In Brief

* * * Social Distortion, “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell,” Epic. These ex-punks from Orange County answer the question: What if battering rams could sing? Leader Mike Ness’ love of country music grows more pronounced on the band’s fourth and best album, but the noise quota remains. The result is a catchy, consistent collection of plain-spoken songs that make you want to hum along while they’re smacking you in the forehead with the sort of molten twang you hear from that other country-loving noisebringer, Neil Young.

Albums are rated on a scale one star (poor) to four (excellent).