22. February 2025
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Media Review

Beartooth – The Surface

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Beartooth - The Surface

Beartooth - The Surface
3.8

Rating

 3.8/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Some really good songs
  • Good vocal and instrumental performances
  • Great collaboration with Hardy

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Weak spots, especially in the second half of the album

With the mid-September 2023 single release The Better Me featuring country rocker HARDY, I felt that The Surface by Beartooth could definitely be an album worth presenting in here. Luckily, I received the record rather early from a promoter, so that I could check it out for you. The release date of the fifth album of the band overall is 13th October 2023.

 

Beartooth – About The Artists

Beartooth are an US-American hardcore band. They have been funded in 2012 in Columbus, Ohio. After their 2014 album Disgusting just hit the domestic charts, their three following albums had rather global success. For example, the 2021 release Below even hit the German Top 10 charts and placed in other markets like the United Kingdom as well. The lead singer of the band is Caleb Shomo. Apart from him, Beartooth consists of Will Deely (rhythm guitar), Oshie Bichar (bass), Connor Davis (drums) and Zach Huston (lead guitar). Apart from the four albums, the band has released one EP. The single In Between (2014) received a golden record in Canada and the USA.

 

Beartooth – The Surface – Track by Track

The eleven song album lasts 37 minutes.

1. The Surface

A short break, a spoken word – and then the US band give their full power. Finest metalcore with nice melodic elements in the opener – Beartooth leaves a smile in my metal heart during these first 3:54 minutes.

2. Riptide

This song already debuted on 12th July… 2022. The instrumental focus is on Connor Davis, who has to stomp on bass drum pedal with full force in here. Nonetheless, the song is rather melodic. Good track with modern metal attitudes.

3. Doubt Me

I’ve been used
By the useless
My whole body’s covered in bruises
Consumed by the clueless
So full of lies and excuses

While the first verses of the song “just” feel like a modern rock track, Beartooth is pushing forward with a lot of force since the first chorus. One key elements are shouted, hip hop alike spoken word elements. Very aggressive sound – but that does not necessarily mean that it is not enjoyable in this genre.

4. The Better Me (Feat. Hardy)

Okay, I have to admit: I love the stuff Hardy is doing in his solo releases. But this collaboration is simply amazing – and it works out so well. Welcome to the birth moment of country-rock-core… Or something like that.

5. Might Love Myself

Took my body over
Lost all my composure
Never felt quite like this before
Chemistry is changing
Emotions rearranging
I’m outta my cage
Breaking my spell
Think I might
Think I might love myself

I enjoy listening to Might Love Myself – even though the song is comparably soft and does rarely come with harder metal elements. A nice track for Beartooth-beginners, maybe. Great work by Caleb Shomo in here, by the way.

6. Sunshine!

Sunshine! is another “vintage song” of the album – the single release has been almost half a year before the album release. It also closes the section of already released tracks. The changes of almost folk-rock alike strumming guitar parts and massive rock power with shouting sections leads to a very unique and impressive sound of on this album.

7. What’s Killing You

There is no doubt, you should follow What’s Killing You from the very beginning to the very end. The song starts with an intense shouting section, but then also introduces some almost gentle passages. This change of different styles and atmospheres turns the seventh song into a special listen.

8. Look The Other Way

Oooops, are we still at The Surface? Look The Other Way presents a very gentle and emotional ballad style and thus feels extremely kitschy in the context of the album. There is more rock energy towards the end of the song, which overall feels to be one of the weaker ones to me. Luckily, it is also one of the shortest listens.

9. What Are You Waiting For

What Are You Waiting For starts like a good rock’n’roller and then takes the route straight into the Beartooth signature sound. Not the deepest and most complex listen of the album, but this song has some partying potential on live appearances, especially in the first half of it.

10. My New Reality

After the recent ballad two songs again, the very hall-ful My New Reality is the second song which surprises with a different style. The song has a nostalgic touch of 1980’s hard rock and wave songs. Even though it also presents some typical Beartooth elements towards its end, it misses to be memorable.

11. I Was Alive

It is definitely not the most dark and aggressive song of the album, but one of the best listens of the whole The Surface experience. With I Was Alive, Beartooth luckily manage to close the album in style… and with a good feeling in the heart of the listener.

 

Beartooth – The Surface – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Beartooth – The Surface – My View

So good that the closing song is such a good listen. The second half of The Surface unfortunately cannot deny some weak spots, which definitely decrease the overall rating of the album. Good times and bad times in here. The total rating is not too bad, though.

Favorite Song: The Better Me

 

Media Reviews – US Hard Rock / Heavy Metal

Here are all my hard rock / heavy metal postings in the Media Reviews related to the USA:

 

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