclear Blast reissued Sound of White Noise in 2003. Their version has the strings mix of "Black Lodge" but instead of the three cover songs it has four video clips. I'm a covers fan, and always prefer bonus tracks to video clips, so I think the 2001 reissue is still the best deal."