Beartooth’s debut album ‘Disgusting’ was an inwards look at self-discovery and understanding depression. It put those voices under the spotlight and tried to find a way through. ‘Aggressive’ thrashed and raged outwards, those feelings of loss and confusion still haunting him while album three was always meant for Caleb Shomo to dive into those emotions and find a reason, even when it seemed meaningless. From the opening sidestep of ‘Greatness or Death’, through the questioning purge of the title track to the reflective search for clarity on ‘Clever’, ‘Disease’ sees Beartooth more open, more vulnerable and more on the edge than ever before. Relentless fury has been replaced with quiet moments of resolve as the band take the next step, despite the weight on their shoulders.
Hey Caleb, what inspired this record?
At the core, the record is about trying to figure out mental health and what that means. Musically it has a bunch of influences from AC/DC and classic rock, to Slayer, Metallica and pop. There are a lot of different sounds on there. It is just a Beartooth record. I don’t know any other way to put it.
Does it feel like you’re at a point now where you can do anything you want with this band?
When I first started, what was important to me was that there were no real boundaries on what this band was going to sound like. Whatever song comes out, comes out. The only boundary was two guitars, bass, drums. You can tell on this record; every song is different. It’s got a lot of different vibes all over it, and that’s what makes it special to me.
