Anthrax – Sound of White Noise – 1993
Sound of White Noise is the sixth studio album by the American Thrash Metal band Anthrax. It’s the first album to feature John Bush on vocals and the last studio album with lead guitarist Dan Spitz. He later became a watchmaker of all things. A pretty far step from being the lead guitarist in one of the Big Four of Thrash Metal bands. But each one to his own, I guess.
Even though Sound of White noise came out in 1993, I haven’t really listened to it. I kinda lost interest after the masterpiece Among the Living, although I paid some attention to the I’m the Man Ep and the following album State of Euphoria. So here we are, some 32 years late,r and I’m finally getting around to it. I can’t be accused of being in a ruch, can I?
As I’m a big fan of Among the Living, I automatically compare the style of this or any other album by Anthrax with that one record. And while that was an album full of humor and with very catchy songs, at least to me, I find this to be a far step from it. There is not that kind of playfulness anymore. Gone are the cartoonish lyrics and kind of pop-cultureish themes. Sound of White Noise if far more serious. And I guess that was the approach they were aiming for.
Although there is some humor to it as well. Let me tell you an anecdote. A friend of mine was about to but som new speakers at the time. And, of course, brought a copy of this album along to make sure the sound suited his tastes. When Sound of White Noise starts, there is literally the sound of white noise, and later a voice claiming that “this is a journey into sound.” At this point, the staff in the store panicked and thought that there was something wrong with their setup, as it only produced static. I wasn’t there to see it, unfortunately, but it’s a hilarious story.
Anyway, I think that Sound of White Noise doesn’t have the energy that I would have liked. It’s pretty nice musically, but to me, it doesn’t really sound like Anthrax. It’s more like something that any band could have come up with. Not bad at all, but still nothing that gets me really hooked.
