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Anthrax - Sound Of White
Noise
1993 Elektra
Track
Listing:
1. Potters
Field
2. Only
3. Room For One More
4. Packaged Rebellion
5. Hy Pro Glo
6. Invisible
7. 1000 Points Of Hate
8. Black Lodge
9. Sodium Pentathol
10. Burst
11. This Is Not An Exit
Line-Up:
Vocals: John Bush
Guitars: Scott Ian, Dan Spitz
Bass: Frank Bello
Drums: Charlie Benante
Website: www.anthrax.com
Horatio's Rating: B+
Average Album Rating: B+
Also be sure to read:
Anthrax
- State Of Euphoria Quick Review
by Horatio
S.O.D.
- Bigger Than The Devil Quick
Review
by Horatio |
Horatio's review:
I'm still not totally convinced dumping
Joey Belladonna was a wise move on the part of Anthrax.
Granted he didn't fit in with the direction Anthrax were heading
(Spitz too), but over he course of time it's been proven he had more
versatility as a vocalist than Bush, who although a solid frontman, never
appears to have Belladonna's presence or charisma. Ten years later
and a mere four albums later, 'White Noise' is still the definitive
Bush-era Anthrax album, which isn't much of a stretch given the
lack of output. The band sounds focused, much like the heaviness of
'Persistence Of Time', which was proof Joey could handle the
serious material. The speed had been toned down as Anthrax
took the Metallica and Megadeth route, but this is a far
more accomplished recording than 'Metallica' or that hunk of
mediocrity 'Countdown To Extinction'.
Tracks like 'Potters Field', 'Invisible',
'1000 Points Of Hate' and 'Burst' were as fast as anything
from yesteryear, although the sound was far removed from the 80's glory days
of 'Spreading The Disease' and 'Among The Living'. The
band had matured and updated their whole sound, with barely any traces of
the thrash era. 'Black Lodge' was a departure, a ballad that
the band seems to have to try and copy on each subsequent album.
Certain tracks like 'Packaged Rebellion' and 'Hy Pro Glo' are
as much filler as the dreaded likes of 'Finale' and 'Now It's Dark'
from days past however. This was the last album to feature Spitz and
since then Anthrax hasn't been the same, Ian ruining Anthrax's
guitar sound on 'Stomp 442'. Hard to believe this was a decade
ago, Anthrax counting on this to be their 'Black' album,
something which never happened and never will.
Song summaries include...
- Potters Field - Takes a couple of
minutes to get going but gathers momentum with some fine bursts of
speed. Anthrax still gambled with thrash, a welcome
respite, although it would disappear completely two years later.
B+
- Only - An obvious single that
might have more success had it been released in 2003, although 'Safe
Home' isn't all that different in terms of melody and
heaviness. Grindingly heavy, not a wimp out by any means. B
- Room For One More - This was a
single as well I think, I recall a video for it which showed the band
in various states of angst as they tried to leave behind the
skateboard days. Once again considerably heavy, riff wise
especially, coupled with a commercially viable hook. Far removed
from Bush's Armored Saint days. B
- Packaged Rebellion - A tad long
at six minutes and only redeemed by a thrash interlude late on which
is all too brief. C+
- Hy Pro Glo - A good headbanger
which for all it's metal worth doesn't go anywhere in
particular. One aspect of this album I have never cared for are
the constant hate filled lyrics towards an antagonist who seems to
have angered poor Scott. Belladonna? Or Michael
Bailey? C+
- Invisible - More burning hate,
the rage reflected in the multi layered riffs which have a traditional
thrash feel, the last time perhaps. A quantity of speed, vintage
Anthrax (if there is such a thing). B+
- 1000 Points Of Hate - Although
not fast all the way through, there are some devastating sequences at
start and end almost on a Slayer level. Highly
satisfying. B+
- Black Lodge - Not having listened
to this fully for years, it still holds up well as a metallic ballad
of sorts. If it had been Metallica I suspect it would
have been top five material. The guitar solo reminds me of 1988
for whatever reason. B+
- Sodium Pentathol - The first
minute is slightly punkish, something we can all do without.
Competent sub-thrash which displays what a great tandem Ian and Spitz
were. Ian later claimed he was responsible for nearly all the
guitar work on 'White Noise' as Spitz distanced himself from
the band. More like frozen out. B
- Burst - Full on thrash from start
to finish, amazingly wild stuff. Why Anthrax felt the
need to abandon thrash is a question I would like to ask Ian.
"We grew up man, we had to move on, leave it alone man!' would be
the expected answer. A
- This Is Not An Exit - Long closer
which threatens to unload at the conclusion but never quite
does. Heavy in a bottom ended way, no high pitched guitar work
at all. Anthrax are currently running a poll on their
website asking fans to choose twelve songs from their 1983-90 heyday
for them to re-record with John Bush, 'the way they were meant to be'
according to Ian. So hopefully we get to hear Bush sing songs
like 'Lone Justice' in the manner of this track right?
Come on. You mean to say in 1985 Ian was thinking 'I wish this
we had a gruff, deep vocalist for this, Joey ain't doing it right
bro'. Or how about 'our last three albums have sold a hundred
thousand copies so we need to redo the old stuff which made us big
with Joey so people notice us again and we can get on Ozzfest
(you can also vote for the band to be included on the lame festival on
their site) and be hip with the kids even though we're 40 years
old.' Anthrax will always be a fine band, but they're
caught up in the torment of not having made it with Bush the same way
they did with Belladonna. That's my take anyway. B+
Horatio's Rating: B+
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