Review: Jack Price
Pure Ecstasy marks the sixth studio release from Beartooth and the band’s first with Fearless Records. With the album now here, it’s time to look at what the band have created and where this latest chapter, the most important chapter so far, takes them.
Beartooth have become one of the most talked-about and praised bands in the scene, and there is plenty surrounding Pure Ecstasy for longtime followers to unpack. The album also sees the band working with ex-Bring Me The Horizon keyboardist Jordan Fish and Periphery’s Misha Mansoor, bringing some interesting creative forces into the process. With all of that in the mix, let’s take a closer look at the record itself.
Pure Ecstasy starts the record of the same title off strong! Stripped down and clean of any real effects, the chugging, repetitive grungey guitar with frontman Caleb Shomo softly reciting poetic lyrics is a solid intro before ramping up to the chorus while the rest of the band kicks in. The energy increases as the track builds. The outro isn’t quite as much my thing, but all in all, decent track. However, Eyes Closed is a much stronger track, giving The Used and AFI vibes. Both tracks back-to-back complement each other, working well as an introduction to Pure Ecstasy. The later of the two tracks is definitely more my speed, more technical guitars, gravelly aggressive screams, rhythmic percussion. This one ticks the boxes for me.
Bullshit is left of centre, with its tribalistic intro but quickly flips the script to more of a metalcore meets punk (maybe a little ska minus the trumpets) kinda feels, gaining momentum to meet fruition in the chorus. I wasn’t expecting it to grab me, but god damn it’s catchy! The last chorus with its heavy boy-band style harmonies, pushing into the eventual screams and breakdown is top notch. Beautiful Again touches on a pop-punk influence and man, it’s fucking works just as well as the previous track. The lyrical content is definitely powerful and given Shomo’s recent personal realisations and changes of lifestyle, it’s supportive rather than preachy and I am here for it. I can see this one being a crowd favourite at live shows.
Beartooth have definitely made some interesting choices with the intros on this record, but Stadiums takes the cake. This one was a wild ride for sure. Parts I enjoyed, while others didn’t quite jive with me as much. But with Free, the most controversial track released from the album, up next, I’m holding onto the fact that so far, I have genuinely enjoyed the record for the most part.
This is what I wanted from Beartooth! Free is Bring Me The Horizon mixed with Savage Garden, but Savage Garden 10 years later when everyone went “actually, I fucking love this because we’ve matured as humans and can appreciate it for what it is”. It has all the aspects that make both the mentioned bands unique yet uniquely Beartooth. The down tuned guitars and flashy fast percussion, the intimate vocals but powerful screams, and yet, delicate and personal lyrics delivered without fear and with zero remorse. I listened to this track at least four times over before moving on with the rest of the record, and I’m sorry but I genuinely cannot understand the negativity this track received.
Beartooth have put their hearts and souls into Pure Ecstasy. There’s a personal journey in the lyrics that takes nothing short of pure courage, while the vocal composition across the album is catchy and swooning. Does it have a little bit of weird thrown in, absolutely. But just the right amount! There’s little sound bites and strange cuts that catch you off guard, but they add to the record in a way I was not anticipating. Then there’s the more personal tracks like Lose You To Find Me that are sweet and soft while keeping the tempo of the record moving. And best of all, the guitar solo is fucking sick! In contrast, I Made It has some funky as fuck bass and is a crazy good track to end the record with!
I really appreciate this stage of Beartooth, and most importantly, this version of Caleb Shomo. His purity and rawness has made Pure Ecstasy as finer album as any. For someone to share their journey of self-discovery so powerfully is truly a special experience, and with a killer band behind him, Shomo should be so fucking proud. If you haven’t quite connected with Beartooth in the past, do yourself a favour and give this record a spin with zero expectations and you will be pleasantly surprised.
PURE ECSTASY – OUT NOW
https://beartoothband.ffm.to/
