Beartooth performs at the Schottenstein Center on Jan. 18, 2025. Credit: Michael Goulet | Campus Photo Editor.
“Pure Ecstasy,” Beartooth’s sixth studio album, is a cathartic mix of self-love and growth.?
Formed in Columbus, the band’s music primarily follows frontman Caleb Shomo’s life throughout his struggles with depression and alcoholism. Shomo publicly came out on May 23 in an Instagram post, which appears as a recurring theme on the new album.?
“Pure Ecstasy” is a turning point for Shomo’s self-acceptance within the band’s discography. While the album introduces a new sound into Beartooth’s music, elements of the band’s original style remain through heavier vocals and sonic crescendos.?
The album opens with its title track, “Pure Ecstasy.” It starts out by referencing one prior EP and three previous albums with the phrase, “Sick and disgusting, this aggressive disease,” integrating the separation of Shomo’s current life from his past.?
“Should I sacrifice my life? / Face the truth or live this lie? / Let the words come out of me / Pure ecstasy,” Shomo continues.?
In his lyricism, Shomo wrestles with the decision to accept who he is, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or continue to pretend to be someone he is not.
This inner conflict continues in “Eyes Closed,” which introduces some religious themes into the tracklist. Shomo was raised in a Christian household by a father who was a pastor. In an interview with NME, an online music and culture website, Shomo said that he has not practiced a religion for years, but that religion had a “subconscious” control over him.?
“Eyes Closed” is his attempt to move past this.
“But now I’m dying to live with my eyes closed / Trying to fly with no halo / Maybe I don’t wanna know / If I’m gonna lose it all, I’m gonna lose it all with my eyes closed,” Shomo sings.?
This transition continues with the next track, “Bullshit,” where Shomo reveals the inner struggles he endures in being untruthful with himself.?
While the track features the band’s typical acoustic drums, the intro and section following the chorus of the song also flaunt electric sounds and a cowbell — a stark contrast to Beartooth’s previous music.
“Beautiful Again” takes this sonic evolution further with an upbeat sound, contrasted by a heartbreaking message. Shomo questions if he should live a lie if it means it will make him “beautiful again.”?
On first listen, “Stadiums” sounds like it doesn’t fully fit on the album. Shomo reflects on how performing live music has shaped him. Later on in the song, however, he continues with the album’s central theme of self-acceptance.?
“Find my pride or run forever / See me, hear me, now or never / It’s now or never,” Shomo sings.?
“Free” provides a distinct moment where listeners hear how Shomo has rejected his experiences of self-loathing and broken free from his past. The imagery of the song depicts Shomo’s religious past suffocating him, as he moves toward liberating himself.??
“Thought it was a halo over me / Had me by the neck, so hard to breathe / Could it be? /I’m free, I’m free, I’m free, I’m free,” Shomo sings.?
“Sorry” continues the album’s complicated relationship with personal faith. “God knows I chose being unforgiven,” Shomo sings.?
“Lose You to Find Me” shifts into a more upbeat sound. Shomo sings from the perspective of a former version of himself, representing the past that he has rejected.
The next track, “You,” relates to “Lose You to Find Me.” However, the former is musically heavier, featuring blast beats, a scream solo and violent lyrics.?
“For Me By Me” transitions back into a lighter sound, focusing on a shift in motivation, now doing things for himself.?
The album closes with “I Made It,” a song reminiscent of Beartooth’s previous album, “The Surface,” while still sounding sonically and lyrically distinct. The outro suggests that this is only the beginning, and that Shomo will continue to heal from his personal battles.
“Pure Ecstasy” doesn’t entirely sound like Beartooth’s old music, but the decisions they made fit the changes in Shomo’s life.
Rating: 4/5
