After more than a decade of building their identity through punishing riffs and cathartic anthems, Beartooth have entered what may be their most talked-about era yet. Their latest single, “Free,” marks not only the band’s first new music in a while, but also their release under Fearless Records, ending a roughly ten-year run with Red Bull Records that helped shape the band’s rise through the 2010s metalcore boom.
“Free” arrives positioned as the first glimpse of Beartooth’s next chapter — and frontman Caleb Shomo has framed it as a deeply personal turning point. In statements accompanying the release, Shomo described the track as a reflection of life’s emotional contradictions — moments where fear and joy coexist in the same breath. That sentiment has always been central to Beartooth’s sound, but here it feels less like the defiant roar of earlier records and more like stepping into something broader and more liberated. For a band that built its reputation on gritty, bold aggression, “Free” carries a slightly different emotional posture: one that leans more into reflection and transformation.
Though this “new” space is not entirely unprecedented territory. Over the last several albums — from Disease to The Surface — Shomo has gradually shifted Beartooth’s songwriting toward melodic rock structures and more optimistic messaging. “Free” pushes that trajectory further, letting fans in on the other side that is also genuinely Beartooth — though their fandom seemed divided. Much of the conversation around the song has centered on the music video, which introduces a noticeably different aesthetic for Shomo.
In the video and its accompanying promo, Shomo appears with a dramatic visual change that immediately sparked debate across the metalcore community. The look — stylized, theatrical, and far removed from the rough-around-the-edges image that defined Beartooth’s earlier era — prompted both praise and backlash online. Hey, you can’t please everyone, but change is good, right?
Beyond the discourse, the shift behind “Free” may be just as significant. Now, with Fearless Records as their new home, the band appears to be positioning themselves for another phase of reinvention. The label itself has long been associated with shaping alternative rock and post-hardcore acts, making it a fitting environment for a band already in the midst of stylistic expansion.
If “Free” is any indication, the next Beartooth album may be their most revealing yet. Shomo has described it as possibly the most honest depiction of his inner world that he’s ever written. For a band whose career has often revolved around confronting inner turmoil head-on, “Free” suggests a new kind of consciousness — one that doesn’t necessarily come from fighting the darkness — but, from stepping outside of it.
Click Here To Stream “Free”
See Beartooth on tour this spring:
3/6 – Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON
3/8 – Place Bell – Laval, QC [SOLD OUT]
3/10 – Prudential Center – Newark, NJ
3/11 – TD Garden – Boston, MA [SOLD OUT]
3/13 – Xfinity Mobile Arena – Philadelphia, PA [SOLD OUT]
3/14 – CFG Bank Arena – Baltimore, MD [SOLD OUT]
3/16 – Lenovo Center – Raleigh, NC [SOLD OUT]
3/17 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN [SOLD OUT]
3/19 – American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
3/20 – Frost Bank Center – San Antonio, TX
3/22 – Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK
3/24 – Desert Diamond Arena – Glendale, AZ
3/26 – Kia Forum – Inglewood, CA [SOLD OUT]
3/27 – Oakland Arena – Oakland, CA