Culture 5 min read By Morgan Griffin
Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo on new album ‘Pure Ecstasy’, coming out and learning to love himself
Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo discusses the band’s sixth album ‘Pure Ecstasy’, his decision to come out as gay, and finding the inner strength to choose joy after years of mental health struggles.
Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo has opened up about the band’s new album ‘Pure Ecstasy’, his decision to come out as a gay man, and the long road to feeling comfortable in his own skin. The Columbus, Ohio metalcore outfit releases its sixth studio album on Friday, marking the band’s first release with Fearless Records.
The record, previewed by singles ‘Free’, ‘Eyes Closed’, ‘Bullshit’ and the title track, features co-writing and production from former Bring Me The Horizon member Jordan Fish. Shomo said Fish helped him reconnect with what Beartooth truly is, describing the collaboration as encouraging during a period of major personal change.
“He reminded me what Beartooth really is, from more of a fan’s perspective, objectively,” Shomo explained. “When you’re this close to it, it’s easy to put it on a pedestal and forget the root point. Jordan really helped me feel less afraid of talking about what I’m going through.”
Since starting Beartooth in 2012, the band has built a reputation for blending menacing post-hardcore riffs with stadium-sized choruses. Lyrically, the debut album ‘Disgusting’ through to 2020’s ‘Below’ were brutally honest portrayals of Shomo’s battles with low mental health. The 2023 record ‘The Surface’ shifted toward cautious manifestations of self-love, and now ‘Pure Ecstasy’ pushes the band’s sound further into pop-metal territory.
Shomo cited a wide range of influences on the new album, from soul legends to thrash metal icons. “I’ve been listening to a lot more soul – Al Green, Aretha Franklin – and one of the biggest influences was Prince,” he revealed. “On the metal side, I’ve been obsessed with thrash and Metallica records, and you hear that all over the riffs.”
He also noted the influence of pop music, particularly on the track ‘I Made It’, which he said draws heavily from Michael Jackson’s ‘Man In The Mirror’ and late 80s and early 90s pop. “You start with the darkest, heaviest song on the record, sonically, and then you end with the poppiest, brightest song,” Shomo said. “It’s that ultimate separation of emotions, with no middle ground, that I was trying to convey.”
The album cycle has been marked by a deeply personal moment for Shomo. After releasing the lead single ‘Free’ in February, he took himself offline following homophobic comments about his appearance in the music video. When he returned to social media, he shared a statement coming out as a “proudly gay man”.
Shomo said the decision to go public came after realizing the news would likely reach the world eventually. “I wanted to get ahead of it and say it on my own terms,” he said. “There’s a lot of other reasons, but really, at the end of the day, it was something I needed to do for myself. I want to be who I am and not have to worry about it, and I felt it was probably gonna give me a little bit of peace of mind to rip off that band-aid.”
He acknowledged the complexity of his situation, having been raised Christian and married for a long time. “I understand it was not a very unusual situation of a coming out, but somewhat, in my life,” he said. “In short, it was just time. I had been open with a lot of people close to me for a long time. I wanted to get it off my chest. And it felt great.”
Shomo also reflected on the challenge of balancing public life with personal privacy, noting that Beartooth has always been the most personal thing he does. “Historically, I’ve always been very open about the songs,” he said. “Doing interviews, I wasn’t out yet, and I could feel myself watering things down, not telling the whole truth, and it got tiring. I was like, ‘Why am I scared of opening up about this one, when I wasn’t scared of opening up about depression or being suicidal?’”
Despite the fear of how people might react, Shomo said he has made significant progress since telling those close to him. “It is inherently a scary thing – you don’t know how people are going to react,” he admitted. “But since telling people what’s going on with me, I’ve made a lot of progress and feel a lot more comfortable in my own skin.”
His advice to others on a similar journey is simple: “Be patient. Give yourself time, grace and stay on the path.”
