Righteous punk rock between a worn-out distortion pedal and vintage maturity.
Social Distortion fans had to wait 15 years for a new sign of life in the studio. Most recently, singer, guitarist, songwriter and boss in the ring Mike Ness’ tonsil cancer delayed work on it again. BORN TO KILL, the (only) eighth work from the band, which has been active since 1978, is now putting an end to the bad news.
Recovered and vocally free of compromises, Ness and his gang serve up a righteous rock album between the distortion pedal and vintage maturity with an inimitable and incorruptible old school attitude. Having successfully plundered the growing pool of unreleased song ideas from the last 30 years, Social Distortion anno 2026 even sound faster and more urgent than on its predecessor HARD TIMES AND NURSERY RHYMES.
This is ensured – under the first-class production aegis of Dave Sardy (Jet, Wolfmother) – the opener and title track or the memory of Chuck Berry in the guitar solo “Over You” as well as the melodies. But the more thoughtful moments are no less impressive: be it the Chris Isaak cover “Wicked Game” or the honky-tonk jingle sung with Americana icon Lucinda Williams “Crazy Dreamers”. A more than successful comeback that hits exactly the right hooks between punk, roots and rock.
