Red Bull Records – 2021
Note: I’m trying not to name specific bands in negative contexts, but some people are just going to know who I’m talking about. Please e-mail me if I offend you. We can go out for coffee and work it out.
It’s 2021. By now, the sacred and behemothic Vans Warped Tour had its last hurrah. Gone is the era of sweaty tank tops, band-induced circle pits, and disrespectful jabs at living legends by millennials who don’t know better. It’s all over, and the bands from that glorious but bygone time have all had to work a little harder to remain relevant. A few of them have donned embroidered jean pockets and attached themselves to the blossoming butt-rock festival circuits. Some have traded guitars and gutturals for synth patches and trap beats. Others have packed it in all together – as if their world couldn’t continue without being perennially worshipped by sunburnt and dehydrated college students. A select few have kept their narratives going, with new music, continued maturity, and legitimate forward momentum.
Beartooth falls in the final category. Below captures what seems to be the next inevitable phase for the Midwestern easycore heavy-hitters.
I’ll start with the most impressive aspect of the record – that it is essentially a full-on solo work from frontman Caleb Shomo. Shomo has accomplished the daunting task of writing, performing, producing, and even mastering Beartooth’s fourth album, as well as the even more daunting task of keeping together an entire band of guys that is okay with him pulling every creative string. It’s nothing to scoff at – surrounding oneself with bandmates that trust you that much. Furthermore, from a production standpoint, Below is very arguably Beartooth’s best sounding record.
Below contains much of what you’d expect from a Beartooth record – big riffs, bigger vocals, breakdowns, and catchy hooks. Though Shomo very adequately performs every instrument on the album, he really shines as a vocalist on Below, with a dynamic and expressive performance that competes formidably with the genre’s best. Beartooth fans will notice more influence from nineties alternative (something I absolutely will not complain about) and 70s classic rock, but not enough to secure a place on “why did they change their sound?” episodes of aging pop-punk enthusiast podcasts. The sonic adjustments from their previous work are subtle and seem to be fairly organic.
Shomo also works to more clearly explore his creativity and honesty from a songwriting perspective, writing anthems for frustrated twenty-and-thirty somethings who thought their angst and anxiety would disappear when they became adults. We’re all still waiting, and Below resounds with the people who still struggle with darker emotions that they expected to once they got out of high school.
If I have a criticism, it’s this: as impressive as this record really is, I suspect that it could have been better with some creative input from other musicians. I love the collaborative nature of albums, especially in genres stemming from punk and metal. When you can feel the chemistry and the journey of a group of musicians as they craft an album together note for note – it can really be something special. A one-man show is sometimes missing just a little bit of color and texture, especially in the contexts of some of the less tangible qualities that differentiate a good album from a great one.
Good effort, Caleb. But maybe let someone help you a little next time. And please come back Warped Tour, and rescue all of us sad and aging alternative music fans.
Our Score 7.5/10
– Reach James, the author of this review, at jamesunderfire@gmail.com.
Tracklist
- Below
- Devastation
- The Past Is Dead
- Fed Up
- Dominate
- No Return
- Phantom Pain
- Skin
- Hell Of It
- I Won’t Give Up
- The Answer
- The Last Riff