Review by Lucas Bell
On the sixth month anniversary of the band’s first single from this record, Ohio metalcore titans Beartooth have dropped their sixth record, Pure Ecstasy. After the absolute commercial dominance and critical acclaim of their last record, The Surface, Pure Ecstasy needed to swing big, and the record does. With writing and producing credits from collaborators like Jordan Fish and Misha Mansoor, bolstered by some incredible singles before the album even dropped, the bar has been high for this record.
The album opens with the title track, ‘Pure Ecstasy’. Knowing Mansoor was a part of this track specifically, I can hear it dripping with Periphery level production and writing. If anything, I just want to hear Caleb and Spencer on a track together now. As for the song itself, an incredible opening track, and a strong start to the record. Following on into ‘Eyes Closed’ though, that’s the sign of genius. Both of these songs back to back sound incredible. I do wish this had been held for a post release single, because having these two out and about before the release, and knowing them before getting the record, for me, would have been a cooler listen blind. Definitely an album highlight.
Where the first two songs feel like they stick to the Beartooth formula, ‘Bullshit’ blasts with almost a 2000s RnB vibe, oozing coolness of artists like Jason Derulo and Usher, but if guys like that did metalcore instead of RnB. The outro riff though, heavy as shit and I can imagine mosh pits going off for that final part of the track. ‘Beautiful Again’ very much sits with ‘Free’ on the record as the other big anthem track of the album. The track speaks on solitude, and finding time away by yourself to heal. When it came to naming my favourite three from the record, this was an incredibly close fourth. But this is another incredible song on the record.
‘Stadiums’ is the first track on this record that never fully hit for me. From a lyrical standpoint it is an interesting track. It sticks to the core message of acceptable and belief in yourself, but also about how the band getting big and filling stadiums changed the band. It’s a bit of a messy track to listen to, and lyrically, is also not consistent with the rest of the record. Maybe it’s a track I just don’t ‘get’. I hope it does grow on me, because it has some interesting production and composition ideas. Just never hooked me on any of the listens I did with the record.
‘Free’ was the album’s first single, and this is still probably my favourite from the record, if not their recent history. Knowing now what the song was about, rather than allowing the rampant speculation to take hold, was a smart choice from Caleb and the band, and is the exact type of anthem these lads are known for. Banger tune. ‘Sorry’ is equally as anthemic. Where ‘Free’ is the self-acceptance theme song, ‘Sorry’ is the ‘fuck being apologetic’ anthem. ‘Bow your head and pray to god/The only thing you’re hearing is/Fuck you’ on the breakdown. Chefs kiss.
‘Lose You to Find Me’ is the song I was most interested in. From a titling standpoint, I took the song to be about the loss that comes from being true to yourself. And that is exactly what the song is about. It’s a total heartbreaker, packaged as more of a pop rock radio jam, which is equally as depressing as it is danceable. I have no idea if ‘You’ is a spiritual sequel to ‘In Between’, with the lyrical connection to the reference about being on top of the mountain. But I feel it talks more about what happens when the mental struggle that ‘In Between’ fully takes over. The songs have no seeming connective tissue, but it’s definitely something I picked up on, whether intention or not. Great song though.
‘For Me By Me’ is the other song on the record I struggled with enjoying at times. I love how big the instrumental side of it is. The riff on the verses is sick, and I love the whisper singing, but the pre-chorus vibe change and the ending of the chorus takes a bit to get into. I’ve grown to appreciate it over multiple listens, but it’s not a straight away hit for me. ‘I Made It’ rounds out the record, in the most wholesome and optimistic way possible. An album that delves deeply into the struggles of love and acceptance, and understanding yourself to be happy, ‘I Made It’ leaves the listener with a simple message. You may not love yourself entirely yet, but one day, you’ll be able to say that you made it. A beautiful sign off for the record.
Overall, the record is a great listen. The production is solid, and every song incredibly meaningful. I’m not a fan of every song on the album, with ‘Stadiums’ being probably my biggest dislike on the album. I will say, I do like some of the creative choices on the track. The cutaway piano with the chatter at the start, the bassy verses, the weird choruses, the meme-y sound clips, and the organ/soul bridge into the MCR ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ style outro. All big swings. But together, on one track, just an absolute mess for me.
Outside of that, the album shows the band at their very best. Tracks like ‘Free’ and ‘Eyes Closed’ show just how incredible the song writing and emotions can be to bring you in, while songs like ‘Lose You To Find Me’ and ‘Sorry’ bring sadness and anger to the forefront in unapologetic ways. Showing every range of emotion and not hiding itself.
Score – 7/10
Album Highlights – ‘Free’, ‘Eyes Closed’, ‘Lose You to Find Me’
