Pennywise: Jim (vocals); Fletcher (guitar); Jason (bass); Byron (drums).

Recorded at West Beach Recorders, Hollywood, California.

Pennywise: Jim (vocals); Fletcher (guitar); Jason (bass guitar); Byron (drums).

Named after the evil clown in Stephen King's novel IT, Pennywise debuted on Epitaph Records in 1991 with this fierce 14-song album. Unmistakably influenced by veteran hardcore band Bad Religion (whose guitarist Brett Gurewitz founded Epitaph), the California quartet offers up an assured set of dense, melodic tunes that typify the California pop-punk sound.

Having a rather redundant self-titled song on a self-titled album is about the only misstep on this outing, with the ensemble unleashing formidable anthems such as "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Living for Today," which boast pummeling rhythms, blazing guitar lines, and frontman Jim Lindberg's crisp, energetic vocals. Even at this early stage of the group's career, its aggressive sound and positive outlook was fully formed, as best exemplified by the poignant ode to camaraderie "Bro Hymn." It's fitting, then, that when the mid-1990s pop-punk boom came along, and many Epitaph acts, including the Offspring and, oddly enough, Bad Religion moved on to major labels, Pennywise stayed true to the company and became its flagship band.

At the heart of punk rock's early-'90s rebirth was a crew of California groups who put out their own fast and tight songs with plenty of influence from Bad Religion. Pennywise's self-titled record was one of the better records of this region and period, and its short and sweet anthems are still a great listen. From the unforgettable "No Reason Why" to the heartfelt ode "Bro Hymn and the theme-song glory of "Pennywise," this is some truly catchy punk rock. The guitars are a constant metallic presence along with high-speed drums and simple but memorable lyrics. This record literally never slows down, instead jumping from track to track and driving faster ahead every second. The music is unrelenting, but that doesn't mean you can't hear and in fact understand every word, a quality that drags the listener further and further in. There are way too many records still coming out that sound similar to this, but not only did this record emerge in 1991, it STILL has more heart than those that try to emulate it. With positive ideals and punk attitudes, this record is both a middle finger in the direction of authority and a call to unity for the disillusioned. Singer Jim Lindberg has a powerful voice, and with plenty of help on backing harmonies, the band is able to be both melodic and aggressive while still being believable. Punk rock isn't brain surgery, but this record helped make Pennywise one of the groups able to bring their message to the mainstream and at least give it a bit more credibility. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo