PENNYWISE • Land Of The Free • LP

Epitaph

Pennywise's 'Land of the Free?' with its revered classic songs like the incendiary 'F*ck Authority,' served as a wake-up call to the slumbering masses of America. Originally released in June 2001, the band's sixth studio album aimed to shake people out of their lethargy and prod them into thinking about the world. Addressing political and social issues of the day, from police corruption and mass shootings to elections, the album's themes remain just as relevant two decades and something later.

Over the past many many years, Pennywise has carved a name for themselves as a politically minded, melodic hardcore/punk band, selling millions of albums and becoming one of the most successful independent acts of all time. Formed in 1988, the band started by playing backyard parties in Hermosa Beach, California, with no aspirations other than playing as many songs as possible before the police intervened.

Hermosa Beach and its surrounding neighborhoods are iconic in popular culture, with influential groups like Black Flag, The Circle Jerks, and Descendents blending a fast rebellious sound with the aggressive surf and skate culture of the area. Inspired by their predecessors, Pennywise stood at the forefront of the second wave of American punk rock, helping to propel the movement from a tight-knit subculture into a worldwide phenomenon.