Beartooth "Disease" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Caleb Shomo is one of the most talented individuals within the metalcore scene right now. I would never have known it if he'd remained in the much made fun of band Attack Attack. Thankfully for him, the band broke up because everyone wanted to put this heavily hated band to rest. It's interesting to see that the band has produced several talented musicians outside of it, and Caleb is certainly one of them. He started the band Beartooth all on his own. He wrote the lyrics, sang, and played guitar, bass, and drums for the first two albums. There aren't too many musicians out there who can say that they can do all the parts of what makes a full fledged band. Caleb's talent bled through in both Beartooth's EP and their stellar debut album "Disgusting". That album is still one of the best modern metalcore releases out there, showcasing a raw, real energy that you don't see in that many albums these days. I can't truly describe how visceral of an album experience it is, but you know what I'm talking about if you've listened to it. Unfortunately, Caleb basically made a carbon copy of the album with "Aggressive", which is the very definition of a sophomore slump. I generally liked the album a couple years back, but now I definitely dislike more of it than I like. I think Shomo realized his mistakes with the album. He's been claiming with the band's new release "Disease" that he's changed things up, and the album is the most proud he's ever been of anything he's done. Does the release live up to this statement? Thankfully it does! "Disease" sees Beartooth back in fine form, making their sound slightly more radio friendly and accessible while still containing the natural energy that was so present in their debut album.

This release gets off to a deceptively subtle start in the first few seconds of "Greatness Or Death". A simple acoustic guitar plays, and Caleb softly croons over the guitar. I was a little shocked to hear the album starting off this way, but you're immediately thrown for a loop. Caleb suddenly screams out "Am I destined for greatness or death?", and a throttling guitar riff plays. If you turned your headphones up to hear the soft beginning, then your ears will be blown out in the best way possible. I love this track; it's an easy highlight. It has all the elements that I would want from Beartooth. It's reminiscent of the raw energy of the song "The Lines", but in a totally unique way. The breakdown in this track will have you headbanging in no time, and the chorus should hook you in immediately. All of these elements were things I desperately wanted from "Aggressive", but they were rarely delivered. This opening track is, thankfully, an early indicator of the passion that's present throughout the rest of the album. Following this is one of the more accessible cuts from the album as well as the second single: the title track. I actually think it's fitting that this song fits a bit more of a straight forward rock mold. It has Caleb being pretty vulnerable about his experiences with depression and how it affects his mental state: "It's like holding on/When my grip is lost/I still feed my insecurity when I know the cost/Is it taking over?/Will it bury me?". The chorus is one of the most catchy on the album, and the fact that it's well written only serves to make it more memorable. This song is actually pretty unique within Beartooth's discography as a whole. I know a lot of fans haven't liked this song as much, but I've definitely gravitated towards it. It even has a solid and unexpected breakdown in it that helps provide some variety in the track. After this comes the track "Fire". Although this song is not the most interesting thing in the world subject-wise, I still would be lying if I said I didn't have fun with it. The pre-chorus has this quality to it where you will quickly begin to chant along with it, and the chorus itself is something that I could see audiences screaming out passionately along with Caleb. This song is fun, pure and simple. Not every song has to be this deep thing, and I'm glad that Beartooth found a place where they could cut loose. That's actually something that occurs frequently on this album, and I like that aspect of it.

If you're looking for your more intense version of Beartooth, look no further than the lead single "Bad Listener". I like how this song has Caleb saying that he doesn't care what others think about his career as a musician. It's what he loves to do, and any criticism he receives he probably won't hear because he's just "a real bad listener". This one definitely will appeal to Beartooth's more teenage fanbase within the lyrical department, but musically it should appeal to even the most strict of metalcore fans. It has some of the hardest hitting guitar and drum work I've heard from Caleb, and his screams go from these deep growls to high shrieks. It's such a shameless, pure metalcore song. I think most people would be hard pressed to find anything to dislike in this song. After this track we get another more accessible song in "Afterall". I like the variety this album has, and its frequent switching between more intense songs and more radio ready material works fairly well. This song leans more on Beartooth's punk/rock roots, especially in the chorus. I do like how the song finds profundity in simplicity. Caleb questions why he struggles so much with issues like depression and anxiety: "I must be doing this all wrong/Should be happy but I'm searching for the reasons why/Puts my head in overdrive/I thought I had this figured out". But the answer is far more clear than it is complicated: "I guess I'm just human after all". I guess one could say this is a cliched sentiment, but I appreciated its simplicity. I think this song will appeal to those going through similar things as Caleb. "Enemy" is another straight up fun track, with an interesting breakdown. It has a bit more of a classic metal influence, which I thought was cool. The listener gets to hear Caleb's guitar talents in a very different and interesting way.

The album's ending three tracks are some of its best moments. Although I do find the comparison of being so obsessed with something it's like a drug, "Infection" is still a straight up banger. The guitar riffs will get your head banging, and Caleb uses his voice in a pretty cool way in certain parts of the song. Out of all the tracks on the album, this is definitely the one that has grown on me the most. The best song comes in "Used And Abused". This song is classic Beartooth in ever sense of the word: hard cutting guitar work, pounding drums, Caleb's raw and passionate screams/cleans, a chorus that just won't get out your head, and a breakdown that will blow you away. I adore this track for so many reasons. It has Caleb expressing some real anger about a person who has just been using him, and he's not going to take it anymore. It's a powerful cry of rebellion, and it doesn't feel cliched or cheesy. Instead, there's some real passion behind it; you can tell that Caleb really cares what he's singing about. Some parts of this song almost feel like a tribute to classic punk/rock like Green Day, while other parts feel like they're paying homage to classic metalcore bands. And still, in the midst of all of that, this is a seminal Beartooth song. It feels like it could fit right on "Disgusting", and it's all the better for that reason. As is typical of Beartooth albums, this one ends on a heart wrenching and honest note. While I probably like both "Sick and Disgusting" and "King of Anything" better than "Clever", that still doesn't mean "Clever" is a weak ending track. In fact, that is so far from the truth. This song has Caleb singing in entirely clean vocals, something that he doesn't do too often. It works for a song in which he is being vulnerable about how he tries to cover up his depression by being smart in his song writing. This song is a bit meta-textual in that sense, as Caleb says: "I'm out of ways to answer/I'm out of metaphors/I finally got so sick, there is no cure". Caleb is clearly referring to metaphors in his own songs, and this song is him revealing that he's tired about talking about his depression in what he views as vague sentiments. Even though I've always felt that Shomo's writing is powerful and honest, this is still a compelling point he makes.

There are just a couple of weak points in this album. One of the more general weak points is most of the lyrical content on the album. Even in songs I like, such as "Fire" or "Infection", the lyrics aren't anything very innovative. They get the job done, but it is sort of disappointing that this album contains one of the band's best written songs ("Clever") right alongside other tracks that are not as well written. As far as specifics go, I'm really not a fan of "You Never Know". I don't mind most of the more radio ready songs on this album, but this one feels like it's giving in to every trope that is present in the mainstream right now. It has a weirdly subdued/compressed vocal performance from Caleb, which I think is due to the production. The chorus is a little lackluster, especially the repetition of the word "know". I don't even find the guitar work all that interesting, which is far from typical for Beartooth. The song just rubs me the wrong way for the simple reason that it's transparent about the fact that it's meant solely for the radio. "Believe" is by far the worst song on the album, and probably my least favorite Beartooth song in general. Please, Caleb, don't try to do pop/punk again. This song just did not fit within this album, and it isn't a sound that works with Caleb's gruff voice. The usage of filler "oh"s is also a cheap move for someone as talented as Shomo. He hasn't needed filler lyrics too much on previous albums, so why start using them now? I also am not too huge on "Manipulation". It's no a terrible song, but it feels like it follows a less energetic form of the Beartooth formula.

I am so happy to see Beartooth back in fine form. There are some tracks that I won't be returning to, and there are some lyrical moments that are admittedly not entirely interesting. But still, I had fun with this album. If you want to listen to a release which will have you constantly head banging and singing along to super catchy choruses, then this is the album for you. I've had this album on repeat ever since it came out last Friday, and I still haven't grown tired of it. I'm not sure if it'll end up in my favorite albums list, but there is something to be said about its high replayability factor. Caleb has crafted an album that brings back the raw power of "Disgusting" in a way that not many other bands can achieve. It's good to have you back, Beartooth!

Favorite Songs: "Used And Abused", "Clever", "Greatness Or Death", "Afterall", "Infection"
Least Favorite Songs: "Believe", "You Never Know"