Last Friday, February 27, Beartooth entered a new era with the release of their brand new single, “Free“. The track marks the band’s first release on Fearless Records after spending over a decade with Red Bull Records. However, the song’s pop-leaning sound and the accompanying music video—which features frontman Caleb Shomo sporting a glam-rock aesthetic complete with eye makeup, nail polish, a glittery crop top, and a fur coat—deeply divided fans online.
Shortly after the video dropped, Shomo surprisingly deleted his personal Instagram account, though it remains unconfirmed if the overwhelming social media feedback was the direct cause.
Seeing the polarizing reactions and online negativity, Disturbed frontman David Draiman publicly stepped up to voice his unwavering support for the young singer. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Draiman praised Shomo‘s bold self-expression, comparing his flamboyant new style to some of the greatest legends in rock history.
“Some of the greatest frontmen of all time have never held anything back, fully embracing their own aspects of flamboyance and expressing themselves as powerfully as they knew how.”
“Bowie, Mercury and so many others, took rock to a level only few dared to go, and did it with power, class and grace. I have watched Caleb Shlomo, the singer of Beartooth, become one of the most formidable young frontmen in rock. The song is great, the video is great, and the band is firing on all cylinders.”
“Bowie, Mercury and so many others, including yours truly, are PROUD OF YOU.”
Some of the greatest frontmen of all time have never held anything back, fully embracing their own aspects of flamboyance and expressing themselves as powerfully as they knew how.
— David Draiman 🟦🇺🇸🇮🇱✡️☮️ (@davidmdraiman) March 4, 2026
Bowie, Mercury, and so many others, took rock to a level only few dared to go, and did it with…
Meanwhile, Attila vocalist Chris Fronzak found himself in hot water after making a homophobic remark directed at the Beartooth singer. Fronzak initially posted a since-deleted message on X stating: “Looks like Caleb Shomo dropped the ‘S.'”
Facing immediate backlash from the rock and metal community, the Attila frontman walked back his comments on Tuesday, March 3, issuing a lengthy, multi-part apology explaining his skewed perspective on internet humor.
“I would like to formally apologize for my tweet about Caleb Shomo.”
“I meant it as a joke, but it didn’t come across that way. I don’t know what he’s going through at the moment, but I wish him the best. The world has too much hate [right now] & I don’t want to add any fuel to that fire.”
“People will probably twist this into more negativity, but I am being honest. I meant it as a joke, not a jab at gay people. I personally thought it was lighthearted but I suppose that’s subjective. From my perspective – I get death threats daily for over a decade. People call me horrific things & make up terrible stories. Horrible stuff every day. My perspective is skewed, the internet has desensitized me so I thought it was a 1/10 light joke.”
“The reality is, people are struggling in their own ways, and jokes are subjective. You never know what someone is going through. Therefore, I am sorry, and I will work towards thinking about things deeper before I just word-vomit s**t into this bird app. Love yall.”
Despite the detailed apology, critics have pointed out that as of the time of his statement, Fronzak had still not deleted a separate reply to a user criticizing his original post, which contained an image bearing the text “Be quiet little g*y f****t s**ve.”
I would like to formally apologize for my tweet about Caleb Shomo. I meant it as a joke, but it didn't come across that way. I don't know what he's going through at the moment, but I wish him the best. The world has too much hate rn & I don't want to add any fuel to that fire.
— Chris Fronzak (@FRONZ1LLA) March 4, 2026
From my perspective- I get death threats daily for over a decade. People call me horrific things & make up terrible stories. Horrible stuff every day. My perspective is skewed, the internet has desensitized me so I thought it was a 1/10 light joke.
— Chris Fronzak (@FRONZ1LLA) March 4, 2026
