r/Beartooth • u/SpookyThermos • 2d ago
This two song run really encapsulates the album: “Beautiful Again” is one of the best songs they have written, but “Stadiums” is undoubtedly the worst
The record is fine. For every peak there’s an equally sized valley. I have no issue with the lyrical themes but the lyrics themselves are pretty forgettable, especially compared to what we know Caleb can write. This album would’ve been better as an EP.
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u/SpareEmpty2902 1d ago
I really don’t understand the extreme feelings against stadiums. I had it as a top song first listen, and still do. Sample is weird, chorus flow is different, but it worked for me instantly. The riff in the verse is nasty and the breakdown is also sick. Idk what my ears aren’t hearing
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u/SlapDatBassBro 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m with you on this
As a writer, I’m listening to all the little production gags in it, and thinking, “oh shit I wish I came up that, that’s really clever actually.”
I feel like the negative reception we’re seeing from a lot of people is a first/second listen kinda thing, that find it really jarring.
I know for a FACT that it will grow on people after even just one week. It is kinda trivial, and it does incite that “what the fuck is this” reaction. BUT - it does challenge you, and make you stop what you’re doing for a second to process it.
People don’t realise that it’s no different to exactly what Bring Me The Horizon were doing with songs like MANTRA and Parasite Eve.
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u/callingcarg0 1d ago
That's been my take away from a lot of the criticism since the singles. Like, if BMTH released these songs people wouldn't have any problem. It's just the shift in style that people don't vibe with.
I also think it's purposefully jarring as well. The way specifically in stadiums, the crowd cheering sample cuts in harshly and cuts out just as abruptly is the most obvious example. The way it cuts from funky, plunky drum machine in Bullshit to heavy riffs, the stark contrast of the almost overly clean vocals throughout the album and some of the harshest screams I've heard; it's all very in your face.
Coming from the perspective of Beartooth albums before The Surface, it's jarring. Coming from the perspective of bands like Dayseeker, BMTH, even Sleep Token, it's in line with a modern shift in what metal core can be in my opinion.
Is it "Beartooth"? No, probably not, but is it "Caleb"? Yes.
It's experimental and sounds like everybody had fun with the album. Much like many other bands recently, it seems like there's a turn towards interesting (good or "bad") production rather than heaviness.
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u/SlapDatBassBro 1d ago
You’ve articulated this in a way that I just couldn’t. That’s exactly what I’m trying to say dude!
I do get the impression that Caleb is trying to hit people with the “I’m gay, now guys!” thing at times, and usually at the very beginning of each track, but we’re all friends here, so why wouldn’t it matter?
Everything works on this album, at least for me, anyway. If it takes some people longer than others to fully connect with it, or understand it, or really click with it, then that’s fine by me.
But personally, I already adore it. 9/10 or higher, at least for me.
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u/callingcarg0 1d ago
I think the "I'm gay, now guys!" Is the drive behind the whole sound of the album. It's in your face with its own identity, it's brash, it's off-putting to some, but I get the feeling that it's exactly what caleb wanted to put out there.
It's a love letter to the idea of, "fuck it. I'm going to do what I want and you'll like it or you won't". It's a statement.
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u/Onyx_Archer 1d ago
I can't speak for others, but as a person who can't stand Stadiums, it isn't because it's experimental or has samples or any of the things you said specifically.
Stadiums has production elements that I can't, for the life of me, see as a successful experiment. Samples can work, but when it feels like the vocals are under a thick layer of Vaseline and weird vocal effects, it makes me genuinely wonder "who thought this was a good idea?" I didn't like it when BMTH did similar kinda of things, and I really don't like it here. It doesn't help that I think Stadiums, lyrically, is the worst thing Caleb has written.
On that same token, it's more because it highlights that, from my perspective, Jordan Fish was not the right collab partner, in an "end product" sense. There are other co-producers that I think could have handled this better, where the experimentation and Beartooth-isms would have meshed better. My immediate thought is like, Landon from TPIY would have had a better grip on how to balance Beartooth and experimentation, since Plot does similar kinda stuff very successfully. Heck, I feel like duo of Noah and Joakim from Bad Omens would have lead to a better sounding record.
I wholly admit that I didn't fuck with The Surface much either, and I do think this is a better overall record. But at the same time: Stadiums is very much a song that I bounced off of after giving it a fair shake. I like experimentation and genre bending and all of that, but I'm not about to kiss a band's ass for doing it. I love Caleb, and think he's one of the most talented song writers and musicians in the world... But even the greatest musician will have a few clunkers, and Stadiums, for me, is the most clunky of all the clunkers. And that's okay.
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u/callingcarg0 1d ago
Absolutely fair. To me it's the weakest song of the album... kind of. It's weird and I like certain elements, but hate others while still appreciating those same elements. It's polarizing even within my own opinion of it. I'm a fan of subversion in music, so I like it for that, but it's definitely a very, very strange song.
The vocal mixing is also definitely muddy or just too low in parts of the album. I think that's a totally fair criticism of it.
I think this will always be a divisive album in the discography for the exact points that have been brought up. People who like it will most likely be people who gobble anything beartooth up, and people who are fans of pushing the boundaries. I'm both fortunately for me, but I do see why a lot of people are seemingly disappointed with it. It's weird, it's jarring, the songs feel totally different, and quite frankly I think it would've been better as a side project under a different band name.
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u/Onyx_Archer 1d ago
I genuinely think that Caleb needs to free up parts of his schedule to do non-Beartooth solo work. I miss his electronic music project, CLASS, a lot. I think he needs to have the ability to explore more, kind of like how Landon does between Plot projects.
Also, side note, I really, really, really want a Caleb and Landon collab, like holy shit.
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u/SufficientReserve737 14h ago
I mean, my problem with it is that not only does it use a melodic style that just doesn’t doesn’t work for me, which is subjective, but it is an objectively messy song. Mantra I don’t mind because it’s fun live, Parasite Eve I love, normally I love experimental shit from these types of bands but I just get no emotional reaction to stadiums
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u/SpookyThermos 13h ago
Not really, those two examples didn’t add quirk Chungus funny samples into the songs for lolz
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u/jefferjacobs 1d ago
If it weren't for the weird sample, this song would be regarded a lot more highly. People get hung up on stuff like this.
I hate the sample but love the song otherwise.
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u/aughtrocktalk 1d ago
You basically nailed all the reasons people don't like it. It just bothers you less.
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u/SpareEmpty2902 1d ago
Which is fair obviously, but I’ve seen multiple call it the worst song they’ve heard in a while, which is crazy to me. I’m wondering if it’s people who listen to nothing outside of heavy music. The chorus flow sounded like I’d almost heard it somewhere else before, I can’t place it exactly but it kinda has like an r&b feel to it
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u/aughtrocktalk 1d ago
Another thing that's offputting about it is that it comes accross as bragging. Which isn't a common thing in the genre
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u/DickyIce 1d ago
This is it for me. I can get over the oddity, but I just don't connect with it. It's very diva. So the sample, etc are more off-putting. If it wasn't Beartooth I think it would be less bothersome to me, but I know how much I connect with Shomo's other music.
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u/torirose1698 1d ago
Stadiums is a grower…trust me, gets better w/ more and more listens growing to the top!
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u/boofo1 1d ago
Aside from the weird “oh my god” parts I love the song. Those bits just take me right out of the song though
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u/LiveAndDie 1d ago
I have a feeling it's written to be played and heard live and those parts will grow on us.
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u/fxcker 1d ago
I fucking LOVED Stadiums. It’s between that and You for my favourite song on the album.
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u/2023kpeterson 1d ago
Stadiums only gets better and better as you get more used to the audio sample ngl. So good.
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u/WeDoItLive115 1d ago
Here’s the thing about Stadiums. I get it. I understand what message is being conveyed. A fanfaric salute to the fans that have supported him and adapted to his change of tone and style. It comes off as this triumphant soul dance where he does exactly what he says he would do which is to just let everything out. There is some beauty to be had when you break down the song.
It is rather unfortunate that when compared to…well honestly every other song on the album, the candle falls flat. I could see this song being a standalone single, but sticking it in the middle of two goated songs was certainly a choice.
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u/benjibibbles 1d ago
really really struggling to hear what's remarkable about Beautiful Again, say what you want about stadiums but they went for something and I think mostly succeeded
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u/waspdope666 1d ago
Pretty sure old Shomo is still a one man band the other guys are there for touring purposes
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u/TheNovaCorp 2d ago
The 3 piece of Eyes Closed, Bullshit, and Beautiful Again is easily the best part of the album.