Gideon - Out Of Control (Album Review)

Gideon - Out Of Control
Released: October 11th, 2019

Lineup

Daniel McWhorter - Vocals
Tyler Riley - Guitar
Jake Smelley - Drums
Caleb Derusha - Bass

American metalcore heavy hitters Gideon are back with their fifth full-length album, which is the band's second release for 2019 as they released a two-song EP titled No Love/No One in January, only two months after we saw the four-piece tour Australia with Polaris and The Devil Wears Prada.

The album begins with introductory song 'Welcome to S town' which on top of a lot of background noises sounds as if a person is getting out of a car and walking towards somebody playing the harmonica. The band has seemingly gone left of field with this one. 'Sleep' begins with a hard-hitting drum beat as vocalist Daniel McWhorter starts screaming. This song includes synth's which is eerily similar to what you would hear from Ocean Grove's The Rhapsody Tapes era, which seems to work surprisingly well.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV2vCKaZmtg&w=640&h=360]

'Take Me' has an incredibly hard-hitting, almost breakdown style intro. The catchy guitar riffs make sitting still near impossible. The build-up to the breakdown is, in my opinion, some of Gideon's finest work. With lyrics such as "cut me deep so I can feel you move'. Instrumentally this song is structured well and flows quite smoothly creating an excellent listening experience. '2 Close (feat. Drew York)' is an almost nu-metal style song, which throws a spanner in the works with this album as it mixes up the style pace of all songs collectively. Guest vocalist, Drew York from Stray From The Path, adds significant value to the song as his signature style of vocals creates something different and new for Gideon fans to enjoy.

'Low Life' kicks things bring the album back to the fast-paced music this band is renowned for. The drums in this piece are the focal point of this song as its fast pace compliments the guitars incredibly well. 'Southwind' starts with a softer beat but quickly returns to Gideon's usual faster-paced tempo. With a catchy chorus, you will definitely find yourself singing along to this one after only a few listens. Vocalist Daniel shines through in this piece keeping up with the fast tempo of the song, particularly throughout the breakdown. 'Style' is an instrumental nu-metal song, and it is a bit of a letdown; I feel as if this particular song is quite bland. they definitely could have done more with it.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfjSx0FlRsU&w=640&h=360]

'Outlaw' is a stand-out on this album, the fast pace of the instrumentals are invigorating in every way. The drums and guitar riffs blend incredibly well together, particularly throughout the breakdown. 'Life Without' keeps up with the fast tempo as the intro starts slow but quickly gathers momentum. This is another track with an incredibly catchy and mosh worthy chorus. The guitar and bass seem to interchange roles here in a unique way. 'Denial' pushes things into an even faster pace, with a two-step worth beat throughout the song. With arguably the heaviest breakdown on the album, this song is almost guaranteed to keep fans of the bands heavier work happy. The drumming in this tune is phenomenal; its timing and structure are second to none. 'Out Of Control' and 'Bite Down' both seem quite similar in structure. Both songs manage to finish the album on a heavy note, which is what Gideon fans seemingly love.

Gideon has made an album which is repetitive in nature (excluding one or two songs) but never goes stale. They continue to produce a unique sound which a lot of people seemingly can't get enough of.

Gideon - Out Of Control tracklisting:

1. Welcome To S Town
2. Sleep
3. Take Me
4. 2 Close
5. Low Life
6. Southwind
7. Style
8. Outlaw
9. Life Without
10. Denial
11. Out Of Control
12. Bite Down

Rating 8/10
Out Of Control is out Friday, October 11. Pre-Order here
Review by Adam Rice @adamrice1994

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39XYecZiBxI&w=853&h=480]