Gideon: Do You Feel The Power?
Something was different about GIDEON when they released Out Of Control back in 2019. Much was made of the fact that the Alabama hardcore outfit no longer identified as a Christian band, but there was more to it than that. They were more aggressive, less melodic, and generally just sounded a bit more sure of themselves than they had on some of the safer records they’d released over the previous decade. It was a recipe for success, and one they were keen to replicate as they reunited with producer Randy LeBoeuf – this time at his Graphic Nature Audio base in New Jersey – to create their similarly uncompromising sixth album MORE POWER. MORE PAIN..
“We came in with mostly the same goals of producing something that struck a fine balance between being heavy as fuck, but natural and as real as possible,” explains guitarist Tyler Riley over email. “We’re inspired by how timeless some of our favourite records from bands such as DEFTONES and LIMP BIZKIT turned out to be, and I think we all attribute this to their natural sound. They didn’t use the tricks that a lot of bands employ these days to sound that heavy. They were just that heavy, and that’s the vibe we wanna give.”
It shouldn’t be controversial at all to suggest that GIDEON have achieved their mission here. MORE POWER. MORE PAIN. picks up largely where Out Of Control left off, marrying elements of nu-metal and beatdown hardcore to the melodic metalcore they first made their name with for a record that provides further irrefutable proof of a band who have really found their voice. “It’s the freedom to be ourselves unapologetically,” affirms Riley. “It means we take more risks, but we’re able to take them honestly and confidently without the fear of repercussions. It feels like finding those special moments of deep expression is less encumbered, and I hope that it translates to better music, and deeper levels of connection with the people that listen to what we put forward.”
One of the most obvious examples of all this is heard in the album’s unflinching eighth track If You Love Me, Let Me Go, which reads as something of a desperate cry for help placed right at the heart of the record. Riley hands over to bassist Caleb DeRusha to expand upon what the song means to him, seeing as he wrote the lyrics. DeRusha’s words speak for themselves, and it’s worth sharing as many of them as we can here, particularly seeing as they speak to the record’s central theme of finding power within one’s pain.
DeRusha explains, “this song came from being in a really dark place with myself. Sometimes it feels as if those close to you would be better off without you, whether it be in a relationship with a significant other, with your family, etc. When you wear your heart on your sleeve, and you end up disregarded and deeply misheard time and time again by the ones that you love, it can be isolating. It can leave you in a depressed state, feeling completely disconnected, and lead to self sabotaging behaviours. I was feeling very alone in the world. I had hit rock bottom and even attempted to take my own life. So for me, this was a situation in which I wanted everyone to stand back and let me go off the deep end.”
“At first I didn’t necessarily want to dwell on the thoughts and feelings of anxiety and depression,” he continues. “I didn’t want there to be a song on the record that was so dark that someone might be scared for me, but it kind of just poured out, as if I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Letting it out and getting help moving past this feeling has really been the best thing for me though. It has allowed me to be able to trust and have faith that when I let go of things that I can’t control, such as emotional expectations, the loss of attachment is actually beneficial. It can help you embrace new beginnings.”
As mentioned, GIDEON are no strangers to new beginnings. Their decision to step away from being an explicitly Christian band back in 2019 was met with all manner of reactions, however Riley is quick to emphasise that even though their relationship with their earlier material has changed as a result of this, they haven’t disowned it by any means. “We’re not ashamed, and in fact, we’re proud that we stood for what we believed in,” he offers. “We may not feel the way we felt when some of those lyrics were written, but we did at the time, and I think that’s what is important. It’s still a part of our story, and a part of what makes us who we are today.”
Again, Riley’s words highlight the fact that GIDEON are all about staying true to themselves, and as he looks to the future it’s clear that that remains very much the plan for whatever comes their way next. “I feel like our search for ways to be unique in this scene will always continue,” he concludes. “And I want to see GIDEON as free as can be to explore all those possibilities. If I could look into the future now, I’d hope to be pleasantly surprised by what we were able to come up with.”
MORE POWER. MORE PAIN. is out now via Rude Records/Equal Vision Records.
Like GIDEON on Facebook.