Equal Vision Records
17 March 2023
Words by Kris Peters
US hardcore outfit Gideon are one of the many bands who have slipped through the proverbial crack for me over the years.
Despite being around since 2008, my first chance encounter with the band came with their recent single More Power. More Pain, which instantly struck a gaping chasm looking to be filled.
So I tracked down a link to their upcoming album of the same name to see if my interest was just a flash in the pan or something more.
Opening with the 45-second Hell For A Man, the first track is basically a spoken piece that presumably quickly tells the genesis story for someone in the band but to be honest it could be about anyone or anything, so we shall press on…
Locked Out Of Heaven is where the album really begins amid a swirling of sounds that could almost be psychedelic in nature until the drums kick in and the fun begins.
This is a snarling, violent journey into the depths of despair, offering no respite until a calming middle section allows just enough time for us to catch our collective breaths before vocalist Daniel McWhorter once more purges his sins.
There is plenty going in by way of tempo changes and musical structure which already elevates Gideon beyond the majority of hardcore bands who are unrelenting from start to finish.
A couple of nice breakdowns added into the mix provide that true hardcore feeling, but the accompanying tender moments and monologue finale hint at another beast altogether.
Push It Back is almost EDM like to begin, with a scurrying of drum snaps opening the way for McWhorter to resume hostilities. Samples and other musical interludes provide an interesting contrast, with drummer Jake Smelley seeming to enjoy the freedom to experiment.
Guitarist Tyler Riley keeps things in check amid the chaos which is somehow regulated by the harshness of McWhorter’s vocal delivery.
The samples and underlying EDM feel continue throughout the track which is certainly different but also awesome.
Too Much Is Never Enough explodes to life with McWhorter declaring “I’m done” and you get a sense that he is about to unleash on someone or something.
Which he does in devastating fashion, a snarling, seething tirade made even more dangerous by the rumbling bass tones of Caleb DeRusha that lay simmering beneath the surface.
Gideon are a tight, aggressive unit, all of which is highly evident thus far on More Power. More Gain.
The title track is up next with another spaced-out, almost trance-like opening salvo that is soon sent packing by McWhorter as he resumes his running battle with an unseen foe.
I normally don’t favour much EDM in my metal, but it is done so well here you hardly notice the intrusion.
As the pace quickens in More Power. More Pain you can almost feel the intensity spewed forth from all members of the band as the track lurches into almost industrial territory briefly before returning to the core sound for which Gideon have made their own.
The industrial tiding return as the song progresses, switching things squarely on their head and spinning the track into unchartered, but welcome territory.
Take Off menaces to life with a massively low bottom-end rumble that switches to a chugging of guitars before easing back into an almost rap-like section that soon gives way to another sonic outburst.
We now enter the world of rap metal, complete with record scratchings and breakdowns, and what a wonderful world to inhabit it is.
Again, I don’t normally agree with such musical partnerships as a general rule, but Gideon have found a way to blend the sounds and genres into a seamless collage of sonic blasts that is impossible to resist.
The track goes full rap breakdown as it fades to a close, and strangely I am considering this to be my pick of the album.
Thus far.
Damned If I Do (Damned If I Don’t) returns the hardcore aggression, although slowed down considerably but still imposing.
Rapid drum fills dominate at irregular junctures, while the down tuned chugging of guitar exposes Gideon’s nu-metal leanings – at least in part.
Yet another well-placed spoken word monologue dissects the track, spurring McWhorter back into action as he returns to battle with renewed intent. The track splutters and staggers towards conclusion before another monologue restores order, and I am starting to get the sense this album doubles as an auto-biographical piece for someone in the band.
If You Love Me, Let Me Go is all industrial energy amid a chugging guitar intro that dictates the pace of the song. A gentler second guitar layers itself underneath the extremities of the track, adding an interesting subtext that has laid dormant until this point. It is a much cleaner guitar tone and makes for a more rock-orientated groove amid a cavalcade of abuse.
Nice touch indeed.
Off The Rails promises something more sinister and from the opening salvo delivers with a quick chugg of guitar before McWhorter explodes with venomous intent. And that’s when the disparity in Gideon’s music strikes me.
Yes, it is hardcore as fuck, but it is also made all the more accessible by the little musical nuances spread throughout. It’s almost as if the band is saying that although things may seem bleak and unforgiving there is always a glimmer of unexpected hope lying within the rubble.
Pretty deep shit, if I do say so myself!
A rumbling of sounds introduces The Final Nail before Riley takes over with a swirling but impactful guitar lick that fills the entire track despite the vocal protests from McWhorter. DeRusha also plays a large part in keeping the track grounded, while Smelley does his best to restore a state of disorder.
Huge breakdowns pierce the track before things quicken considerably, and you can tell this song would be devastating in the pit live.
Midnight Blue has more of a rock feel despite the heaviness beneath but soon switches to a nu-metal leaning courtesy of another chugging guitar passage from Riley.
This is another song full of well-placed breakdowns and timing changes, and while these are a constant feature on the album they are also offset by several other successful musical techniques that ensure Gideon never denigrates to sounding like a one-trick pony.
Clean vocals even appear briefly in Midnight Blue and provide yet another example of Gideon’s experimentalisation – of which there are many.
A beautifully serene passage towards the end of the track provides temporary respite which continues into the almost country intro to I Will Carry You.
Of course, Gideon are only teasing – there are places the band won’t go – and a devastating passage of drumming coaxes back McWhorter’s aggressive side. But only briefly.
He almost sings through the chorus as a wash of clean guitar blankets the song momentarily before lifting to reveal the anger beneath.
The back and forth between harsh and clean tones continues throughout the track and provides an innate beauty not normally associated with hardcore music before retreating in a wall of reverb that carries the song to its conclusion.
Back 2 Basics restores order as Gideon return to their most powerful undertakings.
Which is a mixture of everything but dominated by hardcore, which Back 2 Basics provides in spades.
Timing and tempo changes abound and, coupled with more massive breakdowns provide the backbone to a staple diet of musical precision that has More Power. More Pain right up there with album of the year so far.
Let ‘Er Fly closes the album awash with spaced-out 90s sounds and grooves that would be more in tune with an episode of Starsky & Hutch. It is an interesting way to finish a record but also highlights what I feel is the most important aspect of Gideon’s music.
They do things their way and don’t give a fuck if you want to jump on for the ride. They know where they want to go and if you aren’t going to help them get there then you had best stand aside.
Or pay the price.
