State of Euphoria
Encyclopedia
State of Euphoria is the fourth studio album by the American heavy metal
band Anthrax
. It was released on September 19, 1988 through Megaforce
/Island Records
.
by Anthrax and Mark Dodson
, with Alex Perialas
engineering. The album reached #30 on the Billboard 200
chart in late 1988 and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The songs "Who Cares Wins", dealing with the plight of the homeless
, and "Antisocial
" were released as singles with accompanying music video
s.
The song "Misery Loves Company" was based on the Stephen King
novel Misery, while "Now It's Dark" was inspired by the David Lynch
film Blue Velvet, specifically the behavior of the sexually depraved, self-asphyxiating, murderous sociopath Frank Booth, as played by Dennis Hopper
. The song was years later made into simlish
for the radio on the The Sims
PC game. The song "Make Me Laugh" is critical of Televangelism
, a popular target of thrash metal
bands of that period.
The back cover of the album contains a parody picture of the band drawn by Mort Drucker, a caricaturist best known for his artwork in Mad Magazine.
, Among the Living
and the I'm the Man EP
.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
. It was released on September 19, 1988 through Megaforce
Megaforce Records
Megaforce Records is an American independent record label which was founded in 1982 by Jon and Marsha Zazula to publish the first works of Metallica. It has offices in New York and Philadelphia. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony Music Entertainment/RED Distribution...
/Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
.
Album information
The album was producedRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Anthrax and Mark Dodson
Mark Dodson
Mark Dodson is a prolific record producer and sound engineer, who mostly works with artists in the heavy metal genre. He is best known for producing albums by Anthrax and Suicidal Tendencies.-Biography:...
, with Alex Perialas
Alex Perialas
Alex Perialas is an American audio engineer, mixer, and record producer, best known for his extensive work during the "golden age" of thrash metal in the mid–1980s to early–1990s...
engineering. The album reached #30 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart in late 1988 and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The songs "Who Cares Wins", dealing with the plight of the homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
, and "Antisocial
Antisocial (song)
"Antisocial" is a song by the French hard rock band Trust, from their album . The song was written by Bernie Bonvoisin and Norbert Krief.The song is featured in the video game Guitar Hero World Tour and is available as downloadable content to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.-Anthrax...
" were released as singles with accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s.
The song "Misery Loves Company" was based on the Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
novel Misery, while "Now It's Dark" was inspired by the David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
film Blue Velvet, specifically the behavior of the sexually depraved, self-asphyxiating, murderous sociopath Frank Booth, as played by Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
. The song was years later made into simlish
Simlish
Simlish is a fictional language featured in EA Games' Sim series of games. It debuted in SimCopter, and has been especially prominent in The Sims, The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. The Sims development team created the unique Simlish language by experimenting with fractured Ukrainian, French, Latin,...
for the radio on the The Sims
The Sims
The Sims is a strategic life-simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. Its development was led by game designer Will Wright, also known for developing SimCity...
PC game. The song "Make Me Laugh" is critical of Televangelism
Televangelism
Televangelism is the use of television to communicate the Christian faith. The word is a portmanteau of television and evangelism and was coined by Time magazine. A “televangelist” is a Christian minister who devotes a large portion of his ministry to television broadcasting...
, a popular target of thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
bands of that period.
The back cover of the album contains a parody picture of the band drawn by Mort Drucker, a caricaturist best known for his artwork in Mad Magazine.
Reception
Although the album contains some of what would become Anthrax's best known songs such as "Antisocial" and "Be All, End All", critical reception was lukewarm. The album failed to live up to the expectations, commercial and otherwise, set by the band's previous releases, Spreading the DiseaseSpreading the Disease
Spreading the Disease is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Anthrax. It was released on October 30, 1985 through Megaforce Worldwide/Island Records. It was the band's first album to feature vocalist Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello.-Album information:The band produced...
, Among the Living
Among the Living
Among the Living is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. The album was released in March 1987 by Megaforce Worldwide/Island and is certified gold by the RIAA. The BBC has described the album as "arguably their big breakthrough", and "often cited by fans as their favourite...
and the I'm the Man EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
.
Track listing
Personnel
- Joey BelladonnaJoey BelladonnaJoey Belladonna is a heavy metal singer and drummer, best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Anthrax...
– Lead vocals - Dan SpitzDan SpitzDan Spitz is a musician best known for his work as the lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Anthrax from 1983–1995 and from 2005 to 2007. He is the brother of former White Lion and Black Sabbath bassist Dave Spitz.-Personal life:...
– Lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Scott IanScott IanScott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...
– Rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, Backing vocals - Frank BelloFrank BelloFrank Bello is an American musician who plays bass guitar for the thrash metal band Anthrax. Originally he was a roadie and guitar technician for the band, but later he replaced Dan Lilker on the Spreading the Disease album. After leaving Anthrax in early 2004 Bello joined Helmet - another New...
– Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Backing vocals - Charlie BenanteCharlie BenanteCharlie Benante is the drummer for the heavy metal bands Anthrax and Stormtroopers of Death .- Career :...
– DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - AnthraxAnthrax (band)Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
– ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Mark Dodson – Producer
- Carol Freedman – CelloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Alex Perialas – EngineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, Associate producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Jon Zazula – Executive producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Marsha Zazula – Executive producer
- Bridget Daly – Assistant engineer
- Don Brautigam – ArtworkAlbum coverAn album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
- Gene Ambo – PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Mort Drucker – Artwork
- Paul Speck – Assistant engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...