BEARTOOTH's CALEB SHOMO: 'I Am A Proudly Gay Man'

BEARTOOTH vocalist Caleb Shomo has publicly come out as gay following recent online speculation surrounding his personal life.

Shomo's announcement comes after the singer temporarily stepped away from social media amid backlash and homophobic comments related to his appearance in the music video that accompanied BEARTOOTH's recent "Free" single.

In a statement shared on social media earlier today (Saturday, May 23),Shomo wrote: "There's been a lot of speculation surrounding my personal life as of late and I feel compelled to set the record straight before it affects those I love any further.

"I am a proudly gay man.

"This is something I've been unpacking and reckoning with in my life for quite some time now. It's been difficult to navigate the feelings surrounding the subject and figure out what to do with this fact.

"When it comes to my art / BEARTOOTH, I have always strived to chase who I am in the deepest part of my soul from album to album. As you could gather if you've followed the band at all in the earlier years, there are 4 very self deprecating albums about exploring my religious upbringing, depression, self hatred, self loathing, and hopelessness. I am grateful for all these albums, yet feel embarrassed at times that I wouldn't allow myself to really dig up the roots for so long.

"I spent a decade burying feelings with alcohol, and honestly when I decided to put it down and focus on exploring why I felt this way for so long, it's been a direct path to me reconciling with my sexuality in hopes that it will eventually lead to me experiencing self love. One thing I decided before I wrote a single note of the upcoming album is that whatever happens, I will express myself whole heartedly and fully. Wherever it takes me I will follow and I refuse to water any part of it down, from the music, to the lyrical content, and way I portray myself. I will only do what makes me happy at the deepest level and what is the most honest depiction of who I am. I believe it's impossible to love every part of you when you won't face every part of you head on. I am trying to finally be proud of who I am and I think this is a massive part of that journey.

"To those who have shown me love, empowerment through living life freely and openly in my presence, supporting the queer community, or simply telling me you love me whoever I am, I am forever in your debt and I hope you know what you mean to me.

"I encourage anyone who's struggling with who they are to give yourself grace. Give yourself patience. Be honest with yourself. Do the hard work instead of burying it down as deep as you physically can thinking it will change like I did. Holding these things in only hurt you and those around you.

"Love you all, and hopefully this is a step in the right direction to loving myself one day."

BEARTOOTH's sixth album, "Pure Ecstasy", will arrive on August 28 through Fearless Records.

In 2013, Shomo locked himself in a basement studio in Ohio — screaming and singing, playing every instrument, self-producing a batch of furious but melodic songs with no intention of returning to the heavy music world that had burned him as a teen. What came out was BEARTOOTH: both bomb and balm, an outright refusal to suffer in silence, weaponizing radio-ready bombast and raw emotion against noise-rock chaos.

Over the course of six studio albums, BEARTOOTH has since "developed into a unique and dynamic beast" (Rolling Stone) with Forbes calling them a band "inching towards a tipping point of becoming the latest arena headliner." The catalog is anchored by intensity, honesty, and connection and they have topped the Rock and Alternative charts and landed on several Best Rock/Metal Albums of the Year lists. 2023's "The Surface" went further still, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart and delivering back-to-back No. 1 singles at Active Rock and Mainstream Rock radio.