On the album, Reid is backed by members of his band Masque: keyboard player Leon Gruenbaum, bassist Hank Schroy, and drummer Marlon Browden.

[1][2][3] In a review for AllMusic, Sean Westergaard wrote: "Reid gets some amazingly thick tones out of his guitar, and his playing sounds like no one else...

Known Unknown may not reach the highs of Mistaken Identity, but it's great to hear Vernon Reid's guitar out front again on an all-instrumental album.

"[1] Dave Segal of Jazz Times stated: "The disc's unsurprisingly a showcase for Reid's flamboyant guitar heroics; his squeals and skronks call to mind Carlos Santana, John Scofield and Jimi Hendrix-all of whom merge technical mastery with soulfulness... Fuzzed-up and fluid, Reid's playing is exhibitionistic, but it doesn't overwhelm his adventurous bandmates' contributions.

"[5] In an article for PopMatters, Zeth Lundy remarked: "Some of the album's delirious moments are a bit more complicated and highbrow than simply ecstatic, but that's a minor grievance.