By DAN SOUTHALL
MAKING a comeback of sorts is always difficult. Between touring commitments and cancer diagnosis and treatment, this album has seen a more difficult birth than others.
But after 15 years without a new record, Social Distortion are back and the punk rock fire is well lit.
With no time to waste and everything to prove, Mike Ness and his band hit the speakers hard with their iconic mash up of punk, rockabilly and country. Openers “Born to Kill” and “No Way Out“ lean heavily on the band’s earliest influences, with Ness’ nasally vocal drawl front and centre, reminding us who they are and why they deserve our attention.
After the quick fire opening punk assault, “The Way Things Were“ is the first of a couple of more reflective numbers that relax into the more jangly end of the Social D repertoire, culminating in the full blown saloon country of “Crazy Dreamer“. And then there’s an excellent punked-up cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” that only Social Distortion can get away with. Taking the classic tale of heartbreak and injecting it with whatever magic it is that has always made this band stand out as originators in a class all their own.
Once Social Distortion has established their cool credentials again with this country punk outburst, they go about winding the clock back just like the opening of the album and get back to rustling feathers and stomping feet as Born to Kill closes out as cool as it began.
Never a band to have a constant release cycle by any means, hopefully they won’t make the fans wait as long next time around.