Anthrax
Sound Of White Noise

THE REVIEW

The year is 1992; Anthrax, a band of paramount importance in the history of heavy metal, after a few masterpieces and a couple of less fortunate episodes, find themselves at a crossroads. The choice is radical: the historic singer Joey Belladonna is dismissed to welcome the much more talented John Bush, from Armored Saint. The repercussions on the band's sound are inevitable and considerable, leaving a good part of their most ardent followers disappointed and giving birth to one of the most controversial and important chapters in the New Yorkers' discography, namely "Sound Of White Noise," which comes out the following year.

From the outset, the evident change is apparent: no more epic rides and comic attitude, not even a shadow of the joviality of the past; instead, more serious tones, darker atmospheres. Grunge is all the rage, and Anthrax decides to keep up with the times: thus, the first single "Only" has nothing in common with past hits, with its powerful and measured pace, its granite riffs, and a rough, angry singing, with a vein of pathos that is in no way traceable in previous works.
However, Anthrax does not become another band: everything changes, the song-writing is more committed, the arrangements more sober and refined, even in the more intense tracks, it is the new composure that dominates, see the initial "Potters Field", the edgy "Hy Pro Glo", and especially "Room For One More"; yet Charlie Benante's drumming remains percussive, compact and driving, the aggressive riffing of Scott Ian and Dan Spitz's solo work are powerful, with the same, recognizable compressed tone of the distortions; the punk fury of the beginnings channeled into a squareness that at times recalls the solid syncopated rhythms of Helmet and Pantera. The most memorable performance, however, is the intense one of the new vocalist, John Bush, whose personality perfectly fits into the fundamental elements of a sound already established and functioning.

A special mention goes to the superb "Black Lodge", written in collaboration with Angelo Badalamenti, the composer of the Twin Peaks series and inspired by the latter: Anthrax captures the Lynchian atmosphere in an intense, elaborate piece, brilliant in its dark charm.

From here on, Anthrax's path will become uncertain and tortuous: Dan Spitz will leave shortly after, and following subsequent controversial, albeit valid works, John Bush will also be forced to leave, following a series of artistically unfortunate decisions by the group. This album remains the splendid result of a band in a state of grace, who have managed to question themselves more than ever fruitfully, giving life to a mature and simply beautiful work.