Review Summary: You won't be "Sick" of this album anytime soon. If you do, then you are truly "Disgusting".
I'll come right out and say this... I liked Attack Attack!. Now that I've drawn a target on my chest for all of the hate mail that I'm going to receive, I'd like to clarify. The reason why I liked Attack Attack! was for vocalist Caleb Shomo. I liked the intensity of his growls and shrieks. I liked how he focused more on delivering the emotion behind his lyrics rather than having a screaming contest with himself. And when I found out that he was leaving AA! to start his own band, I was skeptical. I don't like change and was very hesitant to check out Beartooth, at the time.
But then I did. Holy. ***.
Each song off of the album Disgusting is absolutely fantastic. Shomo proves to listeners that he has dedicated himself to improving his vocal abilities by demonstrating his clean and unclean skills. On the LP, Shomo puts complete raw emotion into his panic-y shrieks on songs like "I Have A Problem" and "Sick & Disgusting"; however, he also blows listeners away by crooning choruses that are sure to be locked into their brains, leaving Shomo with the key. Each song is written with stories of pain, struggle, and hardship while expressing the message that you must stay strong and live your life. He even pushes the importance of being self-aware of your life by screaming to listeners, "One life. One decision. Make sure it ends with you still living". Other themes that Beartooth touches on include child abuse, depression, and alcoholism. Simply put, the vocals and lyrics are very well done that connects with the audience while showing that it's okay to hurt and tell your own story to help others.
The sound on the album varies - in a VERY good way. While the album sticks more to hardcore guitar riffs and angry mosh-stomping drum beats, there are many different tastes of music styles that the band implements. For example, "Body Bag" is more of a hardcore song to pump up the listener, while "Between the Lines" uses more of a hard rock feel. The band uses various music styles to keep the audience intrigued while making sure that they don't go too crazy and change the feel of the music entirely.
Beartooth's Disgusting is an incredibly emotional album that you should pick up - especially if you're into hardcore music. While the album can be incredibly depressing at parts (check out "Sick and Disgusting"), it's an album that can be listened to from beginning to end without becoming stale. They say first impressions are everything, and Beartooth has caught the positive attention of many listeners from their incredible sound on the first try!
