Band: Gideon
Album: Costs
Label: Facedown Records
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Reviewed By: BMer
Track List:
1. Costs
2. Unworthy
3. False Profits
4. Gutcheck
5. Foundation
6. Brave New World
7. Virtue
8. Kingdom Minded
9. Dreams
Whoa.
Gideon, a hardcore band from Alabama, is releasing their debut full-length titled Costs on Facedown Records. The band was originally signed Facedown’s junior varsity label Strike First but after the label heard Costs they were quickly promoted to the varsity squad, and for good reason. It is hard to believe that the band has only been playing together since 2008 with a sound so tight.
Listening to Costs you can’t help but think of some of the leaders in the current hardcore scene, bands like The Ghost Inside and Comeback Kid. Gideon has a heavier edge than CBK, but the melodic choruses and occasional clean vocals make the band appealing to fans of melodic hardcore. The guitars are very tight throughout, creative but still very aggressive and intense. The drumming is excellent and really reinforced by some excellent production. The overall feel of Costs has the tightness of metalcore, yet the vocals and drumming lean more towards hardcore.
After the intro track you’re left with 8 tracks, making this full-length a little on the short side. The first song, “Unworthy” boast a killer line “Let this fire burn and never die!” before a clean vocal chorus. “Foundation” is a standout track with sweet lead guitar line and a challenge to atheists about their “paper-thin” foundation, daring them to “stand on something stronger than yourself” before breaking it down. The thoughtful “Brave New World” talks about how America started out innocent and in-search of religious freedom before becoming filled with “gluttony” and “discontent”. Hardcore fans will love “Kingdom Minded” with it’s thrashy feel and gang-vocal style choruses. Throughout the song the vocals repeat “Kingdom minded. i am kingdom minded!” before an excellent heavy breakdown that will surely have you two-stepping.
The lyrics throughout Costs are faith-based and encouraging. The lyrics don’t seem cliche but have been written with purpose and intent; “This is what i’m made for. I’ve counted the cost, nothing to lose because He gave me everything I’ve lost.” Other songs are very challenging, like “Gutcheck”; “They said question everything but I still believe. When all of my friends have picked up and gone, I still believe.”, the theme of the album “Save your words, they fall on deaf ears” weighs heavily throughout. The references to prayer are refreshing in a tough-guy scene, in a scene where most bands sing about having faith in yourself Gideon proclaims “You need a gut-check. Got me on my knees praying for you.”
OVERALL Costs is so good. Gideon really show that bands can still be new to the hardcore scene and bring a fresh sound. The tightness of the music matched with the well-placed intense vocals really mesh well, adding with the occasional gang-vocals or clean vocals keeps Costs from being just another hardcore album.