In reality a brake does not make the gun-blast noisier; what it does is to port lots of the same noise straight to the sides all the way around. The rest of the noise continues forward out the muzzle.
This fact is not true of all brakes. I have two identical Rifles Inc., Strata's, each in 300WBY. All-up weight is 6lbs each, with scope. One rifle uses Lex's "Slim Brake II", with typical holes around the full barrel circumference. It has a miserable concussion wave that overwhelms my nose with burned powder and a fierce noise.
On the second rifle I threw away the slim brake and installed another brake that Ron Spomer wrote about maybe 4 or 5 years ago from BP Technologies. It is very different. 3 major ports out the top; none out the sides and bottom. Very funky shaped expansion chambers. Entirely gone is the concussive wave and dramatically less is the sound signature. I seemed to recall that Spomer rather liked this brake. You might try this link.
http://www.bp-tec.com/ They have some interesting downloadable videos of their brake in action. The manufacturer claims to do a lot of military and tactical work for law enforcement. I met a representative at a trade show who "claimed" the sound signature of their brake is reduced by 2db, both at the shooter position and to the sides. I don't know if this is BS since the bark of a 300 WBY is pretty loud in every event. But the sound is MUCH more tolerable, at least, with the BP-Tecbrake than Lex's original.
As for comments that brakes are ugly, the one thing I like about the BP-Tec "bulb" is that it adds an ounce or two at the muzzle and definitely improved the way this very light rifle hangs for offhand shooting.
Better to avoid a brake whenever possible, however.
