![[Full Album] PENNYWISE | "Full Circle"](https://img5.xaiju.com/storage/8/nh/bt/d38796-019e834c-b83b-72e1-9c38-0b0b631766e1.jpg)
[Full Album] PENNYWISE | "Full Circle"
Added 2025-05-01 21:18:28 +0000 UTCPennywise make their full-album Patreon debut with a bang, and honestly, I enjoyed this way more than I expected. Full Circle is one of the most high-octane albums I’ve reviewed—and three seconds into each track, I began bobbing my head involuntarily.
Pennywise have an uncanny ability to make fast, aggressive punk music feel so inviting, and there’s something remarkably trustworthy about that. You can settle into this record with zero hesitation. It's an effortlessly-comfortable listen.
There’s also some surprisingly-clever bass presence throughout the album. Even during the full-bore moments, Randy finds the tastiest ways to cut through the mix. He's never just "surviving" the mix, but shining because of it. If albums had personalities, Full Circle would be that friend that peels into your driveway, smiling, and says “no time to explain—get in.”
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
2:00 - "Fight Till You Die"
7:32 - "Date with Destiny"
12:25 - "Get a Life"
17:08 - "Society"
21:53 - "Final Day"
29:22 - "Broken"
34:56 - "Running Out of Time"
39:10 - "You'll Never Make It"
44:54 - "Every Time"
53:53 - "Nowhere Fast"
1:00:21 - "What If I"
1:03:58 - "Go Away"
1:07:54 - "Did You Really?"
1:13:14 - "Bro Hymn Tribute"
1:19:10 - "Unknown Road"
1:21:20 - Final Thoughts
Comments
You missed the chance to reference infectious grooves
Riley Buchanan
2025-08-07 20:10:37 +0000 UTCYour playing over the unknown road tribute showcases how powerful of an instrument the bass guitar is. Your playing added a whole new level of beauty to the song, if someone threw some laid back drums over it it would be perfect
Riley Buchanan
2025-08-07 20:09:29 +0000 UTCCity is Burning is pretty badass too.
CJ LoBaido
2025-07-22 02:52:57 +0000 UTCTheir first 3 albums are my absolute favorites, Unknown Road being number one. Full Circle is the only non-Jason album that I like, probably because it has a lot to do with Jason.
CJ LoBaido
2025-07-22 02:50:25 +0000 UTCwell..to me, in this album, Byron (the drummer) IS mindblowing 😆
Federico Belloni
2025-07-12 23:09:59 +0000 UTCJust sayin' as an early Pennywise fan, their best stuff is from the era their dearly departed main songwriter at the time and bassist, Jason, was around. Their 2 best albums are with him, they are a lot more dynamic in their writing, he was the most talented guy of the bunch (honourable mention to Byron on drums too). What you should listen to next from them is About Time and Unknown Road, Jason died in between About Time (1995) and Full Circle (1997) where I think a few songs Jason had already written are featured, but unlike the previous album, they do not credit who did what. Probably the best album written by Fletcher (guitar) because it doesn't get better after this, it stagnates for a couple albums and then after Land Of The Free (2001), they are forgettable albums. While About Time has probably the best bass work on it, courtesy of Jason Thirsk, it was a couple years of trauma for me as a kid, 2 of my favorite musician died in a very short time window, Cobain (April 1994), Thirsk (sometime in early 96 I think). About Time is a concept album too, it's about....well, time. It shows at time Jason was depressed, with the killer closer on About Time, Killing Time, always a song that has me getting that synesthesia by the last 30 seconds. Full Circle is a good homage to Jason, he was replaced by his bass teacher, who did write a few songs on this one (Running Out of Time) for example, no credits in the album but they were crediting all of them when I saw them live play About Time front to back one night and Full Circle in full the next night, so that was nice of them. But imo, look into About Time and Unknown Road (1993) for a more diverse, dynamic sounding Pennywise who unfortunately had their growth stunted when the, imo of course, most important member, only musically passed away from x'ing himself out, sad. edit : I like how you notice there's more feel than ever in "Did You Really?" whose lyrics are for Jason, the mastermind behind half to 3/4 of the band's songs before he died from x'ing out himself, he was fighting alcoholism and other abuse, which is hinted at a bit in the previous album, which is their magnum opus imo. That's why they also remade Bro Hymn, on the first album, the song was for friends of theirs who died in a car accident or something like this, but now it was their Bassist, main songwriter, even main singer for a while in 93 live (some videos of Pennywise as a 3-piece are on Youtube) as Jim left the band for a short period in between Unknown Road (93) and About Time (95). Sorry for the wall of text, the fact you're into this one is reigniting my love for Pennywise, especially 1991-1997 Pennywise, the 2 albums following this one are okay, Fletcher should have given more tracks to write to Randy, since it got obvious later on that he cannot carry a whole album's writing by himself. Something similar happened with Bad Religion when Brett Gurewitz, who was there from the beginning left the band in 1995 and Greg Graffin for all his talent, only managed to write one album that was good from front to back by himself (with a little help from Brett's replacement, hardcore/punk legend Brian Baker who was in Minor Threat in DC in the early 80's when Bad Religion were coming up with their first EP and LP on the other side of the country in LA). That album is The Gray Race, where Baker helped out by writing a couple songs, but the 2 other albums without him in 98 and 2000 were the only weak period for BR imo, I'm so glad they corrected that, but that's an entire subject I'm waffling about now lol. I'll just finish by saying you'll have a great surprise the day you listen to the Unknown Road album and hear the beginning of it, the reaction will be worth it.
Floyd Hill
2025-06-20 14:05:55 +0000 UTCGood moves on bass on the piano song at the end , i want more of that 🥰
Craigarius
2025-05-13 21:34:17 +0000 UTCIt's way more than an assumption. This whole album validates, for me, that anger is a valid response to grief
Erik Burriss
2025-05-11 23:42:18 +0000 UTCps - The Live at the Key Club version of Bro Hymn is incredible!
Pieter Wessels
2025-05-11 02:07:24 +0000 UTCSeen Pennywise live. They are super fun. They played the entire Unknown Road album. Crowd surfed to the front, Fletcher fist-bumped me and gave me his guitar pick. Got a black eye from most pit. Took a selfie with Byron. Killer show!
Pieter Wessels
2025-05-11 02:04:21 +0000 UTCAgreed man! Not a big fan of this band but Byron is an absolute beast, even to this day!
Karl Hansen
2025-05-06 08:38:21 +0000 UTCThe bass fill in Homesick off of Unkown Road rips.
Josh Ott
2025-05-05 01:10:42 +0000 UTCKill em all is the only Metallica album I really like. It’s fast like punk.
Stony
2025-05-04 12:25:23 +0000 UTCThis album was written right after the passing of Jason Thirsk (previous bassist). That's the reason most of the songs deal with life and mortality. I believe Jim has mentioned in interviews that losing a close friend made him (and the band) reflect deeply on their relationship and used the songwriting process as a therapy. I would assume that the proverbial letter that you are talking about is written for Jason.
Thomas Moori
2025-05-03 21:39:06 +0000 UTCThe piano outro was the into to the song and record “Unknown Road.” I believe Jason Thirsk(Pennywise bassist through all of the records up to this one) wrote that song and they put Jason’s name in Bro Hymn because of what happened. Really sad deal.
Joe Miller
2025-05-03 03:22:45 +0000 UTCCan we take a minute to recognize that the drummer Byron McMackin is the unsung hero of Pennywise, he is like the energizer bunny of skate punk drummers, and I find super underrated 🥁🤘
Brandon Caya
2025-05-03 02:20:04 +0000 UTCUnknown Road is my favorite Pennywise album.
Matt Gerken
2025-05-02 22:30:08 +0000 UTCSmash Mouth*
Matt Gerken
2025-05-02 22:29:10 +0000 UTCI didn’t read any of the comments on the poll but I don’t get the issue people had with this album. In fact I loved it way more than About Time. This album I thought really solidified the Pennywise sound.
Justin Schroeder
2025-05-02 21:58:23 +0000 UTCI’d really love to see an Unknown Road video because that album was important to me personally in my early punk years , I can remember hearing it not long after I came out and being blown away. I’ll take this though ❤️
Chad Smoliak
2025-05-02 21:11:44 +0000 UTCStraight Ahead was the only Pennywise album I had - it's great! My old band covered Alien. I'm excited to listen to the full Full Circle album for the first time along with Mark!
FourAndA
2025-05-02 16:39:51 +0000 UTCPennywise's Straight Ahead was one of the first albums I bought with my own money as a 15-year old. That album still rips and Pennywise definitely has their own stylistic formula for solid songs. Their bass fills are ways exciting and pummeling.
Tom Bilodeau
2025-05-02 14:26:54 +0000 UTCIt was fun to revisit this album on this episode. Also, Pennywise does make good gym music, lol.
Kirbie B
2025-05-02 13:18:34 +0000 UTC😂
CJ LoBaido
2025-05-02 11:29:36 +0000 UTCI think you really nailed it with this one. I love the album, but I can only take it in small doses. Too much all at once gives me a headache, but I have several albums and like to pepper them into my mixes. For example, I think Nowhere Fast leads nicely into Disengage by Youth of Today. And because I had it on cassette mixes, whenever I finish listening to What If I my mind jumps straight to the Bouncing Souls' Quick Check Girl.
Chris J
2025-05-02 09:35:05 +0000 UTCI pretended not to like these guys for a while because of their bro image and my friends would make fun of bands with this sound but fuck it, this shit rips.
Hobo Bastard
2025-05-02 07:50:26 +0000 UTCLive Fast Diarrhea album would be perfect. 🤩
Daniel Eriksson
2025-05-02 07:39:31 +0000 UTCDoes anyone see a jack-o’-lantern in Pennywise logo or am I a tad too high?
Kris Bonner
2025-05-02 05:56:03 +0000 UTCI’ve loved Pennywise since the day they hit the scene, 35 yrs ish. A few years back I was lucky enough to have all access passes to Punk in Drublic in San Diego. They close every show with bro hymn and let the backstage people on stage with them . Being on that stage with the band during Bro Hymn in front of that huge crowd was a spiritual experience. Sooo rad .
Shawn Burns
2025-05-02 05:24:00 +0000 UTCReally need a Smash full album listen
Jeremy
2025-05-02 05:03:50 +0000 UTCSame here. Pennywise and Bad Religion were 2 of my first 5 punk bands but I find them both so boring now. It all sound the same to me. However, Bro Hymn will forever be a punk classic.
Aukai Ligairi
2025-05-02 05:00:28 +0000 UTCAgain.. A must do band is The Vandals... I mean their drummer is playing for the Foo Fighters after all...
Jake Ryan
2025-05-02 04:16:00 +0000 UTCLike others, I'm not a huge Pennywise fan because most of their stuff does tend to sound samey. On that note, I have to give them 100% credit for getting me into punk rock. I was a huge skater back in the early 90s and living in the Midwest where skating wasn't hugely accepted, I got a lot of my influence from watching skate videos on VHS. Pennywise was the first punk band I heard on those old skate videos and I was instantly hooked on that sound. It turned me down a wormhole of finding other bands that sounded like them and hence my 30+ year love saga with punk music. So credit where credit is due to Pennywise.
Nick Meurer
2025-05-02 03:05:15 +0000 UTCUnknown Road is definitely one of their best. Maybe I'm in the minority but I think About Time is my favorite.
Christopher
2025-05-02 01:46:02 +0000 UTCYeah, Unknown Road is my favorite album, so hopefully down the road he’ll get to do it.
CJ LoBaido
2025-05-02 01:32:12 +0000 UTCWhich part?
CJ LoBaido
2025-05-02 01:31:10 +0000 UTCMore like Byron McWackin!
CJ LoBaido
2025-05-02 01:27:39 +0000 UTCI love all the bands that were on the poll this month so I'm super jacked you got to listen to this album. It's definately the 1st album I think of when PW gets mentioned. Thanks for this review and keep em coming
Steve E
2025-05-02 01:19:12 +0000 UTCThis was an awesome analysis of one of my most played albums of the ‘90s and early ‘2000s. So great to hear your take on it.
Matt Gerken
2025-05-02 01:05:29 +0000 UTC100%.
Ceej Luige
2025-05-02 00:24:40 +0000 UTCTook till Society to play air drums that’s some self restraint. Pretty sure I do that with every Pennywise song lol. Byron is ridiculous just one of the most driving drummers ever.
Josh Ott
2025-05-02 00:19:41 +0000 UTCMark, the secret track is Unknown Road off of their 2nd album, Unknown Road. It has the piano as an intro, then kicks it in. That album is my absolute favorite and Jason starts playing more than just root notes lol. I feel like that should be next…or their self titled. Glad you enjoyed it! I know I did!
CJ LoBaido
2025-05-02 00:09:54 +0000 UTCI'll say this, and this might sound like a knock against the band but really I just mean it as a compliment to Mark. You have both the knowledge and the patience to find all the nuanced differences in a repetitive album and I think that's absolutely excellent. It's not my cup of tea this album but I still get happy seeing you really enjoy some good ole punk rock.
Ceej Luige
2025-05-02 00:09:07 +0000 UTCMark, I don’t know about everyone else, but I actually would’ve greatly enjoyed listening to more of you jamming at the end with the piano…”lost in the sauce” as you put it. Was disappointed when it cut off lol.
Mike
2025-05-01 23:28:32 +0000 UTCGotta get against me- reinventing axl rose on here, or any against me for that matter
kreviss jurjesss
2025-05-01 23:27:47 +0000 UTCThe Lawrence Arms Presents Cocktails and Dreams next l
McChud
2025-05-01 23:24:00 +0000 UTCGreat episode! This was the first Pennywise album I bought. I think the album is more "samey" than their previous albums which was a disappontment to a lot of fans. If you listen to any of their earlier albums there is more variety, particularly with Lindberg's singing style, which had more singing with a very unique cadence (I don't know how to descrube it lol). Also shot out to PW drummer Byron McMackin who is still one of the fastest and most solid drummers I've heard! And also such a cool name haha.
Christopher
2025-05-01 23:19:47 +0000 UTCI remember driving the local record store CRAZY bugging them every day the week this album came out to see if they'd gotten it in from their distributor yet. Was a HUGE Pennywise fan at the time. Still love them, but I've grown to like other bands more and I'm glad to see it won the poll. The piano solo is used in the intro to the lead and title track off their album "Unknown Road". I'm digging decades old memories from Usenet out of my head at this point, but I THINK that was Jim playing the piano track on Full Circle, which was an expansion of the piano bit from "Unknown Road" which was Fletcher playing a version of a tune he'd heard somewhere on a scratch track and they kept it. I could be completely mixing up facts as I learned all this many bourbons ago, or I could just be completely wrong because I got it off Usenet when the internet was a complete wild west so my source is "some dude on a mailing list in 1997 said so".
Gamer's Tavern
2025-05-01 23:12:29 +0000 UTCOne of my favorite bands growing up and this album brings back a ton of great memories. What a great watch!
Willtheworld
2025-05-01 22:59:33 +0000 UTCOkay, that last line of your synopsis made me chuckle. I'm in.
Ceej Luige
2025-05-01 22:12:20 +0000 UTCI'm not huge on Pennywise but definitely getting an overwhelming sense of 90's nostalgia listening to this. I remember seeing Pennywise at the Warped Tour the summer after this record came out. I also always associate Pennywise with the snowboarding video Project 6 that had a few songs from Unknown Road on it. Speaking of which, Unknown Road is an absolute ripper of an opening track. Would've much rather heard that record reviewed. Anyway, thanks for another great video... 20 min in.
Joe
2025-05-01 21:49:58 +0000 UTC
