Norwegian pop-rock group Beachheads are an offshoot from black metal party powerhouse Kvelertak. In 2017, they wowed us with their self-titled debut album, so we’re pleased to report that the band will be releasing their second LP later this year. Today, we get a first listen at what they’ve been up to the last few years with lead single “Death Of A Nation.”

If the title wasn’t any indication, “Death Of A Nation” is pretty political. Singer and lyricist Børild Haughom says the song is “looking askance at the televised war,” with lyrics taking on the rise of fascism worldwide: “They got it right/ Fascism for everybody/ Who’s up for fights/ Distributing pamphlets/ Let’s start tonight.” However, there’s a fun duality present where these lyrics seem completely detached from the feel created by the upbeat instrumental. There’s an air of surf rock to it, like maybe it’d be the background tune for a Hollister commercial if it weren’t an anti-fascist screed. A noodling riff paired with a fuzzy rhythmic guitar makes it feel lighter than the weight of the words.

This was intentional. Here’s the band with more details on how they struck this specific feeling:

“Death Of A Nation” pursues the more punk side of Beachheads and was originally hammered out on an acoustic guitar – all the parts coming together first go. Later it became the first song that producer Strømstad picked out to record for the new album. We wanted to keep the rawness of our rehearsal room demo, so throughout the recording process we focused on enjoying ourselves, rather than overthinking it.

Check out “Death Of A Nation” below.

Beachheads’ second album is out later this year.