Album Review: "The State of Mind Report" by Polish Thrash Metal Band Acid Drinkers
Ara is a Journalism graduate from California State University Northridge who is always looking to explore his writing opportunities.
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Basic Details and Introduction to The State of Mind Report
Length: 46 minutes and 50 seconds
Genre: crossover thrash metal with a cover song and a ballad
Year released: 1996
The State of Mind Report is the 6th studio album by perhaps the most famous Polish crossover thrash metal band Acid Drinkers and it was released in 1996. The album begins with the crossover track “Private Eco” as the song is a rebellion against the established news media. The song is about how the media deceives us. It is an overload of information and the band asks a great question in the song itself. That question is “How much can one man take?” It is a great question to ask and there’s only so much news consumption we can take in before it starts to impact us in a negative way.
Lyrical Themes In the Songs
Lyrically, the songs in the album deal with many political and social issues of our time. This is not a surprise considering that many thrash metal bands use this same lyrical formula. But it also helps to bring these important issues to the surface through the creativity of music. Acid Drinkers even by this time in their career wasn’t exactly the same as a band because their second album was lighter and more commercial from what I can remember.
About the Album's Title and Musical Style
The title of the album itself may catch the eyes of some fans and depending upon your state of mind at the time of listening to this can range from curiosity to frustration and other feelings. The State of Mind Report is not all just straight crossover thrash metal and for those of you looking for musical variety you will definitely find it on this album.
"Wild Thing" Cover of the Song by The Troggs
Examples of Why This Album Is Musically Varied
One example of this is the cover performance of the song “Wild Thing.” Most of you will remember this one I’m sure. This album may make your heart sing and if that’s the case, you will find this 1996 album a rather enjoyable listen. The music on this album is a total departure from your traditional thrash metal music and that is a good thing for those of us that want to listen to more than just fast riffs and lightning fast solos. “United Suicide Legion” is a song that describes the conditions of a homeless person and what they go through every day. The song feels like this sort of power ballad. Their daily life is like a bad dream as they are not able to move up on the economic ladder. The ballad song in this album is called “Walkway to Heaven” which is a love ballad with flute and violin in there and here’s something you don’t always see with thrash metal bands and this last song is very refreshing after all the heavy thrash songs that we have been exposed to in the album. If your lover really loves you and they promise to be there for you consider yourself very fortunate.
Final Thoughts About The State of Mind Report
The State of Mind Report is one of those albums that may come under criticism from fans who say that Acid Drinkers sold out by trying to get soft. Artists change even though their main goal is to be creative and entertain audiences. This album is definitely not a sellout kind of album where Acid Drinkers went mainstream. It is a crossover thrash metal album without the punk influences of their debut album. “Solid Rock” is a song that is lyrically about the importance of having a friend that you can trust and that will not let you down. We all need people who will bring our spirits up when we feel down. We all need close friends that we can confide in. This 1996 studio album by Acid Drinkers still maintains the crossover thrash metal feel but without profanity or silly dialogue and the lyrical themes are about subjects which we see and experience in the world today. The best songs in this album are many but especially the first three including “Two Be One” and “24 Radical Questions.”
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This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.
© 2021 Ara Vahanian
