Review Summary: Not the best album ever made, but one that will leave you with enough hardcore heavy hitters, and even a few more sincere songs this time around to satisfy any fan.
I first got into Beartooth back when 2016’s “Aggressive” had just come out. The hit banger “I have a problem” sold me immediately, and new single “Hated” was another favorite. That makes “Disease” my first full album experience with Beartooth, and man, it was certainly an introduction.
“Disease” takes what Caleb Shomo was shooting for (and reached) on the first 2 albums and decides to change things up a bit. You’ll find that previously incorporated elements of post-hardcore have been replaced with that of pop-punk and some much more serious metalcore. While this does change the vibe of some songs a lot, I think this newer and updated Beartooth sound worked pretty well. Let’s just get into the album and break each song down.
Opening up the album is “Greatness or Death”. The song begins in a really interesting manner with an acoustic intro that eventually becomes Caleb shouting the titular line and a heavy riff. This will definitely make an unprepared listener jump, and I think it’s cool that this was tried in the song and is very effective at grasping the listener’s attention. While I like the rest of the song, and while it is a far better opener than the title track of “Aggressive”, I can’t help but feel like it’s not the greatest album opener out there. Outside of the beginning of the song, not much of it is super memorable to me especially compared to “The Lines” and “Below”.
Moving on to the title track and lead single, which is a song that focuses more on melody. The chorus of “Disease” is emotionally grasping, as it calls out for answers on how to cure one’s disease. The song itself reminds me a lot of “Disgusting”, in the way that it portrays the narrator feeling lost and confused, with no real way out. It’s a great song, and a really good choice for the lead single.
The next song is an underrated gem, and among my personal favorite Beartooth songs. “Fire”, track 3 of the album, is a fast and punky banger that doesn’t let up on the ear. From its gorgeous chorus to its intense and shoutable lyrics, I really feel like this song could have been a single and it deserves a lot more fan attention. This is honestly one of the most punk sounding tracks that this band has put out and I think this kind of sound suits them super well. I hope they explore this more in the future.
Single “You Never Know” is up next, and it’s the biggest grower for me on the album and quite possibly in Beartooth’s discography. The verses do leave a little to be desired as all they really do is build up some suspense, but good god is that chorus worth it. Shomo holds out the words in the chorus in a manner not too dissimilar to a lot of pop songs, and I honestly think it worked insanely well. The way the lines “I’ve never felt so close, to giving up on hope” are amazing. It’s a great song, and the music video is very profound with how it shows Caleb’s past self.
Not all of this album is sunshine and rainbows, though. Unfortunately “Bad Listener” is a song that I quite simply do not like. It’s trying to be this big generational anthem but I honestly think it comes off very cringy. Its a fan favorite and live staple, which I understand, to a degree. That said, I’m personally nowhere near a fan. In terms of HEAVY Beartooth songs, “Hell of it” from “Below” is a much better listen in my opinion.
It doesn’t take the album long to get back on its feet though, as “Afterall” comes up next. This track reminds me a lot of “You Never Know”, but in a good way, to where the songs share things that I like about them. This song and its lyrics resonated with me a lot early on, making it an instant favorite. Again, we’re focusing more on the melodic side of things, which was a good call coming off of the last song, and the introspective lyrics definitely outshine “Bad Listener” and remind you that this album still has a lot of great songs to go.
Sadly, “Afterall” is sandwiched between my two least favorites on the album. What was even going on with “Manipulation”? I like elements of the song, particularly some of the lyrics, but it’s trying to be another big pump up moshing anthem like “Bad Listener”, and it might work even less. The song begins with Caleb randomly shouting “This is Manipulation” and as much as I like his vocals… I found this honestly laughable, and it’s repeated throughout the song. It’s not a horrible song, and I do really like bits of it, but it’s far from a song I could say I really enjoy, just like “Bad Listener”.
Another grower comes up next with “Enemy”. This is one of the most straight up Metalcore songs here, and I’d say they were able to make that work pretty damn well. It’s got some of the most intensely screamed verses on the whole album, but they lead into a gorgeously melodic chorus that really caught me off guard, especially the last time it comes in at the end of the song. I don’t really have much else to say about the song, It’s just a solid listen.
But the biggest surprise on “Disease” was track 9, “Believe”, which caught me completely off guard. “You Never Know” and “Afterall” were clearly sneaking in pop punk elements, but they still remained melodic hardcore songs at the end of the day. But this song is a complete venture into pop punk, and I’d be damned if I said I wasn’t super into it. The topic at hand in the song is seasonal depression, which you hear through lines such as “I’m stuck in December in the middle of summer” (which is one of the most pop punk lyrics I think I’ve ever heard), and I think the melancholic pop punk sound of this song fits that super well. It was a great little surprise that I wasn’t expecting, even though it’s not necessarily the best song ever.
“Infection” was the song that leaked before the album’s release, and I was immediately hooked on this one when I heard it. It was the first new Beartooth single that I got to hear, and it got me really excited for this 3rd album. Behind “Fire”, it remains my favorite. A catchy chorus is complemented by heavy verses and a brutal breakdown after each chorus when Caleb Shomo screams “I caught the Infection again”. Lyrics on this one are talking about letting a toxic person into your life by mistake, something I absolutely relate to. All this creates a recipe for a great song, indeed.
“Used and Abused” is the penultimate tune, another song I’d describe as more punk leaning. It’s an anthem of rebellion against the establishment. I’m sure it could be viewed as immature and melodramatic to some people, and while I think a part of me agrees, the song won me over in the end. Similarly to “Enemy”, I don’t have much to say about this one either, it’s just a good punky metalcore song. That’s about all there is to it.
Now, the album comes to an end with the final song, “Clever”. Dear god, I don’t think I’ve ever related more to a song’s lyrics. “If I’m clever they might never understand, feels like death me are walking hand in hand” is the main lyric of this song. It’s a very sad song masked by its pop punk sound, and it talks about hiding someone’s inner depression for the sake of others. I have been in this scenario too many times to even count. Honestly, I think my least favorite part about it is that it feels almost too real for my liking. When a song hits you like that in your soul, you know it’s a great one. A perfect way to close the album up, for sure.
That brings us to the end. Compared to “Disgusting”, I have to say that ‘Disease” only partially lives up to that awesome album. However, compared to “Aggressive”, this album is far more inventive and sounds a lot fresher to the ear, even if its based on similar themes to the past, and has a couple duds in there towards the middle. It’s a really really solid effort that I recommend to hardcore fans, and even fans of pop punk this time around, despite its flaws. I think you’ll find enjoyment in this one if you’re willing to give it a proper try.
Tracks to check out: Fire, Infection, Disease, Clever, You never know, Afterall, Enemy
