Band:	Anthrax
Album:	State Of Euphoria
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	September 20, 1988
A review by:	omne metallum

Disc I
01. Be All, End All
02. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind
03. Make Me Laugh
04. Antisocial [Trust cover]
05. Who Cares Wins
06. Now It's Dark
07. Schism
08. Misery Loves Company
09. 13
10. Finale
11. Antisocial [French version] [30th anniversary edition bonus]
12. Friggin' In The Riggin' [30th anniversary edition bonus]
13. Parasite [30th anniversary edition bonus]
14. Le Sects [30th anniversary edition bonus]
15. Pipeline [30th anniversary edition bonus]
16. Antisocial [Live at Hammersmith Odeon] [30th anniversary edition bonus]

Disc II [30th anniversary edition bonus] [Charlie's archives]
01. Be All, End All [demo version]
02. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind [demo version]
03. Make Me Laugh [demo version]
04. Antisocial [Trust cover] [demo version]
05. Who Cares Wins [demo version]
06. Now It's Dark [demo version]
07. Schism [demo version]
08. Misery Loves Company [demo version]
09. Finale [demo version]

Anthrax have some unfinished business here, and I mean it literally, this album is unfinished.

Hot on the heels of their breakout smash Among The Living, Anthrax were back with a follow up just over a year later; striking while the irons were hot, the band jumped right back into the fray. This quick turn around is something you'll come to regret as a listener; sure everyone wants more material from a band, but you want a complete article, not State Of Euphoria.

If you get a chance to read Scott Ian's I'm The Man, he explains that State Of Euphoria was rushed to completion due to tour obligations, and the band cut corners to meet said deadline. It's nice to get confirmation of something that is staring you square in the face the whole time you listen to this; whether it's ill-fitting verses, generic riffs or choppy cut-and-paste songs, State Of Euphoria is an album that needed more time to live up to its potential.

State Of Euphoria is an album of unfulfilled potential, with tracks that seem to have placeholder riffs ("Schism", "Who Cares Wins" or "Finale") in the final product rather than as a work in progress, as well as choruses that are half assed ("Schism", "Make Me Laugh") and seem rushed alongside songs that are overly long and repetitive to a flaw ("Who Cares Wins"). The songs feel rushed to completion with the band making rash decisions rather than natural refinements.

The production given to this album only adds to this overarching sense of incompleteness, with the band sounding as if they are playing behind an invisible wall. The band are coherent but everything is so quiet that rather than having you as a listener sit back and enjoy the album, you have to make a concerted effort to hear the record; with it already being sub par, it makes it more of a chore than entertainment. Add in that the band don't sound vital and full of life except for on a few choice songs, and the production strangles a lot of the signs of life the songs do have at points.

With all that said, however, the other side of the coin is that these songs do have potential; there are elements in them that just needed to have more refinement, meaning that the songs can't be written off fully. "Now It's Dark" for example is a good skeleton of a song, it just needs some more meat on the bones for it to really stand tall; just some tinkering around here and there to improve everything and it could be a classic rather than a near classic. Each track has some things going for it, it's just a case of connecting the dots and filling in the gaps.

There are some songs here that are complete articles or are so close to being such that they're strong even though they're aren't in their final form. "Be All, End All" is easily the strongest cut here; the riffs, lyrics and structure are all completed and set a standard the rest of the album. Strong, catchy and with good instrumentation, it's hard not to love it. "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind" features a catchy riff that the song works around and takes you on a journey with some great instrumental accompaniment. "Misery Loves Company" sounds like it needed a bit more refinement, but is more than passable in its current form; the riffs are a bit generic but they work alright in their current form.

Of course there is "Antisocial", which is oft regarded as the sole highlight of this album and one of the band's best moments overall. Given that it is a cover and a fully rounded song, it's easy to see why it stands above the rest of the album. It is a instant classic and one that serves to be a highlight should you ever catch the band live, infectious, punchy and all the fat trimmed off.

The band are on good form instrumentally; while the material doesn't allow them to sound as sharp and cutting as on Among The Living, they're still as strong and hard-hitting, even if their sonic attack is more blunted than before. Benante again shows why he should be considered the best drummer in the big 4, with his percussive attack being the one constant highlight throughout the album. Belladonna's voice is strong throughout, but is hampered by having some incomplete material to work with; where the songs are strong he is able to shine.

It's not a total write-off, but I would work your way back to this album rather than start here; Anthrax have done better work before and after this album. State Of Euphoria is an album for fans of the band rather than casual fans.