ALBUM REVIEW: PURE ECSTASY BY BEARTOOTH
Reviewed by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Release date 28 August 2026
American metalcore band Beartooth deliver a new album, ‘Pure Ecstasy’,that dives into raw emotion and heavy guitar riffs in a blast of pure sonic assault. “I'm not the battle, I am the war” as band members bassist Oshie Bichar, guitarists Zach Huston and Will Deely, and drummer Connor Denis expand the lyricism and themes of the album along, with Periphery's Misha Mansoor and ex-Bring Me The Horizon musician Jordan Fish, who join together with Caleb Shomo as a unit to make this the most collaborative Beartooth release. You can hear the difference immediately in the style and delivery of the songs and the pacing in the instrumentation.
The 11-song album opens slowly with the title track ‘Pure Ecstasy’ with class to set “free” the mind from the “progressive disease” and “hellbent depression”. The chugging guitar sets “the pressure building” and the repetitive rhythm and lyricism of “eating me alive” sound like a real cry from the heart as inner conflict is exposed as the response is to not “sacrifice my life” but find a pathway forward as the acoustic guitar takes us forward. The following song is “about holding it all together” and stopping from “losing it all” with ‘Eyes Closed’. Hit rewind as this song is a great melodic rock track and very catchy. The chorus rises effectively to a crescendo before opening with an excellent “close to heaven but all I see is death” breakdown. It is followed by ‘Bullshit’ and addresses the destructive self-talk “maybe I'm better off dead”, that often accompanies fragile mental health. The “same old shit” as the lyrics describes “the exit” and the fight against depression by allowing others to help carry the “burden”. CalebShomo obviously understands the condition well and the swelling melody shows that a path to the light is possible.
The song ‘Beautiful Again’ is a big drum and guitar emo-rock track looking for clarity away from hurt and heartbreak. “Everything may hurt like hell” while waiting for the answer to come around” and “fix a broken heart”. The lyricism is so emotive as redemption is sought to “maybe I'll be beautiful again”. It is such a vulnerable song and an album highlight with its big guitar melody line and clean and dark vocals battling it out. ‘Stadiums’ is next with a piano chord and spoken-word, rapped introduction before huge drums kick in. It’s a dark melodic song with lots of breaks and lines reflective of intrusive thoughts. The lyric “I’m not winning until the whole place is singing”, is fantastic! The gentle electric rock ballad starts ‘Free’ and the repeated angelic imagery of angel’s halos turns up again.
The gentle synth pulses lead into the detonation that is ‘Sorry’ and this song is the reaction to ‘Free’. The powerful rhythms and the crunching guitars underpin the wild “fuck you” attitude and “try and stop me”. The vocals on this song are in your face, both the melodic clean singing and screams. It is another album highlight. The final vocal scream is particularly intense and concludes the piece in a brilliant way. The rock ballad ‘Lose You To Find Me’ has a very catchy emo- punk 2000’s retro sound with that lovely guitar work underneath. Then, ‘You’, a song “about a bad bitch”, really puts the attitude out there within a violent musical assault. The song is full of rage as the “conflict” cannot be resolved. Blow off steam here with heavy metal heat and “enjoy the final high”!
The song ‘For Me By Me’ is an unusual title but it is about “tears, sweat, blood” and “counterfeit love” and is the best song on the album. It has a great melody, contrasting rhythms and terrific vocals. It’s a simple call from the heart and “it’s his time” for “nirvana” and a “new life” that is “needed like a drug” and “like a bright light from above”. The album closes with the statement of ‘I Made It’ as the lyrics and music “just keep coming out of me” with a spoken introduction from the studio. The vocals are softer and the instrumentation sounds brighter and healthier. “Lost pride” and coming out of heartbreak explain that need to be valued and “wanted”.
Beartooth expose the despair that can accompany affairs of the broken heart: suffering and anger. The songs on the album are about finding peace within oneself and the importance of valuing yourself. Beartooth, collectively, take on the burden to move forward and “set themselves free”. The pressure’s off and there are some great songs on this album to help fight your own war.
