New singer, same results, great album! Anthrax, along with Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth were the 4 bands that converted me into a metalhead in the 80's. They always seemed to produce consistent headbanging material. However, I was a little concerned that this consistency would be broken when I heard that John Bush would be replacing Joey Belladonna at lead vocals for the 1993 release "The Sound of White Noise." Once I heard the album, I was concerned no more.
Believe it or not, I instantly preferred Bush's vocals. Every album that Joey appeared on was solid and consistent and followed the basic headbanging formula. Not that this is a bad thing, but Anthrax never really seemed to stray too far from the norm. John Bush brought a level of maturity with him and "The Sound of White Noise" became their most mature album up to that point.
With this album, Anthrax dared to challenge themselves with more complex song arrangements, much deeper melodies, and more thought provoking lyrics. It's almost as though Joey was holding them back from expanding out of the thrash box that they were in. Bush's vocals are tremendous and allow for more powerful choruses and hook lines. Each song is as memorable as the next with plenty of headbanging material to go around. However, songs like Packaged Rebellion and Black Lodge are unlike any previous Anthrax songs, but are just as great. Other high points are Potter's Field, Hy Pro Glo, Invisible, and Room For One More.
Do I think this is the best Anthrax album? It depends on my mood. If I'm looking for straight up headbanging with killer riffs and pounding drums, I prefer Among The Living. If I'm looking for the entire package, The Sound of White Noise satisfies all of my metal cravings.
As with any review, these are my opinions and not everybody will agree with them which is what makes these reviews so much fun. Enjoy!
The best of the Bush era Anthrax fans can be lumpers or splitters; splitters consider there to be four anthraxes, lumpers only one. I tend to think of two Anthraxes; a Belldonna Anthrax and a Bush Anthrax. "Sound" is the first album of the Bush reign. Bush's voice is much deeper than Belladonna's, one of the reasons that I think of two separate Anthraxes. The writing of "SOWN" accommodates that difference well.
Many believe that John Bush's voice forced the band to take a more mature approach to their music, eliminating comic books, Stephen King and Mythology as their muses. However, a relisten to P"ersistence of Time" will show anyone that the boys were already headed in that direction. "POT" and "SOWN" actually transition well together because of this. In fact, C11H17N2Na02S (the chemical formula for sodium penthanol, a.k.a. truth serum) sounds like a leftover from "Persistence", and one could easily imagine Joey singing the song. Both albums veer away from the high-pitched speed riffs of the earlier albums and emphasize the rhythm section (Charlie and Frankie).
While I will not speculate as to whether I like Belladonna or Bush better, I will say that this is the best effort of the Bush Anthrax. Most metal fans will have heard the "hits": "Black Lodge", "Only" and "Room for One More", but "Hy Pro Glo", "Potter's Field" and "1000 Points of Hate" are just as strong. Music fans wishing to explore Anthrax should start with "Among the Living", still the best `thrax album, and "Sound" and compare the two lead singers themselves. Luckily, the greatest back-up singer in history, Scott Ian, is a constant on both!
the music itself was good i really licked the music on this album, but i wish they would go back and remaster it though. the sound quality on this album sucked big time. there is alot of distortion that can't be fine tuned out on any stereo system.
John Bushs' debut slab with the 'thrax The excitement of a new singer copules with the fact that it was released at the height of the grunge revolution put this album on the radar screens of many metal heads. Just what would it sound like?
IMHO;
This is an Anthrax stripped of much of their likeability. From the packaging to the generic feel to the albums tunes this is an Anthrax taking the opportunity to divest themselves of the hysterical delivery style of the Belladonna years. And John Bush rocks. What a voice, what a down to earth way of vocalising these metal musings.
That's not to say I like the end result. And I don't. Which I realise puts me out of synch with accepted wisdom on this album which was seen as a rebirth. Well it was, but not into something to my taste. John Bush yes. But the overheavy tunes, well no thanks. Right from the opener of Potters Field this album just doesn't gel with me. To my ears it feels like the band were trying to come to terms with the new vocal style they were writing for.
But don't take my word for it, read some other reviews before blowing your cash. After all I didn't hear this until after hearing the second Bush era release Stomp 442. Which was awesome. So going in reverse order to this perhaps explains my being underwhelmed by this critically adored, hard and heavy offering.
Among Anthrax's finest After building a name for themselves amongst the thrash world in the 1980's and helping to pioneer the rap-rock crossover with Public Enemy in 1991, Anthrax were at the peak of their career. The problem with this, though, is that the band had a lot at stake (and a lot to live up to) when the time came to record their sixth studio album (which was also their first with singer John Bush) in 1993. But Anthrax weathered the storm and released "Sound of White Noise," an album which isn't just another great `Thrax record, but arguably the best of their career! Even though there aren't any shout-alongs on this album, every song is superbly catchy and highly energetic. Plus, "Sound of White Noise" really captures Anthrax's classic sound: fast, chainsaw riffs, chunky, churning rhythms, wailing guitar solos, speed punk beats, and fairly melodic vocals. "Black Lodge" is a big standout track. It's much slower than the other songs, but it's not a typical, depressing ballad because Anthrax add their own ingredients to it (like spaghetti-western guitars and synthesizers). Other standout tracks include "Only," "Hy Pro Glo," "1000 Points of Hate," the very speedy ninth track, and "Burst" (which features machine gun riffs and a wah-wah solo). Granted, because this disc is eleven tracks and fifty-six minutes in length, some of the songs are overly long, but other than that, there is nothing to dislike here. All thrash and Anthrax fans are highly encouraged to add "Sound Of White Noise" to their collections.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
