In just a couple months we’ll enter the decade of the ’20s. Who would’ve thought that, out of all the possible genres, the last year of this decade would have a nu-metal revival? We’ve had new records from Korn, Slipknot and Tool. We’ve had bands like Blood Youth pick up on their idols and every other new band sounds like they grew up on Meteora. And yet it comes as a surprise when the first few seconds of Gideon’s new record Out Of Control sound more like Limp Bizkit than Hatebreed.
The first single released by this Alabama squad – ‘Take Me’, bridges the gap between this record and their previous discography. It’s an amalgamation of the face-crushing, earth-stomping riffs and breakdowns they’re known for and some turntable scratches, synthesizer leads and more southern hip hop influences. The deeper this record goes, the more experimental the band gets with their new sound. ‘2 Close’ features Stray From The Path’s Drew York, who adds even more spice to the rap metal sound. Although the chorus lyrics are somewhat cringy (“I do it for the hate! I do it for the fame!”), the song itself is a perfect example of what nu-metal in 2019 would sound like.
Gideon’s newly found hip hop influences can’t be avoided on this record. However, those who are looking for smashing riffs and breakdowns will still find a decent amount of glory moments over the span of this record. Prime examples being ‘Outlaw’, ‘Denial’ and the heavily tuned-down ‘Bite Down’. But even on those tracks the old-school beats are unavoidable.
Out Of Control is a bit of an odd-ball. No longer are Gideon just one of the many hardcore/metalcore bands creating dumbed down formulaic run-of-the-mill tracks to mosh to, and they’re all the better for it. Strange how a Limp Bizkit influence can make a band sound musically more sophisticated, but it turned out in their favour. Several minor misses are still present, such as the ambient noise intro track “Welcome To S Town” and the aforementioned “2 Close” chorus, but there’s plenty of good stuff to compensate. Purists might loathe it but Gideon sure as hell went all in on this album. Score: 8/10 Facebook:/GideonAL Twitter: @GideonAL