Although it wasn’t the critics favorite, Anthrax’s fourth studio album, 1988’s State Of Euphoria, went on to become one of the band’s most appreciated releases among the fans. Despite this, and the fact that the record contained some of their best-known songs, like such as “Antisocial” and “Finale,” the members of Anthrax never got around embracing this release.
Now, as State Of Euphoria is getting its 30th-anniversary reissue, the band’s drummer Charlie Benante decided to reflect on the record and explain while they think that the albums should be a lot better.
“The momentum behind Among The Living almost made you have to like our next record,” – said Benante referring to the band’s third studio album, now universally considered a masterpiece. “And I’m not saying that State of Euphoria was bad; all of us in the band felt that it was not finished. We could have used a little more time with it.”
This is why Anthrax, according to Benante, starts the band’s reissue cycle with State Of Euphoria.
“I took myself back to that time and going through all the motions and moods and pressure we all felt back then,” – he added. “You have to understand, we were only that band for maybe four years at that point. So believe me, man, it was a whirlwind trying to maintain a certain level of continuity between our first three records that we did and State of Euphoria.”
State Of Euphoria reissue will be released on October 5th as a two-disc deluxe edition. The first disc will contain the fully remastered album, B-sides from that time and the live recording of “Antisocial” from the band’s performance at London’s Hammersmith Odeon in 1989. The second disc is titled “Charlie’s Archives” and will give fans further insight into the process of writing and recording State Of Euphoria.
