The first Social Distortion album since founder Mike Ness’ recovery from cancer, “Born to Kill” brims with aggressive optimism.
Orange County’s finest Social Distortion will bring their North American Tour to The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Friday, Sept. 25, in support of the band’s upcoming album “Born to Kill,” with guests Descendents and The Chats. Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 27, at 10 a.m. PT at Ticketmaster.com and CosmopolitanLasVegas.com.
An artist pre-sale begins Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 10 a.m. PT. Facebook customers and members of MGM Rewards will have access to a pre-sale Thursday, Feb. 26, at 10 a.m. PT. Spotify customers will have access to a pre-sale Thursday, Feb. 26, at 12 p.m. PT. All pre-sales end Thursday, Feb. 26, at 10 p.m. PT.
“Born to Kill” is set for release Friday, May 8, via Epitaph Records. The album, a 15-year wait between Social D albums, is 11 songs of unadulterated rock fury, joy and catharsis all imbued with the signature blend of defiance and world-weariness that has made founder Mike Ness a poet and sage for more than 40 years.
The first Social D album since Ness’ recovery from cancer, “Born to Kill” brims with aggressive optimism. The album wastes no time letting the listener know where its heart is with its title track and mission statement dropping nods to Lou Reed (“Rock ’n’ Roll Animal gonna come your way!”) and Iggy and The Stooges (“The agenda is yeah to Search and Destroy”).
Plus an homage to David Bowie (“It’s a Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide”) a few songs later on “Partners in Crime.” This is a man, a band and a record that wear their influences proudly while creating timeless anthems and ballads that chart Social Distortion’s path forward and celebrate its storied past.
Co-produced by Ness and Dave Sardy and featuring guest appearances from Benmont Tench of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and Lucinda Williams, and collaborative cover art by Ness and Shepard Fairey, “Born to Kill” is the latest installment in a remarkable catalog that spans nearly three generations:
“Mommy’s Little Monster” (1983), “Prison Bound” (1988), the RIAA gold-certified “Social Distortion” (1990) and “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell” (1992), “White Light, White Heat, White Trash” (1996), “Sex, Love and Rock ’n’ Roll” (2004) and “Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes” (2011).
