After the so-so 'Persistence Of Time' album, I didn't think Anthrax would make another record that I would be as fond of as I was for 'State Of Euphoria'. Joey Belladonna had left the band, and Anthrax found John Bush to fill his shoes on lead vox. Eagerly, I waited for what this "new" Anthrax was going to sound like. When 'Sound Of White Noise' was released in 1993, I was not let down!

Anthrax, with their newly revamped sound, created an album that quickly became my favorite Anthrax effort and still is to this day. I suppose many old school 'Thrax fans (I was one of those too) were fearing the worst when they assigned John Bush to be the new front man but I was actually looking forward to what he might add to these established thrash pioneers. I'm a big fan of Armored Saint (John's gig before joining the Anthrax camp) so I knew what to expect but I wasn't sure how it would work with Anthrax' tight riffs and modern thrash style.

Fortunately, Anthrax altered their sound to be more suitable for John's voice. This was especially refreshing after the lackluster outing of their previous studio release, 'Persistence Of Time'. Don't get me wrong, I like 'Persistence' but it just didn't stand up to 'Euphoria' or even their earlier material like 'Spreading The Disease'. 'Sound Of White Noise' still has plenty of Anthrax' trademark precision riffing but there's a looser style present that meshes well with John's mid-toned vocals.

Top to bottom, 'White Noise' is filled solid head bouncing tunes of a more serious nature than Anthrax' lighter "Caught In A Mosh" prior exploits. This isn't to say that Anthrax didn't tackle heavier subjects in the past, because they did, but there was always an element of fun on their albums. Overall, 'White Noise' is much more serious which is not only reflected in the lyrics but in the accompanying music as well. Oddly enough, the common theme throughout 'White Noise' is emotion, how we perceive it and deal with it.

All the songs are powerful forays into relationships and feelings. 'White Noise' details the consequences and reactions of each sometimes combining both resulting in an even stronger statement as in tracks like "Potters Field" and "1000 Points Of Hate". My favorite two Anthrax tunes of all time are "Only" and "Black Lodge" both contained on 'White Noise'. "Only" builds momentum with Charlie Benante's drums setting the tone as Scott Ian's guitar unfolds to lay down the foundation before kicking the song into gear. John's distinctive vocals takeover and drive this angry rollercoaster ride of emotional atonement.

"Black Lodge", on the other hand, is a disquieting journey dealing with one's own self-disintegration. Scott's haunting rhythms capture the dark mood of this song perfectly as it leaves unsettling thoughts about your own demise as you witness someone close to you slowly diminish. This is such a chilling tune I can't imagine any singer other than John Bush taking you down this unnerving road.

'White Noise' is an intense exploration in sound, style and emotion that renewed my faith in one of heavy metal's most established acts. Anthrax proved they could move forward after the departure of the vocalist who gave them one of their defining qualities. And that's not an easy thing to do when it's usually the lead singer that makes most bands recognizable to their fans. Some bands have pulled this off successfully like Van Halen did in the mid 80's with Sammy Hagar. Others failed miserably such as Mötley Crüe's ill-fated attempt to replace Vince Neil with John Corabi.

Anthrax succeeded and have persevered. Besides John Bush taking over lead vocals, 'Sound Of White Noise' debuted Anthrax' new approach to the moshpit music they refined in the 80's. This album was as much ambitious as it was the next logical step in Anthrax' musical progression. 'White Noise' is still probably the best album with this lineup and should definitely not be overlooked in Anthrax' extensive back catalog. 'White Noise' is my favorite Anthrax disc and it's a must-have for all heavy metal fans.

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. C11 H17 N2 02 S Na
10. Burst
11 This Is Not An Exit



Recommended: Yes