Sound of White Noise is the sixth studio album by the heavy metal band Anthrax, released in May 25, 1993 via Elektra Records. It is the band’s first album to feature vocalist John Bush, who replaced longtime Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna in 1992. It is also Anthrax‘s last studio album with longtime lead guitarist Dan Spitz. This was also the second album Bush worked on with producer Dave Jerden, as he also produced Symbol of Salvation for Bush‘s previous band, Armored Saint.
The album, produced by the band and Dave Jerden, includes the singles Only, Room for One More, Black Lodge and Hy Pro Glo. This album marked a significant revision in the band’s sound, with the departure of lead vocalist Joey Belladonna and the introduction of grunge influences. Jerden was known for producing the likes of Alice in Chains and Jane’s Addiction.
With Sound of White Noise, Anthrax moved away from the rapid fire thrash metal that had defined their earlier output. Their new sound drew on the more straightforward style of Armored Saint (Bush co wrote all the songs) and often emphasized more melodic songwriting. White Noise continued the trend started on 1990’s Persistence of Time of abandoning the humor of Anthrax‘s 1980s albums in favor of a more serious or earnest tone. Songs like the walloping Only and stuttering, stop start dynamics of Hy Pro Glo maintained a level of aggression on par with anything else the band recorded, but in a different alternative metal style. Other songs found Anthrax exploring new territory, like the mid tempo Room for One More, and the atmospheric Black Lodge (inspired by the Twin Peaks TV series and featuring keyboardist Angelo Badalamenti). Bush‘s lower pitched, darker vocal style also was a drastic change from Belladona‘s. During the recording of the album, the band also produced the songs Poison My Eyes and a cover of the Smiths song London (both would be featured on the soundtracks to the movies Last Action Hero and Airheads, respectively).
Tracklist:
- Potters Field
- Only
- Room for One More
- Packaged Rebellion
- Hy Pro Glo
- Invisible
- 1000 Points of Hate
- Black Lodge
- C11 H17 N2 O2 S Na
- Burst
- This Is Not an Exit
Bonus tracks (2001 remaster) - Auf Wiedersehen (Cheap Trick cover)
- Cowboy Song (Thin Lizzy cover)
- London (The Smiths cover)
- Black Lodge (Strings Mix)
Anthrax
John Bush: lead vocals
Dan Spitz: lead guitar, backing vocals
Scott Ian: rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Frank Bello: bass, backing vocals
Charlie Benante: drums
Additional personnel
Vincent Bell: tremolo guitar parts on “Black Lodge”
Angelo Badalamenti: synthesizers, orchestration and arrangement of synthesizers and additional guitars on “Black Lodge”
Kenny Landrum: synthesizers
Terminator X: scratching on “1000 Points of Hate”
Production
Produced by Anthrax & Dave Jerden
Mixed by Dave Jerden
Mastered by Eddy Schreyer
Engineered by Bryan Carlstrom
Assistant engineers: Mike Baumgartner, Annette Cisneros, Ed Korengo, Jennifer Monnar & Scott Ralston
