Enema of the State Review

Date of release: June 1, 1999

Blink-182 is an American Pop Punk band that formed in Poway, California, in 1992.
Members consist of:

• Mark Hoppus (Bass, Vocals)
• Travis Barker (Drummer)
• Tom DeLounge (Guitarist, Vocals)

They're often credited for revolutionizing the sound of Pop Punk. This album in particular, Enema of the State was an album that had a huge influence on Pop Punk as a whole. Many modern bands listing Blink-182 and this album as a pivitol moment in their life.

What made me want to check out this album in the first place was after I listened to a pair of Blink songs that were recommended to me.
Those being First Date and All the Small Things. I was already a fan of All the Small Things but First Date made me realize that I liked the sound of the band, thus it convinced me to check out this album.
What followed was an incredibly fun album that didn't take itself too seriously, but when it did it nailed the tone amazingly well.

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Songs

DumpWeed
An amazing track to open on, this song does a good job setting up the tone for the album and letting you know what you're in for. This song also first showcases Travis Barker's incredible drumming. The chorus is incredibly catchy and the barrage of the guitars compliment it well.

Don't Leave Me
I love this track's bouncy feel, a feeling that can be credited to the drums. The bass is also a driving force here. This song is about a failing relationship by the past of one partner, but with the tone of the song you wouldn't guess it. It reminds me heavily of Hey, Yeah! by OutKast, it sounds like a happy pop song until the lyrics tell you otherwise.

Aliens Exist
A fun song dealing with the topic of aliens. Once again the drums really pop off here. Tom DeLounge's vocals are also fantastic especially towards the end. The bass throughout the song is also great.

Going Away to College
What follows are a couple of songs starting from Aliens Exist were they start to bleed into one another. An aspect I very much love. This song deals with fears in a non direct way. Reading the lyrics I can't help but have a smile on my face. The biggest example being "This is an ugly place but you're so beautiful to me".

What's my age Again?
This song is dedicated to all those who felt like outcasts in their life. I especially appreciate the breakdowns on this song and love the arpeggio that's used on here. This song is about acting childish at an age where you're expected to behave like an adult. One line of lyric I like that best represents the theme of the song goes, "Nobody likes you when you're 23".

Dysentary Gary
A very angsty song and fast to compliment it. The guitar work is smooth on here as well as the line delivery. I especially love the end of this song, especially the lyrics "Fuck this place, I lost the war, I hate you all, your mom's a whore. Where's my dog? Girls are such a drag". I don't know why but it always cracks me up.

Adam's Song
A total tone changer, this song gets serious. It deals with topics such as depression and suicide. Mark Hoppus wrote it as he was in dark place at the time so it's very personal to him. The tempo slows done as well. The lyrics on here are especially beautiful and encourage those who are dealing with these problems to look forward to the future and overcome the depression. I absolutely love how they included a piano on here, it's the cherry on top.

All the Small Things
The transition from the Previous track to this one is awesome. It also brings back the lighthearted tone of the album. As I previously said on my Top 10 list the entirety of this album always lifts my spirits up. This song in particular has the greatest effect for me, I don't know how somebody can hate this song really. The chugging of the electric guitars is also hypnotic.

The Party Song
I really hate the beginning of the song. The amazing tone that Adam's song and All the Small Things create immediately goes to shit once this songs starts up. Once you get past that though it's actually a pretty nice track, it's incredibly fast too.

Mutt
I don't know what it is but I imagine a whole skate park montage whenever this song plays, on some Tony Hawk shit. In all seriousness the drums on here as I've previously said are amazing. The little breakdown on this track is short but cool.

Wendy Clear
The beginning of this song reminds me of The Stone Roses' song Waterfall. The barrage of the guitars and drums on here sound awesome. The bass line is also much more audible on here and it has it's time to shine.

Anthem
The final track off the album, Anthem is a nice song to end off this amazing album. As soon as those first chords start playing you start feeling good. The drums give it their all on here as a final send off. What I find incredibly cool is the first track off their next album is a part 2 of this song. I also like the lyric "Mom and Dad own the key, instant slavery".

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Final Thoughts
This was such a fantastic album. As I stated in my Still Sucks review I love when bands don't take themselves too seriously and have fun. This is a perfect example of that, and when they do get serious it's done perfectly. I hardly have anything negative to say about it. I'll definitely be checking out some other albums from them.
I'm starting to take a liking to Pop Punk, I'll be honest when I say that I thought it was a joke and nothing good came from it. Oh how wrong I was.
If you're looking for something fun and lighthearted to listen to I strongly recommend this album.

If I had to rate it out of 10: 10/10

Favorite Songs:

• DumpWeed
• Don't leave Me
• Aliens Exist
• Going away to college
• What's my age again?
• Dysentary Gary
• Adam's Song
• All the Small Things
• Mutt
• Anthem

For those interested in checking it out here's a preview song: