Social Distortion is a resilient and influential punk band which has weathered the wavering fortunes of punk, drug addiction, death and a steady stream of line-up changes. The only remaining member from the original line-up is Mike Ness, whose own path has not been easy, as his overwhelming drug habit resulted in the band being disbanded for a while in the mid 80s.
The band formed in the late 70s but did not make it to vinyl until 1983, with the release of Mommy’s Little Monster. Unfortunately the follow-up took time to appear as Ness’ heroin addiction diverted energy from the recording process. The band split, then re-formed once he was straight and released Prison Bound (1998), which marked an evolution in style from hardcore punk to cowpunk. Their growing success was consolidated when they released their eponymous third album in 1990, which is often considered to be their best and is cited as a favourite by critics.
The band has continued to release albums, with the last two reaching the Top 40 of the American album charts. As a measure of their success, several of their tracks have appeared on television programmes and video games, and there are countless oblique references to them throughout popular culture. Although the death in 2000 of Denis Danell, a founding member and childhood friend of Ness, caused a wobble, the band continues to inspire fervent devotion from fans around the world.
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| Editor | Edits |
|---|---|
| Chris Heathcote | 12 |
| preejum | 1 |
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