not new music tuesdays

Bad Religion - Into the Unknown (1983, Epitaph)

There seems to be a ton of fan confusion concerning Bad Religion's second full length. Every possible scenario pops up during discussions: drug use, tension between band members, the dreaded "sophomore slump." I suppose there really isn't a right way to answer the important question-- why did they make this record sound like this?

I personally see Into the Unknown as a pretty damn ambitious album that was made by a bunch of kids. These kids started a band when they were 15 and 16 years old and released an ep (Bad Religion) and a full length, How Could Hell Be Any Worse,that are now considered cornerstones of SoCal punk. By the time they were ready to record this album they were 18 or 19, better at their respective instruments and knew their way around the studio a bit more. These guys were children in the 70s that grew up on 70s radio, and it might be that they felt they now had the ability to make a more sophisticated rock album that sounded like the records they grew up listening to.

With all of that said, I DO like this record (with the exception of the first track) more than any of the 11 albums they have released since 1988's Suffer though I may have to revisit 1989's No Control.