Beartooth – Aggressive – Album Review

Red Bull Records

by Nicole Ireland

http://beartoothband.com

Beartooth had their work cut out for them with their sophomore album Aggressive. Their debut album Disgusting was a favourite for both fans and critics, immediately creating a lot of excitement and anticipation for their follow-up. Needless to say, Beartooth had big shoes to fill this time around.

If you’re looking for Disgusting 2.0, you will be disappointed. Aggressive is quite different musically and lyrically. Lead singer and songwriter Caleb Shomo was in a very dark place when writing Disgusting, and the album was very self-deprecating. In terms of mood, Aggressive has just about done a complete 180. Shomo appears to be in a much more positive place. He seems to have taken control of his demons, and the lyrics reflect that. The songs are no longer about feeling helpless or angry, they address the demons in an empowering way.

After my first listen, I enjoyed the album but there was something that wasn’t sitting right with me. I’m really attached to Disgusting, and Aggressive was such a musical shift that I didn’t know how to feel about it. It’s not as heavy of an album. There are obviously still big breakdowns and choruses that give you no choice but to scream them at the top of your lungs, but the album as a whole isn’t as heavy. The lyrical content isn’t as heavy, and we get to hear a lot more of Shomo’s singing, which has definitely improved since their last release.

I gave it a second listen a few days later and I am now 100% hooked. Hesitant after my first listen, and hooked after my second seems to be the formula for all of my favourite albums. I’m loving that the big choruses and breakdowns are still as big as ever, but I’m also loving the little lyrical gems like “my worth is more than your word.” My personal favourite track is “Loser,” it’s an absolute banger and the song where that great lyric came from. The whole album makes you feel like you can kick anybody and everybody’s ass, which is the best way to feel at any given time.