The SoCal legends are finally back after a 15 year wait!
Well, Social Distortion need no introduction from me, so I’ll just tell a story instead. It was 25 years ago, during a less than fabulous time in my life, that I chanced upon a copy of their 1996 ‘White Light, White Heat, White Trash’ album in a charity shop CD sale. I’d heard good things about the band, so I bought it – probably the best fiver I ever spent, and a fine introduction to a band whom I now count as one of my all-time favourites.
Anyway, I promise I’ll try not to let my gratitude to Mike Ness’s crew cloud my judgement of ‘Born To Kill’, the band’s first studio album since 2011’s ‘Hard Times & Nursery Rhymes’. It certainly starts off well, with the previously-released title track and ‘No Way Out’ the sound of a band reenergised and revitalised. Mike’s ever-recognisable voice is in fine form, and he clearly still has a keen ear for an adrenalised punk rock riff – the title track, in particular, has long since taken up residence in my head.
He also, as ever, does a great job of playing both the rebellious, enraged upstart and the world-weary sage, often in the same song. ‘The Way Things Were’ is a fine example, and something of a successor to their evergreen hit ‘Story Of My Life’. Clearly at least partly autobiographical, it boasts a winner of a chorus, and reminder us that the band are no less effective when they ease up on the gas pedal from time to time.
Musically, there aren’t really many surprises in store here, with the possible exception of the honky-took piano on the languid ‘Crazy Dreamer’ and a decent cover of the Chris Isaak classic ‘Wicked Game’. It’s testament to the record’s strengths, though, that neither is among its most compelling moments; we’d rather go for the gloriously melodic ‘Tonight’ or the bluesy rhythm of ‘Never Going Back Again’. If there is a weak link on show here, it’s that a couple of tracks come across as a bit Social Distortion-by-numbers, but overall, this record hits way more often than it misses.
Although it may not scale the heights of my personal Social D favourite (that would be their 1990 self-titled record), ‘Born To Kill’ is an impressive effort – and all the more so considering that Mike is well into his 60s. Back in the day, few would have bet that his band would last this long, but here they are in 2026, still going strong and still sounding like they could teach today’s young guns a trick or two. Welcome back, guys.
Main Photo Credit: JONATHAN WEINER
- Born To Kill
- No Way Out
- The Way Things Were
- Tonight
- Partners In Crime
- Crazy Dreamer
- Wicked Game
- Walk Away
- Never Going Back Again
- Don’t Keep Me Hanging On
- Over You
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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