Hardcore Band Beartooth Tackle Depression In Unique New Video

The hardcore band Beartooth, who are enjoying success with their second album, Aggressive, have created an innovative video for their song "Sick of Me," which deals with depression and anxiety.

"Sick of Me" isn’t a typical music video. It begins with several people talking about their personal traumas and how they fell into depression. Before the music kicks in, a title card reads: “There is no known cure for depression. But in the spirit of trying to help, we’ve devoted this video to show things that have worked for some people.”

The video shows a veteran named Ernesto who went on a 2,200-mile walk to honor and raise awareness for the 22 vets that commit suicide every day in the U.S. The video continues with a woman named Katie's mental health journey. She talks about taking up rock climbing to help deal with her personal fears and depression. Portia showed how taking on different cosplay characters at conventions was her own unique way of dealing with depression.

Halfway through the video, the music stops and Caleb Shomo, Beartooth’s lead singer, explains, “Depression and anxiety isn’t something you just get away from. It’s not something you can run from; it’s something that’s inside you. For me it’s just always in my brain, it’s always in there churning. Anxiety and depression is no joke.”

Shomo adds, “I think it’s more about fighting it and overcoming it than running away from it. You can’t run away from it, you have to deal with it and it’s choosing how to deal with it. This song is a big way to help.”

For Shomo, his way of dealing with his anxiety is music. Echoing a common refrain among musicians, he says, “When I go onstage, everything goes away.”

By confessing his troubles with anxiety and depression in the video for "Sick of Me," it will hopefully go a long way in helping other people deal with their anxiety and depression as well. The following refrain in the song drives the message home, “I’m sick of the person I used to be, so stressed out, burned out, living in my agony…I won’t go back.”