Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo comes out: 'I'm a proud gay'

The frontman of the popular Ohio-based metal band Beartooth Caleb Shomo has officially come out, admitting that he is a “proud gay man.” The musician posted a statement on his social media accounts, noting that he had decided to set the record straight to put an end to speculation about his personal life, which had begun to affect his loved ones.

There have been a lot of rumors circulating about my personal life lately, and I feel I need to set the record straight before this affects the people I love. I am a proud gay man.

This is something I’ve been grappling with and coming to terms with in my life for quite some time now. It wasn’t easy to sort through my feelings about this and figure out what to do with them. When it comes to my art—Beartooth—I’ve always strived to lay myself bare, deep in my soul, from album to album. As you may have noticed if you followed the band in the early years, there are four very self-critical albums exploring my religious upbringing, depression, self-hatred, self-loathing, and hopelessness. I’m grateful for all those albums, but sometimes I feel ashamed that I didn’t allow myself to truly get to the root of things for so long.

I spent a decade numbing my feelings with alcohol, and, to be honest, when I decided to quit and focus on why I’d been feeling that way for so long, it became a direct path to coming to terms with my sexuality, in the hope that it would ultimately lead me to self-love. One thing I decided before writing a single note or line of the upcoming album is that, no matter what happens, I will express myself sincerely and fully. Wherever that takes me, I’ll follow, and I refuse to water anything down—from the music to the lyrics to how I present myself. I’ll only do what makes me happy on the deepest level and what is the most honest representation of who I am. I believe it’s impossible to love every part of yourself unless you face every part of yourself head-on. I’m trying to finally be proud of who I am, and I think that’s a huge part of this journey.

To those who have shown me love, inspired me to live freely and openly in their presence, supported the queer community, or simply told me they love me just as I am—I am forever indebted to you, and I hope you know how much you mean to me. I urge everyone who is struggling with who they are to show themselves compassion. Be patient with yourselves. Be honest with yourselves. Do the hard work instead of burying it as deep as you can, thinking it will go away, as I did. Keeping all of this bottled up only hurts you and those around you. I love you all, and I hope this is a step in the right direction toward one day loving yourself.

Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo

According to Shomo, it took him years to come to terms with his identity. “I spent a decade, drowning his feelings in alcohol," the artist admitted. Only after deciding to give up alcohol and focusing on the causes of his inner discomfort was he able to come to terms with his sexuality and embark on a path of self-love.

Caleb also reevaluated the band’s work. He noted that Beartooth’s first four albums were filled with self-loathing, depression, and hopelessness, reflecting his struggle with his religious upbringing and self-hatred. “Sometimes I even feel embarrassed that I didn’t allow myself to get to the root of my problems for so long,” the musician added.

An important part of this admission was the reaction of Caleb's wife, Fleur Shomo, to whom they had been married for 14 years. She posted a heartfelt message supporting her husband and urging fans to continue standing by him. Fleur noted that their journey as a couple had come to an end, but that she would always love and stand by Caleb. “I’ve seen his pain and confusion all these years… Our story was a good one, and now it’s over,” she wrote.

This new chapter in Shomo's life will be directly reflected in his music. Beartooth's sixth album, titled "Pure Ecstasy" will be released in August. Caleb promised that from now on he would express himself as honestly as possible and wouldn't let anything "dilute" his true "self"—neither in his lyrics nor in his visual image.