Album Review: Anthrax - State of Euphoria (1988)

For metal thrashing goodness there are four bands that you can really count on - Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer.  Hell, they're the staple of the genre.  I've thrashed Metallica to death, Megadeth every now and then, I've somehow gone off Slayer, and Anthrax I play on the odd occasion nowadays.  I really should be cranking them up more often, as they've got some great material - Spreading the Disease is my personal favorite, and you can't go wrong with Among the Living, either.  It turns out that State of Euphoria is pretty damn good too.  Not quite as good as the other aforementioned two albums, but it still commands a good deal of respect.  Well, at least it commands my respect anyway.  The very first Anthrax album I bought was The Collection, and there are a number of songs from that compilation here - "Out of Sight, Out of Mind", "Make me Laugh", "Anti-Social" and "Misery Loves Company" - almost half the album, which always says something about the album when a good portion of the track list makes it to the compilation records.  "Be All, End All", "Who Cares Wins" are pretty damn good as well, and the record concludes on a high note with "Finale." A highly respectable album, indeed.  Now, go out and get it!  A-

Album Review: Anthrax - Spreading The Disease (1985)

I'm very impatient when it comes to listening to music.  I'm far more partial to a fast tempo song, rather than something that is mellow, patient and drawn out.  Thrash metal quickly became a generic favorite of mine as a result of its innate proclivity to move quickly and aggressively.  And the big four of the genre - Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and of course, Anthrax, all lead the way in providing music lovers with that faster-than-light, string thrashing madness that we've come to expect from them.  And they all do it very well.  Metallica and Megadeth are perhaps the most famous of the four.  In fact, without either band, thrash metal probably wouldn't have ever existed.  But the (slightly) lesser known East Coast band Anthrax has made some pretty kick ass records of its own.  My favorite, which I am writing about here, is Spreading The Disease, from 1985.  Fast and angry, as thrash should be, but melodic and utterly pleasurable, and at times climatic and tempered, this album, for me at the very least, is greater than the better received Among The Living from 1987 (but that's still a great album too, I should add).  Why?  "S.S.C./Stand or Fall", "Medusa", "Gung-ho" and "Armed and Dangerous", that's why.  They're some of my favorite Anthrax songs, and they're all concentrated on this album.  But then there's "A.I.R." and "Madhouse" to contend with as well, so you really can't go wrong with this record.  Metal thrashing brilliant! A