Unknown Road
Unknown Road is the second studio album by Pennywise. It was released on August 17, 1993, through Epitaph Records and recorded in 1993 at Westbeach Recorders in Hollywood, California. The album runs 33 minutes and 33 seconds and blends punk rock, hardcore punk, and skate punk. It was produced by Joe Peccerillo.
After frontman Jim Lindberg briefly left the band during touring after their 1991 self‑titled debut, Pennywise began recording Unknown Road. The release came just before California’s punk scene broke into the mainstream, helping the band land tours with The Offspring and others. Some footage from the Unknown Road era appears in the band’s 1995 documentary Home Movies.
Pennywise had released vinyl EPs A Word from the Wise and Wildcard in 1989, which were later reissued on CD in 1992. Signed by Epitaph in 1990, they released their self-titled debut on the label, which raised their profile. Lindberg left briefly after that album, bass player Randy Bradbury joined, Thirsk moved to lead vocals, and in 1992 Dave Quackenbush of The Vandals briefly sang with the band. Bradbury later left and Thirsk returned to bass; Bradbury rejoined after Thirsk’s death in 1996. Unknown Road was the first album recorded with the band’s current lineup. The recording took place at Westbeach Recorders in Hollywood, with producer Joe Peccerillo.
Allmusic’s Paul Henderson gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, calling it an inspired effort from a reunited and recharged Pennywise. All songs were written by Pennywise.
The track “Slowdown” appears after “Clear Your Head” on the original album pressing; on the 2005 remastered edition it is listed as its own track. The piano on the title track Unknown Road is extended after the silence on the closing track “Bro Hymn Tribute” from Full Circle, with the piano piece taken from the 1992 movie Poison Ivy. The songs “Homesick,” “Try to Conform,” and “Dying to Know” were featured in the 1997 arcade game Top Skater.
Singles from Unknown Road were “Homesick” (1993) and “Dying To Know” (1994).
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:58 (CET).