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For as long as he can remember, Caleb Shomo has been battling. Most of that time has been with himself. In some way, shape, or form, a part of his life and the music he makes have crossed streams, and that has sometimes been fulfilling and sometimes devastating

Yet when it came to considering where he stepped foot next following the conclusion of Beartooth’s ‘The Surface’ era, it was the first time in a long time he wasn’t sure what he was coming up against.

“I wasn’t really sure how to even go about starting to follow it up, because it was a very good way to wrap up that period of my life,” he remembers. “It felt so liberating, and it was such a move forward.

“I just try my best to keep on keeping on, and every couple of years when I make a Beartooth record, it seems like it always just pulls whatever needs to come out to the forefront.”

For the longest time, that push and pull has been from a very personal, solitary state. From the four walls of his home studio that came to define the darkness of 2021’s ‘Below’, to the hours of personal unburdening that kick-started all of this on 2014’s ‘Disgusting’, it has always started, and often ended, with Caleb.

Though it was through the deep personal friendships and professional exploratory measures instilled by both Skyler Acord and Jordan Fish during the early sessions of what would become ‘Pure Ecstasy’, with Skyler crafting the soulful ‘For Me By Me’ and Jordan piecing together the vibrant ‘Free’, that Caleb realised, especially during the sessions with the latter, the thing that this new era would explore.

“At that point in my life, I had already been open with people in my personal life about my sexuality, and I’d been going down that road. And Jordan was the first person who kind of helped me find the strength to actually write about it.

“I think this one ended up the way it was because we had stripped away so much of my personal fears that it just gave me this space to really go any direction I wanted and to just chase it.”

And chase it he has, as ‘Pure Ecstasy’ is more than just an exceptional Beartooth record. It is an emotional tour-de-force that breaks the heart as much as it sets the soul alight. It is one of the most beautiful and brutal depictions of the queer experience that the scene has ever had added to its library, one that doesn’t back down from the ebb and flow of shimmering pride and billowing hurt that such a discovery about oneself that society unfortunately still allows to take place.

Beartooth has always been a beacon for those who feel alone in their struggles. This time, Caleb has offered something even more invaluable.

THE COLLABORATORS

Now, collaboration has always been central to what ‘Pure Ecstasy’ came to be defined by. But Caleb is adamant about making sure everyone who played a part in making it a reality gets their flowers. So in addition to Skyler and Jordan on the co-writes, he also cites the help of Periphery’s Misha Mansoor for assisting in bringing the neon swagger of the title track to life.

And then to the rest of the band. He notes that this is the first record that he has not played drums himself, handing the reins to the band’s live drummer Connor Denis to hit that shit as hard as he can. And he wants to make it known just how Oshie Bichar, who has taken on an executive producer role over the last three records, has become an even more pivotal component in the process, assisting in wrangling out the bits that songs need whilst giving expert opinion on how to make sure that they stay true to Beartooth.

He also wants to credit Zakk Cervini and Drew Fulk, even though their contributions didn’t end up on the record, and he wants to let it be known that the sessions were key in helping Caleb get to where he wanted to be.

The fact that so much talent is now within the Beartooth stratosphere is one thing, but the fact that a project that was once simply Caleb writing, playing, and producing everything this band put out is a testament to how everything the band represents has ignited something special in so many.

Though what it all signals is a desire to leap out of the comfort zone, which is a wild thing to consider when you think of the things that Beartooth has been defined by. But for Caleb, having people around him who are ready and raring to push him to his very limit in search of gold is as vital as it gets.

“A very important part of me working with anybody is a long talk beforehand where we just talk about life. We talk about all the shit, and we talk about what I’m trying to do. And what I told Sky, in particular, was that I’m trying to be completely and utterly fearless in my exploration of the sound and of the art and of the subject matter I am approaching. Really chasing what excites the soul.”

THE SOUND

When you are so close to every aspect of the creative process, it’s easy to feel like every time you set about a new one, you have to reinvent the wheel. That you have to uncover the next great sound just because progress is the goal. But for Caleb, this record was quickly becoming more about just letting what Beartooth already is be the focus.

“Having these people around me really helped me understand what the Beartooth sound is,” he smiles. “What the point of all this is and what the ultimate goal from everybody involved is, too. And to me, expressing what I do in Beartooth to the fullest is to write pop songs that are also metal, or rock, or whatever you want to call it. And why would we back out of that?”

Caleb has always been open about his love of boy bands, with the legendary *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys always finding their way into his melodies in some manner over the years. But this time around, it was a case of getting out of his head and realising that there is a reason that passion works when he puts it up against a tenacious thrash riff. But the hole can feel deep sometimes, and telling yourself off that little bit more ferociously is a necessity.

“There are all of these things involved which are there to help take me out of my head and that place that I go to when I do a record completely alone. Like, dude, just get out of your head and fucking write a Beartooth record. And really, at the root of it, the most important thing is me just being completely candid and completely honest about what I’m going through.”

And when the subject matter is as close to the bone as it is here, that combination of sounds is reflected in it. ‘Eyes Closed’ and ‘Bullshit’ are as harmonious and catchy as they are crushing, simply because of the frustration and confusion found at their core. ‘Free’ is light and breezy and crystal clear because of the emotional confidence that inspired it. And ‘Stadiums’ is absolutely massive, in line with the stature of the rooms that it embodies.

More than anything, in developing ‘Pure Ecstasy’, and understanding that just doing what feels good to you is more than enough, Caleb has considered the path that led him here more. And in doing so, he realises that allowing yourself more of that kindness and understanding that you have been through it is vital to make sure these feelings stick.

“You know, ‘Below’ literally made me make a vow that it would be the darkest art project I ever do. It was real, and it was exactly where I was. But it made me make a statement like that to myself, and that then led to ‘The Surface’, which changed my entire life. That record was the beginning of so much for me, and that led to us being here talking about this new record. I’m trying to give myself grace and understand that life is long, and every part of the process is important. But it’s so hard to realise that in those moments.”

THE LYRICS

Beartooth has always been, and always will be, about the truth. The moment that it detours from exactly what is going on in Caleb’s life, then the purpose of the band almost becomes null.

And that’s why, despite ‘Pure Ecstasy’ being rooted in empowerment, expression and full-blooded pride in what Caleb was going through as he came to terms with his sexuality, a moment in his journey he was always going to inevitably face, there is still a whole lot of anger, confusion and sadness that has been a huge part of the band’s discography too. Caleb admits that, in many ways, the negative aspects of him embodying the person he has always truly been may even outweigh the positives. But if he didn’t approach them all with the same fine-tooth comb, then he would be doing himself the biggest disservice.

“It’s just the truth, and it was necessary,” he explains. “So much of the earlier stuff I was writing was just like borderline blind empowerment. All the sentiments I was exploring in the preliminary phases of writing were nothing negative. I am the shit, I am all powerful, I can do this.

“But, as Jordan said, and now as I understand, to make it a Beartooth record is to make it about what you’re actually going through. So, it wouldn’t be real if I was just talking about how great everything is. I made this discovery and allowed myself to experience this truth about myself, but at what cost?

“There was just so much pain, the same pain that I felt when I was making ‘Disgusting’, when I was making ‘Aggressive’, in ‘Disease’, in ‘Below’. I just had to remember why it was important for me to write those songs, because you either hold it in or you let it out.”

It’s so easy as an artist to exorcise so much of what you are feeling, place it in a box, and put it out of sight, never to be touched again. But with Beartooth, Caleb is always, in some way, in touch with the person he used to be. Because his experiences aren’t linear, his demons aren’t his friends just because he has faced them and shaken their hands. The versions of himself that he has been are just as important as the version of himself that is finding his footing as an openly queer man now. Because that man has always been there, he just has the means to be out there now.

It’s why songs like ‘Bullshit’ and ‘You’ and ‘Eyes Closed’ feel like they were plucked from previous processes. Because it was necessary for the emotions that defined yesterday to have their mark on today.

“I wanted to reconcile with that part of my life with that scared fucking teenager who was so scared to open this door about who he really was,” Caleb adds candidly.

“This really is a journey. And truth be told, there’s just no way I was in a place where I could have been where I’m at now, and with who I am, when I was 19, when I was first writing these songs. Hindsight is truly remarkable. It’s honestly insane to go back through pretty much the whole discography now, knowing and living in this and allowing it to be public truth. In so many ways, it’s really sad. But at least now I have a lens to look through this where I can understand what was happening to that kid, and what was happening to this confused person through his entire 20s and early 30s.

“The whole thing I’ve been searching for this whole time with this band, every single record, is me learning to love who I am, and more specifically, not just fucking hate who I am. I’m still on that journey, and I assume I will continue to be for a long time. But I hope I can look back on this record in two years, or in 10 years, or 20 years, and realise how big of a step it was for me.”

In many ways, what this album represents and ultimately hinges on is found on closer ‘I Made It’, which, despite the positivity that radiates from that title, Caleb still calls “probably the most heartbreaking song on the record”. A track that centres in on the wild duality of what it means for him to be soaking in the freedom that he has been searching for throughout Beartooth’s whole career. He has discovered a huge source of what has defined so many of the issues that have caused such damage and disorientation, and how much more painful it is to open that door, face it, and start to understand what it will do to your entire life as you know it.

It closes out with four tear-stained bars: “Why did I carry on, what did I do / I’ll never forgive myself for running from you / Who am I kidding I hate it all too / I guess loving myself could never be true”.

It’s clear that the things that Caleb has said on ‘Pure Ecstasy’ are still processing in his head and his heart. He knows that it is the same for the people who are listening to the band, and that scares the fuck out of him, too. This is ongoing, but Caleb knows he will be glad he made it a reality at some point.

“I have no fucking idea what this means for my life. I have no fucking idea what it means for this band. I don’t think it was the right call or the wrong call. I just think it was the only record that I could have made that would have been honest at this moment in my life.”

THE ARTWORK

A huge part of what Caleb has gone through in allowing his true self to become his everyday has shown itself through his image, most notably in the way that he does his make-up and nails. It’s such a pivotal part of the expression that sits at the core of this album that the look that he has settled on, that feels the most him right now, is slap bang in the middle of the timeless artwork and creative that has been made to accompany these songs. A singular eye, with three speckles of glitter dashed around its base, staring at you from outside of broken glass and a crucifix. The latter two images may personify the unstable nature and religious guilt that exist within the more negative aspects of these songs. At the same time, the former serves as a proud signifier that, no matter what, this is who Caleb is, and it is not going anywhere.

Though much like all of the other aspects of his coming out tale, working on how he wanted to look, and how he finally wanted to play around with a part of him that has always been waiting for its moment in the mirror, was a long process.

“When I finally gave myself the space to explore, all of my power, my self-love, my empowerment comes from my feminine side, which is very deep and very vast. That’s where I began to slowly take my guard down and stop being this caricature of whatever the fuck I was doing for so long. Just slowly allowing myself to become who I really am and express myself in a way that feels true.

“Back in the day, it was a bandana. That bandana was a sign to myself that when I put this thing on, it’s fucking time. This is who you are. This is what you do. Go out there and fucking melt some face. Now that’s make-up and nails and jewellery. All these things that I really love, and the more I’ve explored, the more empowered I’ve been by them. You’re here after all this fucking time, so don’t fucking back off now.”

It’s also for this reason why Caleb knew that he had to remove himself completely from the actual process of making the art, because he knew if he looked at it for too long, he would end up somehow questioning or watering down the impact it was having. That’s why he handed it over to his brother Luke, who has been so close to him throughout the whole of Beartooth that he knew exactly what was needed.

“I said to him, ‘I want you to make what feels like the most honest version of that completely, regardless of how it makes me feel or how scared I would be of it’, and the outcome was just so beautiful.

“I believe it’s meant to represent me breaking through who I was and showing who I really am, and really looking at myself in a mirror for the first time, and breaking the mirror as well as breaking religious traumas. It was a process of trust, and there’s been so much trust in this record to help push me through the fear. Because the fear is so fucking real.”

THE FUTURE

As Caleb has stated, he doesn’t know what this record will mean for him, the band, their fanbase or anybody who has a relationship with him or Beartooth right now. But the fact that ‘Pure Ecstasy’ exists is enough. It will always be enough. It has always been enough. And as time goes on, the fact that Caleb chose to put this part of himself out there, at a time when he was still making sense of it himself, will serve as immense inspiration for so many going through similar circumstances. It is an instantly timeless piece of his journey, and, no matter what, the fact that he put expression first will always be the thing that shines the brightest. And nothing in this world can dull a shimmer like that.

“To this day, I’m fucking terrified of this record cycle in so many ways,” Caleb closes. “But at the same time, with how one record leads to another and how life works, I feel like I will be upset if ever I succumb to the fear and not allow this thing to be what it needs to be. And that is free.”