Album review: Social Distortion – Born To Kill

Since their inception way back in 1978, Social Distortion have left a sizeable boot print on the rock landscape. Blasting out of the SoCal hardcore scene alongside the likes of Black Flag and Circle Jerks, their outlaw spirit would have global influence from Green Day and Rancid to Scandinavian punk’n’rollers Backyard Babies and The Hellacopters.

Time lost to addiction and stints in correctional facilities, tragedy, illness and line-up changes have all contributed to significant gaps between albums throughout Social Distortion’s career, and Born To Kill ends their latest hiatus with a vengeance. Mainman Mike Ness’s songs continue to divide fairly equally between shit-kicking punk, Springsteen-esque heartland rock and more reflective, country-tinged tunes. Of the former, the title-track opens proceedings with Stooges references and explosive intent, while Walk Away mixes garage grit and stadium sound with similar panache to younger acolytes The Hives.

Elsewhere, The Way Things Were’s autobiographical meditations make like a scuzzier Summer Of ’69, and the honky-tonk hoedown of Tonight supplies the most affecting hook on a record not noticeably lacking in earworms. Country rock legend Lucinda Williams duets with Mike on Crazy Dreamer, a slow dance for people with tattoos of dice, hot rods and pin-up girls. And while any version of Wicked Game is fated to come up short against Chris Isaak’s unbeatable 1989 original, there’s no question that it’s a perfect choice of cover for Social Distortion.

An unexpectedly strong addition to a near half-century of hellraising, Born To Kill is a decent comeback from these punkabilly lifers. Here’s hoping its momentum brings us more magic from Mike, sooner rather than later.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Backyard Babies, Green Day, The Gaslight Anthem

Born To Kill is out now via Epitaph