It's been a busy couple of months for Beartooth since the 2018 release of Disease. While touring in support of the album, they released two B-side tracks, "Takeover" and "Messed Up," as a Record Store Day special in April. We got to chat with the band's mastermind Caleb Shomo at Sonic Temple Festival about the new songs and what the future holds for them music-wise.

"Takeover," according to Shomo, is an "anthemic, you're-not-gonna-take-it" track, whereas "Messed Up" honed in on the effects of bullying. "I hear so many stories about that at shows...it's about the lasting effects that we can have on other people depending on how we treat them," the vocalist says.

The two songs were originally going to be featured on Disease, but were left off due to their subject matter. "For me, Disease is very, very internal as a record. Both of those songs are me looking outward on the world and just talking about it, so it didn't quite feel right lyrically to go on the album," Shomo explains. "And the songs are pretty different, they're both very experimental for Beartooth songs."

Going off Shomo's comments on the inspiration behind "Messed Up," we wanted to know what he had to say to fans and listeners who struggle with their mental health. "Just keep the conversation going," the singer begins. Recognizing the losses of several rock musicians to suicide and addiction over the last few years, Shomo adds, "It sucks that it took these amazing, beautiful people just not being able to take it for people to start realizing that."

Watch the full interview above.

Beartooth are currently touring in Europe and will return for a few U.S. festival dates in the fall. See the dates here.

See Beartooth in the 30 Best Hard Rock Albums of 2018

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