Sound of White Noise

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).

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|last=Connolly|first=Dave|title=Anthrax: Sound of White Noise|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=sound-of-white-noise-mw0000617745|pure_url=yes}}|website=AllMusic|access-date=August 4, 2012}}

|rev2 =Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

|rev2Score = 10/10{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | author-link1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = August 1, 2007 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | pages=26–27 |isbn = 978-1-894959-62-9}}

|rev3 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music

|rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|year=2011|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|publisher=Omnibus Press|page=2006|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|edition=5th}}

|rev4 = The New Rolling Stone Album Guide

|rev4Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book|last1=Brackett|first1=Nathan|last2=Hoard|first2=Christian David|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|date=2004|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/20 20]}}

|rev5 = Rolling Stone

|rev5Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Sinclair|first=Tom|title =Anthrax: Sound of White Noise|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/anthrax/albums/album/125996/review/5940424/sound_of_white_noise|date=June 24, 1993|access-date=April 16, 2014|magazine=Rolling Stone|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061214091432/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/anthrax/albums/album/125996/review/5940424/sound_of_white_noise|archive-date=December 14, 2006}}

}}

Dave Connolly reviewed the album on behalf of AllMusic and called it "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. Rock journalist Martin Popoff praised the performance of new singer John Bush and the production by Dave Jerden and defined the album's music "top-flight, state-of-the-art metal, fortified by the band's usual societal concerns, here elevated to eloquent outrage at man's crumbling morality." 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."{{cite journal | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YIwHlb1zNyoC&q=%22Sound+Of+White+Noise%22+%22+metal%22&pg=PA79 | title=Anthrax – Sound of White Noise review | author=Wiederhorn, Jon |date=July 1993 | volume=9 | issue=4}} Tom Sinclair of Rolling Stone described the album as "a powerful comeback from a group that never went away."

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".{{cite web|last=Ramirez|first=Carlos|title=Top 10 John Bush Era Anthrax Songs|url=http://www.noisecreep.com/2009/08/28/ok-needs-photo-top-10-john-bush-era-anthrax-songs/|work=Noisecreep.com|date=August 28, 2009 |access-date=August 4, 2012}}

The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 charts,{{cite web|title=Sound of White Noise Billboard Albums|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/sound-of-white-noise-mw0000617745/awards|access-date=April 16, 2013|work=AllMusic|publisher=Rovi Corporation}} selling 62,000 copies in its first week. It is Anthrax's highest ever chart position. It sold 40,000 more copies in its second week.{{Cite web|last=Blabbermouth|date=March 7, 2016|title=ANTHRAX's 'For All Kings' Cracks U.S. Top 10|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/anthraxs-for-all-kings-cracks-u-s-top-10/|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET}} Sound of White Noise was certified gold by the RIAA on July 13, 1993.[https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Anthrax&ti=THE+sound+of+white+noise&lab=&genre=&format=Album&date_option=release&from=&to=&award=&type=&category=&adv=SEARCH#search_section RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums by Anthrax]. Retrieved on March 14, 2013.

As of 2002, the album had sold 511,284 copies in the US.{{Cite web|last=Blabbermouth|date=April 30, 2002|title=Metal/Hard Rock Album Sales In The US As Reported By SoundScan|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/metal-hard-rock-album-sales-in-the-us-as-reported-by-soundscan/|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET}}

The singles "Only" and "Black Lodge" charted at No. 26 and No. 38 respectively on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In the UK, "Only" and "Black Lodge" charted at No. 36 and No. 53 respectively.{{Cite web|title=ANTHRAX {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/23975/anthrax/|access-date=February 6, 2022|website=www.officialcharts.com}}

{{Track listing

| all_writing = John Bush, Scott Ian, Frank Bello and Charlie Benante, except "Black Lodge" by Bush, Ian, Bello, Benante and Angelo Badalamenti

| title1 = Potters Field

| length1 = 5:00

| title2 = Only

| length2 = 4:56

| title3 = Room for One More

| length3 = 4:54

| title4 = Packaged Rebellion

| length4 = 6:18

| title5 = Hy Pro Glo

| length5 = 4:30

| title6 = Invisible

| length6 = 6:09

| title7 = 1000 Points of Hate

| length7 = 5:00

| title8 = Black Lodge

| length8 = 5:24

| title9 = C₁₁ H₁₇ N₂ O₂ S Na

| length9 = 4:24

| title10 = Burst

| length10 = 3:35

| title11 = This Is Not an Exit

| length11 = 6:49

| total_length = 56:56

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Bonus tracks (2001 remaster)

| title12 = Auf Wiedersehen

| writer12 = Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson

| note12 = Cheap Trick cover

| length12 = 3:33

| title13 = Cowboy Song

| writer13 = Phil Lynott, Brian Downey

| note13 = Thin Lizzy cover

| length13 = 5:06

| title14 = London

| writer14 = Morrissey, Johnny Marr

| note14 = The Smiths cover

| length14 = 2:54

| title15 = Black Lodge (Strings Mix)

| writer15 = Bush, Ian, Bello, Benante, Badalamenti

| note15 =

| length15 = 5:21

| total_length = 73:50

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Bonus CD (Japanese edition)

| title1 = Noisegate

| writer1 = Anthrax

| note1 =

| length1 = 4:25

| title2 = Cowboy Song

| writer2 = Phil Lynott, Brian Downey

| note2 = Thin Lizzy cover

| length2 = 5:06

| title3 = Auf Wiedersehen

| writer3 = Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson

| note3 = Cheap Trick cover

| length3 = 3:33

| title4 = Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun

| writer4 = Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, John King, Adam Yauch, Matt Dike, Mike Simpson

| note4 = Beastie Boys cover

| length4 = 3:09

| total_length = 73:09

}}

Album personnel adapted from album credits.{{cite book|title=Sound of White Noise album credits|year=1993|publisher=Elektra Records}}

|-

{{album chart|New Zealand|46|artist=Anthrax|album=Sound of White Noise|rowheader=true|access-date=January 5, 2025}}

|-

{{album chart|Sweden|21|artist=Anthrax|album=Sound of White Noise|rowheader=true|access-date=January 5, 2025}}

|-

{{album chart|Switzerland|40|artist=Anthrax|album=Sound of White Noise|rowheader=true|access-date=November 8, 2023}}

|-

{{album chart|UK2|14|date=19930523|rowheader=true|access-date=January 5, 2025}}

|-

{{album chart|Billboard200|7|artist=Anthrax|rowheader=true|access-date=January 5, 2025}}

|}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Anthrax|title=Sound of White Noise|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1993|access-date=November 19, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Anthrax|title=Sound of White Noise|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1993|certref=|salesamount=500,000^|salesref={{cite web | url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/metal-hard-rock-album-sales-in-the-us-as-reported-by-soundscan/ | title=Metal/Hard Rock Album Sales In The US As Reported By SoundScan | date=April 30, 2002 | publisher=www.blabbermouth.net| access-date=September 5, 2014}}}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Discogs master|type=album|42967|name=Sound of White Noise}}

{{Anthrax}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Anthrax (American band) albums

Category:1993 albums

Category:Albums produced by Dave Jerden

Category:Elektra Records albums