CALEB SHOMO: BEARTOOTH's Upcoming 'The Surface' Album Is 'The Polar Opposite' Of 'Below'

In a new interview with Germany's Rock Antenne, BEARTOOTH frontman Caleb Shomo spoke about why the band went through several lineup changes in the early days of its existence around a decade ago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, thankfully, we do have [a lineup] that we've had for a while. I think something like this and the way this is run, with it being just me and me [playing all the instruments], at least in the studio… the way this whole thing is structured out, it was bound to go through some changes. And everybody else also has their own lives they've gotta live. And not everybody wants to just be out on the road doing this all the time, which I completely respect. But I think as of now, we've got the lineup, in my opinion. It's good. We got some of the best players ever. I'm very, very proud of everybody who's standing on that stage. And I feel like every show we just get more in tune with each other and we're becoming more of a team and it's really taking the BEARTOOTH live show to a whole new level."

Regarding BEARTOOTH's upcoming album "The Surface", which will arrive this fall, Caleb said: "It's really just kind of the polar opposite of [2021's] 'Below'. 'Below' was really a COVID kind of period piece record, just about all of the emotions that were being felt throughout that, that I was feeling and I was dealing with and kind of my mental state. And I vowed after that record that I would never make a record that kind of dark and sad again. And in turn, through all of the kind of changes that I started making in my own life coming out of COVID, this record just kind of started to be born. And it really is just the polar opposite. It's hopeful and there's positive tones to it and it's not just miserable and sad, and I'm very happy about that."

He continued: "I think really for me it's about manifesting happiness. I really do believe that we are very in control of our futures and at least ourselves and the way we feel in the future. And it takes a lot of manifesting, it takes a lot of just calling things for what it is and deciding things. For me, I think being happy in a lot of ways is a choice, and I have to choose to do these practical things that may be difficult throughout the day but I know they will make me happier in the long run. So this record's really just about kind of like wanting to manifest that I wanna live a happier life from here on out."

"The Surface" will be released on October 13 via Red Bull Records. 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.

Shomo first turned the pain of his struggle with mental health and self-image into music in 2013. BEARTOOTH began as a living document, a diary, a journal of repressed rage and depression. Alone in his basement studio, screaming and singing, playing all the instruments, and self-producing a batch of furious but melodic songs filled with reflection and confession, the Ohio native stared into the abyss, initially with no intention of returning to the heavy music world that burned him as a teen. A decade later, the different pieces of his body of work connect in title, sound, and spirit. As the frontman hits 30, BEARTOOTH's fifth album, "The Surface", completes this era in 2023. Even more importantly, it kicks off a new chapter filled with surprising optimism and just as honest. Depression is a sick, disgusting, aggressive disease below the surface. Shomo stands ready to bask in the light.

Like NINE INCH NAILS, BEARTOOTH remains a one-person band in the studio. On the heels of the introductory "Sick" EP (2013),"Disgusting" (2014) produced the band's first gold single, "In Between". "Aggressive" (2016) and "Disease" (2018) expanded on the desperation and pain, each a step closer to a balance between the blood and tears of classic recordings and the shimmer of modernity.

Rolling Stone heralded BEARTOOTH as one of 10 Artists You Need to Know. The rabid response to Shomo's music demonstrated how many people related to his struggle for self-acceptance. "Below" topped the Rock and Alternative charts and several Best Rock/Metal Albums Of The Year lists. As of 2023, the BEARTOOTH catalog boasts more than one billion streams across all platforms.