Caleb Shomo Isn't Sure How Fans Will React to New Album

Beartooth aren't known for releasing music about the happiest of topics, but frontman Caleb Shomo has had a change in perspective over the last few years. Speaking to Loudwire Nights host Toni Gonzalez about their new album, Shomo admitted he's unsure how fans will react to this perspective shift.

When Beartooth released the upbeat "Riptide" over the summer, Shomo called it his own version of a "dance song" [via NME] because it reflects the new and more optimistic stage of life he's currently in. And while he said the new record isn't exactly going to "be sunshine and roses," it's definitely a different direction for Beartooth, especially compared to their 2021 album Below, which was more indicative of Shomo's personal struggles at that time.

"I just want to be happy... I realized that until I give myself a break, until I learn to really love who I am — the good, the bad, the ugly — then it's not gonna happen. I think 'Riptide' being right after I made the choice to stop drinking, which was for me a really big thing — alcohol has been a big part of my life for the last 10 years... I never viewed myself as somebody who was strong or somebody who had a lot of will or ability," Shomo shared.

"So when I was able to do that, and really started chasing all these things to just better my own life experience, it was intense. And that's kind of what 'Riptide' was about, like, why not just try?"

The vocalist opened up about his decision to stop drinking, assuring that he's not against alcohol and indeed does love to have a good time. However, it just wasn't fitting in with the goals he started setting for himself, especially the physically demanding ones, such as getting up in the morning to go for a run.

Beartooth fans have always known and loved Shomo's songwriting for his transparency about personal turmoil and introspection, so this shift in mindset may come as a bit of a surprise to fans, and he's not sure how they're going to react.

"I really don't know. It's definitely different. It was really nerve-wracking to put out 'Riptide' more so than even the really dark records that I've put out," the singer explained. "It was just so different. It's me trying to kind of actually figure the pain out instead of just wallowing in it. It was very encouraging to see how people felt about it, and I think they could really understand what I was going through and they're really happy for me. That was really encouraging."

Tune into Loudwire Nights tonight at 7PM ET to hear more about Beartooth's upcoming next album, and follow Loudwire Nights on Twitter to stay up to date with other interviews that'll air on the show.

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