“My anchor. My partner in crime, forever.”
Cowboy hats & closed hi-hat breakdowns: Gideon’s latest album MORE POWER. MORE PAIN. comes out this week.
The metalcore juggernauts from Alabama have returned with their sixth studio album via Equal Vision Records. Ever since the band adapted an even heavier sound with their 2019 EP No Love/No One, it truly started a new chapter of the band. Their meteoric rise was halted by the pandemic in 2020, but gave the time and motivation for the band to create their latest album.
The first half of the record is all gas no breaks, bringing a relentless onslaught of pure metalcore heaviness mixed with some nu metal guitar work. With tracks “Push It Back” & “Too Much Is Never Enough” you’re punched in the face with breakdowns and riffs anchored by Daniel McWhorter’s powerful vocals and Jake Smelley’s dynamic drumming.
The second half of the record harkens back to their earlier releases bringing in some great melodic elements. “If You Love Me Let Me Go” and “I Will Carry You” feel like Milestone era Gideon infused with lead riffs that are reminiscent of Counterparts and The Ghost Inside.
The lyrics of this record are anthems that embody the thought that no matter how hard life is, get back up. The lows will always make the highs even higher. Much like many heavy/alternative bands, Gideon is for the outcasts. Smelley talked about the record saying, “We’re done explaining why we are the way we are. This album is for the misunderstood, the dreamers, the broken, the damned, the ones that refuse to fall in line. When everything and everyone tells you to give up, your mind can take you to dark places. We came to realize that there was strength in that. Instead of letting it consume us, we fought like hell.”
Stand out tracks for me are “Take Off” “Damned If I Do (Damned If I Don’t)” and “Off The Rails”.
The album does feel a little disjointed & split in half sonically, but all in all it’s a really solid metalcore record. One of the strongest of the year thus far.
Buy it, Stream it, or Skip it?: Buy it. Always support awesome bands putting out good music. An essential listen for anyone who is a fan of heavy music.
You can catch Gideon on their headline tour right now with For The Fallen Dreams, Orthodox and Guerrilla Warfare.
