2009 was very good to Social Suicide, and after their widely acclaimed EP Kansas City Shuffle, hard work and dedication have carried them into 2010 with a blast. As a teaser for their upcoming debut album, they have released, along with their first music video, a single/7” that has been baptized Fifth Man on a Dead Man’s Grave. The boys took a supersonic leap in 09 career-wise, getting great publicity and reviews from both the mainstream media as well as making a huge name for themselves outside the boundaries of their hometown that is Bergen, Norway. Hailed as the nation’s great hardcore-hope, Fifth Man on a Dead Man’s Grave boils over with confidence, dedication, grit and determination. Nothing will or can stop Social Suicide from claiming what’s theirs.

I must admit that when I first heard the title-track I was pretty surprised. Where their EP was technically dazzling and very rich on variation, this one is much more simplistic. Still hardhitting, but not as energetic as you might have expected. However, the sparkling melodies and certain punk-rockish delightful catchiness that were cleverly included on most songs on Kansas City Shuffle is still set in stone. The guys deliberately show off a clever sense of song-writing, and even though the song, depending on your taste of course, may be something entirely different than what you wanted or expected, one can’t deny the tight musicianship, and the outstanding and creative performance of every band-member which easily lifts the song to higher levels. The production is crystal clear, and were the drums once were very dry and closed up, the sound clear as day here, cutting beautifully yet a little loudly through the soundscape. Vocalist Sondre Haug sounds better than ever and his raspy voice is causing intense pain cutting through both flesh and bones, riff-machine Bjarte Haugland’s sound is much thicker, fuzzier and gnarlier than before and Remi Arefjord’s deep rumbling, distorted bass is packed with power that could move mountains.

The B-side, Let the Waves Come however, brings back memories from February 2009. Though the production is much weaker, due to the fact that this was recorded in a different studio with different engineers, I can’t help but finding it to be the song more to my liking. Varied, energetic and completely raving mad riffing with the deliberate theme of melody makes for a track equally strong to the main attraction. The sound is stripped down here, and the vocal performance not as breathtakingly intense as on the A-side. The guitar-sound is knobbed in a JR Ewing kind of way, and is mixed down moreso. Drums aren’t nearly as sparkling sound-wise, though the overall performance is again excellent. There should however, in other words be little doubt in where the guys should record their upcoming debut.

All in all another great effort by the Social Suicide. They bring a sense of excitement and energy with them to the post-hardcore/screamo scene that I haven’t heard since early JR Ewing. Thinking outside the box with both music and lyrics will take them a long way, and the fact that they’ve barely hit the age of twenty, success is within reach. Highly recommended if you liked their EP, or you know, if you love terrific hardcore in general.