Today, gold-selling, billion-streaming rock band Beartooth announced their fifth album, The Surface.
Like its predecessors, The Surface is an intensely personal and powerful journey for Shomo, who has never shied away from sharing his demons in his music and with his fans. However, the frontman has turned a corner with a more optimistic outlook and demonstrates exceptional growth as both an artist and a human being through the songs that comprise the album.
“Beartooth’s entire discography has been snapshots of my inner monologue and emotional state over the years with a recurring theme: depression and self-loathing,” says Shomo. “It’s been tough to understand why I’ve felt the way I do for so long. During the pandemic, I was faced with two distinct paths in life. One — I continue doing nothing to manage the realities of my mental health and continue down a path of self-destruction, ultimately ending in my demise. Two — choose to do the work needed to maintain a healthier relationship with myself, no matter how difficult or painful.”
He continues:
“This album is the story of my beginnings in the new world I’ve created for myself. One focused on health, self love, positivity, understanding, hard work, and most of all second chances. At the end of the day, life is short for all of us. We can’t escape the end, so why not make friends with it and live in a world focused on living a personally fulfilling life.”
And with that impactful mission statement in mind, the band has shared the video for the first single “Might Love Myself.”
“I truly believe mental health starts with a healthy relationship with one’s self,” Shomo further explains. “Self-love was something I never believed would be a part of my life. I would focus on my depression and my sadness, believing those part of me were always the most prominent in my mind. But through hard work comes results.”
“Self-love had to be a choice; it can’t be an emotion. Emotions are fleeting and can change with a sunset or a single word. Choosing to put your own health (mentally and physically) as the highest priority in your life has been the only path I’ve found to self love. It helped me realize what I’m capable of, how strong I am, and that progress is more important than any immediate fix to my emotions. This song is about the first moment I realized something was significantly shifting in my life.”
Beartooth recently wrapped up a co-headlining U.S. tour with Trivium and will return to Australia for the first time in four years, co-headlining alongside Pierce The Veil. They will next head to Europe for a festival run.
The Surface will arrive October 13 via Red Bull Records and is now available for pre-order.
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