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Back in May, Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo shared something deeply personal with fans, coming out as gay.
Now, in a new longform interview with the Disrespectfully podcast, Shomo has opened up further about what that process looked like behind the scenes – reflecting on identity, therapy, the breakdown of his long-term marriage and why being openly queer in heavy music still feels daunting.
Disrespectfully: Caleb Shomo – A Suit of Armor
The conversation arrives at a particularly significant moment for Beartooth. Not only is the band preparing to release their sixth album Pure Ecstasy later this year – a record Caleb says confronts both the darkest and brightest parts of himself more openly than ever before – but they’re also gearing up to bring that next chapter to Australia in early 2027 for their biggest-ever headline run down under.
Speaking on the Disrespectfully pod, Shomo acknowledged that visibility within heavy music remains limited, particularly in spaces that haven’t always felt welcoming to LGBTQIA+ artists.
“Within our music scene… to be gay in any public forum is very scary, especially in the United States, and especially in our music scene,” he said.
“I mean, we have Rob Halford, and that was in the ’90s. I’m sure I’m not the only one.”
Shomo’s sexuality became a major point of conversation earlier this year following the release of Beartooth’s Free music video, which sparked widespread discussion online about his appearance and presentation.
At the time, he stepped away from Instagram for a period and says the distance ultimately gave him space to reflect, start therapy and begin unpacking feelings he’d been carrying for years.
“I was able to verbalize that… no, I think the way that I feel about girls, I feel about guys,” he said. “There’s something there that I’ve been running from for a long fucking time. And I don’t think I want to run anymore.”
According to Shomo, once he allowed himself to sit with those feelings, things moved quickly.
“Everything starts to make sense.”
“I was able to stop hating myself so much… and start to unpack everything.”
He says therapy became a major part of that process.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Shomo also reflected on how growing up in a devout Christian environment – and coming up within parts of the Christian heavy music scene in the mid-to-late 2000s – shaped the way he understood himself.
While careful not to reduce his experience to one thing alone, he described parts of that environment as difficult and emotionally damaging in hindsight.
One memory that stayed with him involved witnessing attempts to “pray the gay away” from a crew member while touring as a teenager.
Recalling the moment, Shomo described it as deeply confronting and something that left a lasting impression on him.
For many fans, the interview won’t just resonate because of what Shomo revealed – but because of what it represents.
Heavy music has long prided itself on being a space for outsiders, but conversations around masculinity, identity and queerness haven’t always evolved at the same pace across every corner of the scene.
But still, Shomo’s not presenting himself as a spokesperson for anyone.
But by speaking openly about his own experience, he’s adding another voice to a conversation that still doesn’t happen nearly enough.
And that openness also feels closely tied to where Beartooth are creatively right now.
Their upcoming album Pure Ecstasy – due out August 28 via Fearless Records – is being positioned as the band’s most collaborative and emotionally exposed record yet, with Shomo describing lead single Free as “the most honest depiction of my soul I will most likely ever make.”
Australian fans will get to see that new era up close next January when Beartooth return for their biggest local headline tour to date, joined by Fit For A King and Volumes.
The run kicks off in Adelaide before hitting Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. You can peep those details down below, or listen to Shomo’s full chat with Disrespectfully up above.
Beartooth Pure Ecstasy Australian Tour 2027
- TUESDAY 26 JANUARY 2027 – THEBARTON THEATRE, ADELAIDE
- THURSDAY 28 JANUARY 2027 – FESTIVAL HALL, MELBOURNE
- SATURDAY 30 JANUARY 2027 – HORDERN PAVILION, SYDNEY
- SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2027 – FORTITUDE MUSIC HALL, BRISBANE
Tickets on sale now from https://www.destroyalllines.com/tour/beartooth
Further Reading
Former Parkway Drive Associate Case: Victim Speaks Publicly In Explosive ABC Investigation
Watch Laura Jane Grace Burn Her Birth Certificate In Protest On Stage In North Carolina
The post Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo Opens Up About Coming Out, Self-Acceptance And Why Heavy Music Needs More Queer Visibility appeared first on Music Feeds.
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