Beartooth

Disgusting

One of the most anticipated records in hard music circles, Beartooth makes their full-length debut with Disgusting. The former vocalist of Attack! Attack! gave us a four-song EP, Sick, and only one track (“I Have a Problem”) made it to the full-length, but was still brushed with a new coat of paint.

The production value remains, but the songs are more intense than anything on Sick; even “I Have a Problem,” with the double kick furious in your ears, is tighter than before.

While much of the album tends to focus on two-steps, thrash and hardcore, Shomo came from a place where catchiness was in every song. The fact that some catchy cuts show up shouldn’t be overlooked; the album is still rooted deep in raw, unadulterated rock. Shomo’s melody still bursts through, sometimes catching a listener off-guard (“One More”). Opener “The Lines” is an onslaught of great riffs and catchy choruses, a perfect way to introduce the band to the world. Speedy grooves abound, poppier cuts break up the album (“Between”), and while the entire record is a reflection of Shomo’s recent past, the ending cut, “Sick and Disgusting,” is one of the most deeply personal songs Shomo has ever written. Coming from a life rooted in mental health issues, the song captures a broken man, crying for help. It’s an abrupt, honest and fitting end to a solid record.

Shomo has done a fantastic job with this entire piece, sure to please the fans of his former band, the Sick EP and, most importantly, anyone hearing if for the first time.