s o c i a l d i s t o r t i o n w h i t e l i g h t , w h i t e h e a t , w h i t e t r a s h

From The Pit...

Some have said that Mike Ness has lost some of his edge. They say he can't write songs anymore. Maybe he should go back to jail or do some more drugs, they say. Then maybe he could write some good stuff again. Bullshit.

The new Social D. album "White Light, White Heat, White Trash" doesn't cover much new territory. We see a lot of the same themes we've seen before: anger, loneliness, regret, lost love. There is no doubt this album rocks. It's also got an edginess that Social D. has been missing.

Where Ness used to sing, he now growls and sneers. The melodies and sing alongs of the last couple of albums are missing here. Feedback fades in several of the tracks. New drummer Chuck Biscuits is a wise addition, gelling well with bass player John Maurer. Dennis Dannell's driving rhythm work continues to get Social D. where they need to go. Ness's songs are still the key to the band though.

"Dear Lover" opens the album, and is a typical broken hearted Social D. track. "Dear lover, I can't take the pain no more/Dear lover I pick my heart up off the floor." "Don't Drag me Down" is about society trying to keep you down and how family and society influence us. More typical Social D.

"I Was Wrong", the first single is all about regret for past actions. It is perhaps the most autobiographical song on the album. Ness seems to be telling his story on a few other tracks as well. See also "Through These Eyes", "Down on the World Again", "Gotta Know the Rules", and even "Crown of Thorns".

The final bonus track is their best cover yet of the Stones song "Under My Thumb". It stands out as one of the album's better tracks.

Social D. have gotten older, but they haven't gotten slower or mellower. They're still one of the most rockin' bands around. Their songs are what rock should be about--simple themes we all can relate to. Ness has gotten older too. The hard times he went through in his younger years still come through the music just as well as they did back in 1982 with "Mommy's Little Monster", Social Distortion's first, best and punkest album.