Social Distortion

Longstanding heroes of the US punk scene, Social Distortion have survived heroin addiction, prison sentences and the death of a key member, yet still thrash out their woes like angry teenagers. Initially formed in 1978 as a response to the British punk bands, they were championed by KROQ radio DJ Rodney Bingenheimer and debut album Mommy's Little Monster (1983) and single Another State Of Mind became a big part of the underground rock explosion of the early 1980s. They were forced into hiatus in 1985 as front man Mike Ness's drug problems grew but reformed a year later for second album Prison Break (1988) - a mix of rootsy, country influences and driving hard rock which came to be called "cowpunk". The band were snapped up by major label Epic and albums Social Distortion (1990) and Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell (1992) helped build a more mainstream following which made White Light, White Heat, White Trash (1996) their first record to make the US Top 30. Tragedy struck when guitarist Dennis Danell died from a brain aneurysm in 2000, but the band returned with the well-received Sex, Love And Rock 'N' Roll (2004). They really hit the big time when seventh album Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes (2011) shot to Number 4 in the US charts and captured the band's spirited love of Americana and thundering punk rock.