Metal Anarchy

During a recent interview with Noise11, Social Distortion’s Mike Ness discussed the band’s new album “Born To Kill” (out May 8). He also mentioned that a follow-up will be released “in a timely manner.”

Ness said the following when asked why now is the right time to release “Born To Kill”:

“Well, I wish I had a good answer for you. Fifteen years ago we were touring heavily. A lot of real-life stuff started to happen. My older son got into some trouble with drugs and alcohol. I still had to tour and deal with that. I don’t know, honestly, though. I mean, I could name all these things that have happened — COVID and cancer and family stuff — but I don’t feel I could have made this record fifteen years ago. I wasn’t in a headspace [to make an album]. So, it is what it is. All I knew is when it came time to make this record, I knew I couldn’t deliver a sleeper.”

He continued when asked how old the songs are:

“I can tell you there’s two [songs] that are left over from the [1996] ‘White Light, [White Heat, White Trash]’ demos — ‘No Way Out’ and ‘Don’t Keep Me Hanging On’ were both songs that I couldn’t finish in time to record [for] the ‘White Light’ album. And like many ideas, they just get kind of shoved in a corner, and they didn’t make the record. It wasn’t because they weren’t good enough; it’s just we didn’t have the time to finish them all. And the same thing when it came time to pick these eleven songs. I had over 40 songs to go through and 40 ideas, and we had to spend a couple of months just kind of arranging ’em and playing them and seeing which ones kind of [worked best]. And it was a very tough decision, because you’re, like… I guess we can just look at it, like, ‘This will go on the next record for sure.’ So you just to make a decision.”

He also confirmed that the leftover material is “in shape to be released”:

“Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, look, we plan to shock everybody and put out another studio album in a timely manner. [Laughs]”

He also added the following when asked if he made the record of his career:

“I think so. I was kind of using ‘White Light’ as a kind of compass of some sort. But that was in the ’90s, and I was working with a producer that… I just don’t personally — I don’t like how he made me sing the songs. He made me sing them really at ’15’, where it’s almost like it wasn’t really singing anymore. I thought they were beautiful songs, and if I would’ve been more aware, like I am now, I would’ve sang them… Because for me, I’ve noticed that when I sing a song of mine, or someone else’s, the attitude comes out when it’s supposed to. It doesn’t have to just be slamming the whole time. I feel like you lose something. That’s my own critique on myself. But I do think that this is a better record than ‘White Light’, yes.”

[via Blabbermouth]