If someone would tell me that they have never heard of the band Gideon, I would have to ask “what in the world is wrong with you?”
Gideon is a hardcore band from Alabama and has been gainging a lot of popularity in the Christian hardcore scene, and they deserve it. With 2 amazing albums already under the belt, they have now given us a third album called “Calloused”. Their first 2 albums “Costs” and “Milestone” were an incredible accomplishment, and an amazing addition to scene. Will “Calloused” be just as good as Costs and Milestone, or will it stand merely in the shadow of its predecessors?
The album starts off with the title song “Calloused”. The first thing that I noticed was that this album has already taken a slight different turn in terms of sound. The hardcore roots are definitely still there, but you can hear a lot of from nu-metal, and probably also some other genres. But I don’t see that as a bad thing, though. There is nothing wrong with exploring and definitely not if that adds up to the variety. The lyrics are definitely solid and cover topics as the trials in life and overcoming them. The chorus is an epic assembly of pounding drums, solid guitars and the entire band shouting “Calloused, cold and not afraid to fail!”
The second song “Savage” begins with chugging guitars and a groovy guitar riff on top of it, to build up your appetite. Not soon after, the song picks up some pace and the pounding drums and hardcore riffs come right around the corner. The song has a bit too much guitar chugging for my taste, but the groove in the song is awesome, and that makes the song so great and enjoyable to listen to.
“Survive” is definitely my favourite track of the album and features Caleb Shomo of Beartooth (also a great band). This song kind of summarizes the entire album into one track. Starting off with a great hardcore riff accompanied by screams and gang vocals. The motto “Fall. Get Up. Repeat.” makes several appearences in the song, backed up by perhaps the heaviest and grooviest breakdown of the entire album. Caleb Shomo makes his appearance in the song and seems to be screaming his lungs out, which definitely adds to the energy of the entire song. The lyrics of the chorus are also my favourite on this album. It’s definitely catchy when the entire band sings “Breathe life, breathe life, survive. Are you afraid to die? Afraid to be alive?”. The song has been stuck in my head for days.
The third track “Expose” is another great, groovy hardcore song with agressive, mean sounding guitars. The guitars are not the most interesting part of the song, though. Those are definitely the vocals. Daniel McWorther has definitely outdone himself in this song, and so has the rest of the band. The entire band shouts “Carry the torch” every few lines, reminding us that we should not forget the people who are suffering in this world. The song is a reminder that there are suffering people out there, who are broken, who blend in with the masses and are forsaken. And we tend to forget them as well. People who suffer from depression and even people who decide to end their lives.
The final song “Drifter” is another one of my favourites and goes back more to the hardcore roots of Gideon, back to where it all started. With pounding drums, fast-paced guitars and relentless screaming, the song does not give you a break and does not slow down. The guitars are also a bit more technical than the rest of the album. Almost no guitar chugging, but just hardcore riffing, which suits Gideon very well. This song definitely wraps the album up, and makes it leave with a bang to make sure you’ll remember it.
Overall: I have to be honest that the first time that I listened to the album, I was a bit let down. The atmosphere in the songs were different, and the playing style of the band was kind of different. But after listening to it again a couple of times, I grew to like it so much more. And it is definitely a hard hitter, with jams so groovy, you’ll just have bang your head along to it. While the first two albums were lyrical more about faith and friendship, this album focuses more on suicide and struggling teeagers. And I cannot blame Gideon for doing that. Suicide and depression are still a major concern in today’s society and it’s so easy to forget the ones struggling with those issues.
Rating: 7/10
Written by Geert Prins
Tracklist:
01 Calloused
02 Savage
03 Survive (feat Caleb Shomo of Beartooth
04 Expose
05 World of Hurt
06 The Limit
07 The Pulse
08 Prison Eyes
09 Momentum
10 Drifter
Band members:
Daniel McWhorter – Vocals
Daniel McCartney – Guitar
Tyler Riley – Guitar
Jake Smelley – Drums
Albums:
“Costs” (2011)
“Milestone” (2012)
“Calloused” (2014)
Record Label: Facedown Records, Oct. 2014
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Lyric video ‘Calloused’