Review Summary: In the weirdly specific trend of late eighties transitional albums released by burned out thrashers, State of Euphoria holds up better than most.
Of all the albums in Anthrax’s early era, State of Euphoria seems to be the one with the least defined identity. It feels like a hodgepodge of the other Belladonna installments, the more melodic emphasis making it feel more it could’ve been a stopgap between Spreading the Disease and Among the Living while predicting the more sinister aura that’d come with Persistence of Time. There’s still some development at play but feels minuscule compared to the exponential leaps that came before, no doubt reflecting the band’s fatigue by this time.
Speaking of which, the musicianship makes up for the inevitably scaled back energy with a more balanced dynamic compared to its predecessor. The vocals feel a little more back in step after that pushed out feeling before, putting in their usual melodic prowess with the gang vocals returning to a much less exaggerated role. The drums and guitars also keep up their synergy, still putting in some tight chugs and blasting drums even if the escalations aren’t quite as dramatic.
Unfortunately, the songwriting is where the album’s lacking individual character is most noticeable. The structures keep up a smooth flow and the choruses are fairly enjoyable though, but the way they seem almost held back makes them less memorable. There’s not a below average track here but it lacks the charismatic sing-alongs of Spreading the Disease or the ear-catching one-liners of Aming the Living.
Go figure the cover of Trust’s “Antisocial” ends up feeling the most like an archetypal Anthrax classic. Perhaps it has to do with the injected personality that came with translating the original’s French lyrics to English, but you really can’t go wrong with that bouncy chug and the simple but effectively chanted chorus. I also gotta give props to the opening “Be All, For All” for suggesting a more progressive way forward with its periodic violin and exotic melodies, even if that progress is still a way’s to go.
In the weirdly specific trend of late eighties transitional albums released by burned out thrashers, State of Euphoria holds up better than most. It avoids the dullness of a Souls of Black as well as the unhinged execution of a So Far, So Good… So What. It is no doubt anchored by a couple excellent songs, but the others are put together well enough to be understandable deep cuts for Anthrax diehards. It may be my least listened to album of their classic era, but this is still undeniably Anthrax.
