Out Now
Fearless Records
https://beartoothband.ffm.to/pureecstasy_album
US hard rock outfit Beartooth have always been a band for the masses but without mass appeal. They are an infectiously captivating musical force of nature, led with distinction by frontman Caleb Shomo who has never been afraid to lay his soul bare in the pursuit of creative stimulation.
Following the universal success of 2023’s The Surface, it will be interesting to see how Beartooth approach the folow up Pure Ecstasy. On the one han you know Shomo will not simply rehash what was obviously a winning formula, but on the other it is a bit of a mystery as to how far he will steer the new music away from those songs. So it is with an open mind and limited expectations that I delve into Pure Ecstasy, starting with the title and opening track. I am greeted by an almost whispered opening salvo from Shomo before he quickly taps into his inner anger as he screams “SET ME FREE“.
Shomo has always been a master at conveying his feelings through subtle or not so subtle changes in vocal delivery, and here he utilises the full range of admonishments, at times sneering into the microphone, at others caressing it as though he feels the need to offer shelter. It’s a typically schizophrenic slab of musical excellence from Beartooth that makes an emphatic statement of intent.
Eyes Closed kicks off with a flurry of guitars before Connor Denis takes to his kit with wreckless urgency to lay a fast paced platform from which to construct the song. Again it ebbs and flows from pure animosity to cathartic interludes, not favouring one over the other but also finding comfort in madness by doing so. A tasty breakdown half way through turns into a seething pit of contempt that is subdued slightly as Shomo delivers a spoken word type passage that leads to another calming of the waters.
It’s hard to explain because a Beartooth song is never constructed the way most bands generally manipulate their work. Instead the constraints of expectation are cast aside in favour of the music, each song following it’s own path into being no matter how twisted and convoluted that path becomes.
Bullshit doesn’t start the way I expected, instead shuffling to life in a more accessible pattern before things take a sharp turn into chaos as the drums engage and the guitars take traction. The moments of hostility are pure Beartooth, but when the softer breakdowns come they do so in a manner more akin to radio acceptance than usual, offset by the casual strains of dance infused music that strangely adapt nicely to the harsher moments on display.
Beautiful Again has an anthemic feel as the drums and guitar kick in, a point accentuated as Shomo enters the fray with strained emotion in his voice. So far this is the first song where he has actually sung more than screamed, offering up a different sonic palate from which to feast. And what’s more, it works and works well. It almost feels inevitable that things will eventually take a turn for the worst but Beartooth are nothing if not unpredictable.
And they aren’t afraid to show it.
Stadiums opens with muffled voices and piano strikes that seem a little out of place before the heavy bottom end kicks in and normality is restored. This is another harmony led track that often threatens to explode until it does. And when it does, it does! Shomo renews his hostilities for long enough to make things interesting, reigning it in sporadically for added effect. The breakdowns are huge while the emotive passages are soothing enough to take off the harsh edges but when put together Stadiums is just one giant ball of creavity that hits every vantage point and more.
Free starts with an acoustic undertone as Shomo purges his feelings in a tempered and deliberate opening salvo that loses little emotion as it shifts through the gears. While the clean verse/harsh chorus thing has been done to death, Beartooth still find a way to make it seem relevant and necessary, using the technique sparingly for maximum effect.
Sorry could be a love song but starts as more a dance floor number complete with electronics. But, of course, this status quo soon shift drastically as the drums menace over the top to create a feeling less dance worthy and more up tempo. Shomo again utilises differing vocal ranges for effect, changing the complexity and nature of the song at will. It’s a beautifully annoying trait Beartooth have mastered that creates a genuine feeling of unrest in each song. And if you’re a fan of the band you wouldn’t expect or have it any other way.
Lose You To Find Me starts like a radio tune, awash with clean and purposeful vocals that hint at some form of longing or loss. But what would be a sappy love song in the hands of most other bands becomes a lively and uplifting slab of music in those of Beartooth. It is by far the most accessible song on Pure Ecstasy, but also resists the relative ease of falling into a run-of-the-mill softer version of the band themselves.
You ups the pace considerably before Beartooth regain their inner menace and push things even harder. This is a balls out metal track for the most part, withdrawing into itself fleetingly to convey added layers of relief before renewing hostilities and bringing the darkness to light. The song eventually decides on a more violent conclusion, gathering momentum until dousing its own fire just when things seem to be beyond reproach.
For Me By Me adds to the schizophrenic nature given life over the course of Pure Ecstasy, switching moods and tempo at will and seemingly without rhyme nor reason. But if that bothered you then you wouldn’t have even made it this far…
I Made It closes the album and arrives courtesy of soft keys and a self-love vocal accompanyment that entices Shomo to have one final shot at redemption. This is perhaps the most left field track on the album, sounding more like a beefed up version of any number of boy bands without the self inducing monotone. To be honest it’s not really my cup of tea but it is definately an unexpected way for Beartooth to wind things up, and for that fact alone can’t be criticised in any capacity.
Beartooth, you’ve done it again.
