by John Dougan

At a time when most L.A. bands were playing extremely fast, stripped-down rock, Bad Religion released Into the Unknown, a chunk of '70s-styled hard rock that anticipated the '70s revival by about a decade. It's a bit off-putting at first blush, mainly because the tempos are slower and more deliberate, and because of the use of swirling organs and pianos. But Into the Unknown is a terrific record that was perhaps more daring than anyone realized at the time of its release. An extremely influential and interesting record, one that any fan of hard rock should enjoy.