Sound of White Noise

This article is about the album from the American band Anthrax. For the signal noise, see White noise.
Sound of White Noise
Studio album by Anthrax
Released May 25, 1993
Recorded 1992 at Henson Recording Studios, Cherokee Studios and Eldorado Recording Studios in Hollywood, California
Genre
Length 56:56
Label Elektra
Producer
Anthrax chronology
Persistence of Time
(1990)		 Sound of White Noise
(1993)		 Stomp 442
(1995)
Singles from Sound of White Noise
  1. "Only"
    Released: June 1993
  2. "Room for One More"
    Released: 1993
  3. "Black Lodge"
    Released: 1993
  4. "Hy Pro Glo"
    Released: 1994

Sound of White Noise is the sixth studio album by American thrash metal band Anthrax, released in May 1993 on 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 with Jerden, as Jerden produced Symbol of Salvation for Bush's previous band, Armored Saint.

Overview

The album, produced by the band and Dave Jerden, includes the singles "Only", "Room for One More", "Hy Pro Glo" and "Black Lodge". 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, often emphasizing more melodic songwriting and abandoning the goofy humor. 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 tendency towards operatic falsetto.

The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 charts,[3] Anthrax's highest ever chart position. Sound of White Noise was certified gold by the RIAA.[4] "Only" and "Black Lodge" charted at No. 26 and No. 38 respectively on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[6]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]
Rolling Stone[8]

Dave Connolly reviewed the album on behalf of AllMusic, giving the album three stars out of five. Connolly called the album "surprisingly melodic" but "predictably pummeling" and the music "relentless." He commends the overall quality of the songs on the album before settling on "Only" as the best overall, but calls out several other tracks for praise as well.[5] Spin critic John Wiederhorn described the album as "a good typical heavy-metal record." Nevertheless, he also noted that the album "doesn't wander beyond the sound of its dark, moody intros and tuneful, galloping rhythms."[2] Tom Sinclair of Rolling Stone described the album as "a powerful comeback from a group that never went away."[8]

Among the album's songs, "Only" has received particular attention; Metallica frontman James Hetfield is said to have referred to "Only" as a "perfect song."[9]

Track listings

All tracks written by John Bush, Scott Ian, Frank Bello and Charlie Benante, except "Black Lodge" by Bush, Ian, Bello, Benante, Angelo Badalamenti. 

No. Title Length
1. "Potters Field"   5:00
2. "Only"   4:56
3. "Room for One More"   4:54
4. "Packaged Rebellion"   6:18
5. "Hy Pro Glo"   4:30
6. "Invisible"   6:09
7. "1000 Points of Hate"   5:00
8. "Black Lodge"   5:24
9. "C₁₁ H₁₇ N₂ O₂ S Na"   4:24
10. "Burst"   3:35
11. "This Is Not an Exit"   6:49
Bonus tracks (2001 remaster)
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
12. "Auf Wiedersehen" (Cheap Trick cover)Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson 3:33
13. "Cowboy Song" (Thin Lizzy cover)Phil Lynott, Brian Downey 5:06
14. "London" (The Smiths cover)Morrissey, Johnny Marr 2:54
15. "Black Lodge" (strings mix)Bush, Ian, Bello, Benante, Badalamenti 5:21
Bonus CD (Japanese edition)
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Noisegate" (Produced by Charlie Benante and Bryan Carlstorm)Anthrax 4:25
2. "Cowboy Song" (Thin Lizzy cover)Phil Lynott, Brian Downey 5:06
3. "Auf Wiedersehen" (Cheap Trick cover)Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson 3:33
4. "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun" (Beastie Boys cover)Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, John King, Adam Yauch, Matt Dike, Mike Simpson 3:09

Personnel

Album personnel adapted from album credits.[10]

Anthrax
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

Chart positions

Charts (1993) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[11] 30
Canadian Albums Chart[12] 13
German Albums Chart[13] 35
Dutch Albums Chart[14] 52
Swedish Albums Chart[15] 21
Swiss Albums Chart[16] 40
UK Albums Chart[17] 14
US Billboard 200[18] 7

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[19] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[4] Gold 511,284^[20]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Weingarten, Christopher R. (September 14, 2011). "Anthrax and Joey Belladonna Keep It In the Family". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Wiederhorn, John (July 1993). "Anthrax - Sound of White Noise review". 9 (4).
  3. 1 2 "Sound of White Noise Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  4. 1 2 RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums by Anthrax. Retrieved on 2013-03-14.
  5. 1 2 Connolly, Dave. "Anthrax: Sound of White Noise". AllMusic. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  6. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 2006. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
  7. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 20. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  8. 1 2 Sinclair, Tom (June 24, 1993). "Anthrax: Sound of White Noise". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 14, 2006. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  9. ↑ Ramirez, Carlos. "Top 10 John Bush Era Anthrax Songs". Noisecreep.com. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  10. ↑ Sound of White Noise album credits. Elektra Records. 1993.
  11. ↑ "Discography Anthrax". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ Peak chart positions for albums in Canada:
  13. ↑ "Chartverfolgung / Anthrax / Longplay". musicline.de (in German). PhonoNet. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Discografie Anthrax". dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Discography Anthrax". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Discography Anthrax". swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  17. ↑ Peak chart positions for albums in the United Kingdom:
  18. ↑ "Anthrax - Billboard 200 chart". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Canadian certifications – Anthrax". Music Canada. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Metal/Hard Rock Album Sales In The US As Reported By SoundScan". www.blabbermouth.net. Retrieved September 5, 2014.

External links

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