Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo said it was sad to see homophobic responses after he publicly came out as a “proudly gay man” in May 2026. Speaking about the band’s forthcoming album, “Pure Ecstasy”, he said the experience of accepting his identity and addressing it openly became central to the record’s creative direction.

Shomo said he had initially written broadly empowering but non-specific lyrics because he was afraid to confront his feelings directly, after years of burying them with alcohol. Co-producer Jordan Fish encouraged him to write candidly about his life; their first collaboration, “Free”, prompted Shomo to reshape the album around the personal honesty that he believes defines Beartooth’s music.