Disgusting

The release of Beartooth’s debut album, Disgusting, should quiet any doubts about the intentions of bandleader/vocalist Caleb Shomo. Fans of the Columbus, Ohio, wunderkind’s previous group Attack! Attack! delighted in his ability to fuse hardcore and electronica sounds even as some questioned his artistic seriousness. While Beartooth retain the creative agility and intelligence of Shomo’s former band, their overall thrust is in deadly earnest. Bruising tracks like “Beaten in Lips,” "Body Bag,” and “I Have a Problem” churn, gallop, and grind as they capture a soul-deep torment. Disgusting's music is consistently intense yet light on its feet, fusing mania and melody with unusual grace. The hard-slicing riffage of “Relapsing” gives way to bouncy, pop-slanted beats on “One More” before locking into ‘80s-style punk thrash on “Dead.” Shomo manages to emerge from his own private perdition to offer some social commentary on “Keep Your American Dream.” The closing track, “Sick & Disgusting,” offers the album’s most harrowing moment as Shomo rips open his psychic wounds without flinching.