Music Review: Born to Kill by Social Distortion

 Introduction

I'm a big fan of Social Distortion. Their albums White Light, White Heat, White Trash and Social Distortion are probably my favorites, and it would be awesome if I could see them live. So, when they began releasing new music earlier this year, I was super pumped. And now that their new album Born to Kill has been out for a couple of weeks, I'm going to write a review of it, judging it on the music, cohesion with other Social Distortion albums, and whether it will stand the test of time, with each one getting a score out of 5.

Music

I'm going to be honest. The music is very good. At 11 songs, it's very reminiscent of their early stuff, such as Mommy's Little Monster, or even Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll, and the song "Partners in Crime" is one of the best off the album. The transition between songs is seamless, and the album flows perfectly. Even the slower songs are great, and they don't feel out of place. Now, this could be the seamless audio transition from Spotify talking, but I'm going with just a great, well put together album. It's not often that I listen to an album that is just this good.

Rating: 5/5

Cohesion

As I stated earlier, this is very resemblant of their stuff from the 90s. If I were to describe it in terms of their other albums, I would say it's a mix of Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell and White Light, White Heat, White Trash. Its hard-hitting while keeping the blues/roots/country influence that has made Social Distortion what it is today. If you hit shuffle on all their songs, it would be hard for it to stand out as "different" from the rest. While it is distinct, especially from their last album, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, it feels like it belongs. While Mike Ness' voice has gotten hoarser over the years, it doesn't make that much of a difference.

Rating: 4/5

Test of Time

While it might be too early to say whether it will go down as one of their best-known albums, I think that a prospective look would be a good idea. With this being their eighth studio album, it won't get overlooked in favor of other albums, as there aren't too many options, but there's just enough for healthy variety. And with this one being their first new music since 2011, it instantly injects a new take on Social D's iconic riffs and punk-ness. So, do I think this will be one of their best-known? No. But I don't think it will fade into one of their lesser-known ones either. I think it will be like Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell. A good album, but not necessarily one that a brand-new fan will listen to right away.

Rating: 4/5

Conclusion

I love this album. With the riffs and solos on "Born to Kill" and the ballad-esque "Crazy Dreamer" (which is a fantastic example of Social D's cowpunk style), it is going down as one of my all-time favorites. I really can't say anything bad about it. It's just that good. Should you listen to it? Yes. Whether you're a die-hard punk rock fan or just someone looking to expand their horizons, Born to Kill is a great introduction to Social Distortion. Not too heavy, not too twangy, the perfect blend. After this one, I go with the album Social Distortion.

Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 5