Three classic thrash metal bands with their 1993 sidesteps

Three bands trying to avoid the extinction of thrash metal, with different approaches. Three releases that came out in 1993, which ones do you like and which ones you don't?

The poppy Set the World on Fire, the grungy Sound of White Noise or the groovy I Hear Black?

I like all 3 to varying degrees but the one I like least is I Hear Black. That one never really quite clicked with me.

"Poppy" may not have been the best word to describe Set the World on Fire. More like melodic heavy metal.

007 wrote:

I like all 3 to varying degrees but the one I like least is I Hear Black. That one never really quite clicked with me.

You and me both. That's the least enjoyable of the three.

I like them all but Sound of White Noise is one of my favorite albums of all time.

Sound Of White Noise is my favorite of these 3 easily. I Hear Black is the album I like the least.

I Hear Black by default, because i am not familiar with the other 2.

I also consider it to be a very good Overkill album.

Set the World on Fire could have been a lot better with a different vocalist. I would’ve even preferred Jeff himself doing the vocals.

The music for the title track is great!

I Hear Black is underrated.

Yes they did slow down and go in a more Sabbath style… but I love Sabbath!

I know a lot of people praise Sound of White Noise… but to me, it pales in comparison to Persistence of Time!

I really liked the darker direction they were going with Joey. It’s a shame they pulled the plug and went with Bush to become more 90’s friendly.

Annihilator for me. I hate the other 2.

Set The World On Fire has been on my want list for a long time actually.

It's almost impossible to find.

Gilbert wrote:

Set The World On Fire has been on my want list for a long time actually.

It's almost impossible to find.

It was always available if you had the old Columbia House mail order club.

*note to millennials…

Columbia House was a mail order club that was popular in the 80’s and 90’s that let you pick several CDs in advance for a penny (but you had to agree to buy a few at an inflated full price within a year).

Sound Of White Noise for me. It's not only Anthrax's best album w/Bush on vox, it's one of their best overall.

Troublezone wrote:

Set the World on Fire could have been a lot better with a different vocalist. I would’ve even preferred Jeff himself doing the vocals.

You're nuts. Aaron Randall is great! Jeff should have done more albums with him.

Lari wrote:

Troublezone wrote:

Set the World on Fire could have been a lot better with a different vocalist. I would’ve even preferred Jeff himself doing the vocals.

You're nuts. Aaron Randall is great! Jeff should have done more albums with him.

He had a major lisp.

I know you must really relate to the song “Snake in the Grass” (for obvious reasons). I like the song as well… it’s a universal theme.

If it wasn’t for that Daffy Duck effect, I’d like the vocals more.

I’m actually very surprised Lurideath liked this!

It’s almost like a Firehouse album (but heavier). The lyrics are kinda cheese and silly too. And I’m not necessarily talking about the purposely funny Brain Dance.

Troublezone wrote:

I know a lot of people praise Sound of White Noise… but to me, it pales in comparison to Persistence of Time!

I really liked the darker direction they were going with Joey. It’s a shame they pulled the plug and went with Bush to become more 90’s friendly.

The others weren't getting along with Joey too well at that time. And he was given the boot. I love John Bush's vocals but at first I hated he left Armored Saint to join Anthrax. Sound Of White Noise is a darker record too. Just not thrashy.

I'm glad Joey rejoined Anthrax and John ended up back In Armored Saint.

nevermore wrote:

Troublezone wrote:

I know a lot of people praise Sound of White Noise… but to me, it pales in comparison to Persistence of Time!

I really liked the darker direction they were going with Joey. It’s a shame they pulled the plug and went with Bush to become more 90’s friendly.

The others weren't getting along with Joey too well at that time. And he was given the boot. I love John Bush's vocals but at first I hated he left Armored Saint to join Anthrax. Sound Of White Noise is a darker record too. Just not thrashy.

I'm glad Joey rejoined Anthrax and John ended up back In Armored Saint.

I just wish they at least did one more album in the same vein as PoT before they booted Joey. I like that direction they were going. Belly of the Beast is one of my favorites.

I’m in no way bashing John. I like him a lot in Armored Saint.

I never cared much for any of those albums. They just don't do much for me. Few decent songs scattered on each, but as a whole.... very MEH.

Troublezone wrote:

I know a lot of people praise Sound of White Noise… but to me, it pales in comparison to Persistence of Time!

I really liked the darker direction they were going with Joey. It’s a shame they pulled the plug and went with Bush to become more 90’s friendly.

On top of another Belladonna Anthrax album to follow up Persistence of Time, I also would have been interested to hear a direct follow-up to Symbol of Salvation, if Bush had stayed just a little longer originally.

I know they both came back to their original bands, but that was already after major musical changes and trends had come and gone.

Lari wrote:

Troublezone wrote:

I know a lot of people praise Sound of White Noise… but to me, it pales in comparison to Persistence of Time!

I really liked the darker direction they were going with Joey. It’s a shame they pulled the plug and went with Bush to become more 90’s friendly.

On top of another Belladonna Anthrax album to follow up Persistence of Time, I also would have been interested to hear a direct follow-up to Symbol of Salvation, if Bush had stayed just a little longer originally.

I know they both came back to their original bands, but that was already after major musical changes and trends had come and gone.

I agree. And they both were arguably in their prime on those albums.

Sound of White Noise for me. I like the Bush era but still remain loyal to the Belladonna era.

I like Overkill's I Hear Black more nowadays than I did when it was current. That said, it's still the Overkill disc that gets the least play from me (along with the middling Bloodletting).

They were trying to change gears and letting their Black Sabbath vibes show thru on I Hear Black, so it was still heavy, but at that time I wasn't really a massive Black Sabbath fan... I was all about thrash, so the tempo shift threw me. I was like "WTF is this slow shit?"

Nowadays, of course, I'm better versed in Sabbath so I understand what they were trying to do with that record. I still don't think it's totally successful (and Blitz apparently agrees with me, cuz I've read interviews with him where he sez it's one of his least favorite Kill records) but it's a better album than I gave it credit for back in the day.