Somewhere between Heaven and Hell

Social Distortion: Mike Ness (vocals, lead guitar); Dennis Dannell (rhythm guitar); John Maurer, Christopher Reece.
Recorded at El Dorado Studios, Hollywood, California.
HEAVEN AND HELL is Social Distortion's finest hour, the crystallization of all the elements that made it a great band. The country and rockabilly influences cultivated on previous albums are fully integrated here, so that Jimmy Work's country classic "Making Believe" sounds perfectly at home amid Mike Ness's own compositions. It's often hard to tell whether the band is punking up covers of old country and rockabilly tunes or incorporating those influences into its own songs, and that's the telling mark of assimilation. Ness's songwriting is at its sharpest and most memorable here. The powerful guitar assault achieves a newfound clarity here, which made it possible for the most melodic offerings on HEAVEN AND HELL ("Bad Luck") to achieve heavy radio play and raise the group to a new level of popularity.

• Released: 05/23/11
• Format: Vinyl
• RSD Release Date: n/a
• Genre: Rock