### Anthrax: Sound of a white noise

#### 27/02/04 || Statik Majik

I’ve been listening to Anthrax from 1987-88, and I never had anything against Belladonna’s vocals. But I still think it was a huge improvement when they got John Bush on the mic. Yes, this is the first Anthrax album with Bush on vocals. Now that I think of it, this was also the last Anthrax album Dan Spitz played on.

First of all, I love the production of this album. Well, what the fuck do I know about such professional sounding words as “production”. So let me rephrase that: I love how this album sounds. It has much heavier tone than any of the Anthrax albums before this one had. The songs are catchier too. You can’t compare this album at all to their previous albums, that’s how different it sounds from the earlier stuff. Only thing that’s missing is Anthrax’s humorous attitude they’ve always been known from. No songs similar to “I’m the man”, “Friggin’ in the riggin’” or “13” here. Not that I would consider that as such a bad thing.

Lyricwise this album is more mature and better thought than earlier Anthrax albums. There are good amount of “clever” lyrics that make you think. Yeah, I know there are good lyrics in the earlier albums too, but somehow the stuff in this album just stands out. For some reason I think “Burst ” has probably the best lyrics. I think it’s a song about thinking for yourself and judging things by yourself and not by others. But this isn’t done in preaching or boring way. Lyrics use alot of opposite words: “Kill someone, save a life. Don’t do drugs, drink all night. Worship Jesus, praise Satan, opinions are all contradiction.” You know the drill.

Even though it’s hard to pick out fave track from this album, I think that “Black Lodge” is probably “the” track for me. Killer song, killer subject. I’ve always been a diehard Twin Peaks fan, and knowing that Anthrax have been David Lynch fans for quite some time now ( “Now it’s dark” / “Blue Velvet”, anyone? ) it was only a matter of time when they’d do this. They even had Angelo Badalamenti, the guy responsible for most of the music for Lynch’s movies, contribute to this song. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why this song is one of the slowest tracks on this album. But again, concerning the subject that’s only good thing.

Overall I consider this to be the best Anthrax album so far. One of those albums you need to listen to from the beginning to the end in order to enjoy it to the full.

8,5 /10

- Information
- Released: 1993
- Label: Elektra records
- Website: www.anthraxtheband.com
- Band
- John Bush: vocals
- Scott Ian: guitar, vocals, bass
- Dan Spitz: lead guitar
- Charlie Benante: drums, guitar
- Frank Bello: bass, vocals

- Tracklist
- 01. Potter’s Field
- 02. Only
- 03. Room For One More
- 04. Packaged Rebellion
- 05. Hy Pro Glo
- 06. Invisible
- 07. 1000 Points of Hate
- 08. Black Lodge
- 09. Sodium Penathol
- 10. Burst
- 11. This is Not an Exit