Editing Sound of White Noise

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Sound of White Noise
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]]
| cover      = AnthraxSoundOfWhiteNoise.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = May 25, 1993
| recorded   = 1992–1993
| venue      =
| studio     = {{hlist|[[Henson Recording Studios|Henson]] (Hollywood)|[[Cherokee Studios|Cherokee]] (Hollywood)|[[Eldorado Recording Studios|Eldorado]] (Hollywood)}}
| genre      = {{flatlist|
*[[Alternative metal]]<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-09-14/music/anthrax-and-joey-belladonna-keep-it-in-the-family/ | title=Anthrax and Joey Belladonna Keep It In the Family | newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] | date=September 14, 2011 | access-date=April 1, 2015 | author=Weingarten, Christopher R.}}</ref>
*[[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]<ref name="spin-review" />
*[[groove metal]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://whiplash.net/materias/cds/352214-anthrax.html | title=Os 30 anos de "Sound of White Noise", o disco que mostrou o outro lado do Anthrax }}</ref>
}}
| length     = 56:56
| label      = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| producer   = {{flatlist|
*[[Dave Jerden]]
*Anthrax
}}
| prev_title = [[Persistence of Time]]
| prev_year  = 1990
| next_title = [[Stomp 442]]
| next_year  = 1995
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Sound of White Noise
 | type        = Studio
 | single1     = [[Only (Anthrax song)|Only]]
 | single1date = June 24, 1993<ref>{{cite web|website=[[AllMusic]]|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/only-mw0000099509|title=Only – Anthrax|access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>
 | single2     = Room for One More
 | single2date = 1993
 | single3     = [[Black and White Lodges#"Black Lodge" (song)|Black Lodge]]
 | single3date = August 19, 1993<ref>{{cite web|website=[[AllMusic]]|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/black-lodge-cd-single-mw0000102219|title=Black Lodge [CD Single] – Anthrax|access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>
 | single4     = Hy Pro Glo
 | single4date = 1994
}}
}}

'''''Sound of White Noise''''' is the sixth studio album by American [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Anthrax (American band)|Anthrax]], released in May 1993 by [[Elektra Records]]. It is the band's first album to feature vocalist [[John Bush (musician)|John Bush]], who replaced longtime frontman [[Joey Belladonna]] in 1992, and the last studio album with longtime lead guitarist [[Dan Spitz]]. It was also the second album Bush worked on with producer [[Dave Jerden]].

==Overview==
The album, produced by the band and Dave Jerden, includes the singles "[[Only (Anthrax song)|Only]]", "Room for One More", "[[Black and White Lodges#"Black Lodge" (song)|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).

==Reception==
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="AM">{{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}}</ref>
|rev2 =''[[Martin Popoff|Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal]]''
|rev2Score = 10/10<ref name="martin">{{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}}</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
|rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Larkin">{{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}}</ref>
|rev4 = ''[[The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
|rev4Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="New RS">{{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]}}</ref>
|rev5 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
|rev5Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="rs">{{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}}</ref>
}}

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.<ref name="AM" /> 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."<ref name="martin" /> ''[[Spin (magazine)|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."<ref name="spin-review">{{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}}</ref> Tom Sinclair of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described the album as "a powerful comeback from a group that never went away."<ref name="rs" />

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".<ref name=Noisecreep>{{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}}</ref>

==Commercial performance==
The album debuted at No. 7 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] charts,<ref name="billboard">{{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]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> ''Sound of White Noise'' was certified gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] on July 13, 1993.<ref name="RIAA">[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.</ref>

As of 2002, the album had sold 511,284 copies in the US.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

The singles "Only" and "Black Lodge" charted at No. 26 and No. 38 respectively on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks]] chart.<ref name="billboard" /> In the UK, "Only" and "Black Lodge" charted at No. 36 and No. 53 respectively.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==Track listings==
{{Track listing
| all_writing     = [[John Bush (musician)|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 (Anthrax song)|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 and White Lodges#"Black Lodge" (song)|Black Lodge]]
| length8         = 5:24
| title9          = C<sub>11</sub> H<sub>17</sub> N<sub>2</sub> O<sub>2</sub> 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 (song)|Auf Wiedersehen]]
| writer12         = [[Rick Nielsen]], [[Tom Petersson]]
| note12           = [[Cheap Trick]] cover
| length12         = 3:33
| title13          = [[Cowboy Song (Thin Lizzy song)|Cowboy Song]]
| writer13         = [[Phil Lynott]], [[Brian Downey (drummer)|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 = [[Mike D|Michael Diamond]], [[Ad-Rock|Adam Horovitz]], John King, [[Adam Yauch]], [[Matt Dike]], [[Michael Simpson (producer)|Mike Simpson]]
| note4 = [[Beastie Boys]] cover
| length4 = 3:09
| total_length = 73:09
}}

==Personnel==
Album personnel adapted from album credits.<ref name=WhiteNoiseCredits>{{cite book|title=Sound of White Noise album credits|year=1993|publisher=Elektra Records}}</ref>

{|
|valign=top|
;Anthrax
*[[John Bush (singer)|John Bush]] – lead vocals
*[[Dan Spitz]] – lead guitar
*[[Scott Ian]] – rhythm guitar, 6-string bass, backing vocals
*[[Frank Bello]] – bass {{small|(4, 6, and 12-string)}}, backing vocals
*[[Charlie Benante]] – drums

;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"
|valign=top|
;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{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}
|}

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col" |Chart (1993)
! scope="col" |Peak
position
|-
{{album chart|Australia|30|artist=Anthrax|album=Sound of White Noise|rowheader=true|access-date=January 5, 2025}}
|-
{{album chart|Canada|13|chartid=0978|artist=Anthrax|album=Sound of White Noise|rowheader=true|access-date=January 5, 2025}}
|-
{{album chart|Netherlands|52|artist=Anthrax|album=Sound of White Noise|rowheader=true|access-date=January 5, 2025}}
|-
! scope="row"| Finnish Albums ([[The Official Finnish Charts]])<ref name=FINI>{{cite book|last=Pennanen|first=Timo|title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972|edition=1st|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava|location=Helsinki|year=2006|isbn=978-951-1-21053-5 | language= fi}}</ref>
| align="center"| 9
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|35|id=1630|artist=Anthrax|album=Sound of White Noise|rowheader=true|access-date=January 5, 2025}}
|-
{{album chart|Oricon|12|M|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/38489/products/302447/1/|title=サウンド・オブ・ホワイト・ノイズ|publisher=Oricon.co.jp|access-date=January 5, 2025|rowheader=true|}}
|-
{{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}}
|}

==Certifications==
{{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=<ref name="RIAA" />|salesamount=500,000^|salesref=<ref name="ussales">{{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}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{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]]