Formed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2008, Gideon is an American metalcore band that has added more style to the hardcore of the late 90s by incorporating elements of punk and melodic metalcore. The band started in 2008 with members like drummer Jake Smelley, ex-guitarist Kris Gottlieb, ex-vocalist Scooter Lee, ex-bassist Timothy Naugher, and ex-guitarist Daniel McCartney.
The band is currently signed to Equal Vision Records and had in the past partnered with Face Down and Strike First Records, releasing several albums with the record labels. Gideon currently consists of; vocalist Daniel McWhorter, guitarist Tyler Riley, drummer Jake Smelley, and bassist Caleb DeRusha.
Gideon has been a big force in the hardcore scene. The Alabama quartet gained fame with the release of their fourth studio album “Cold” which occupied impressive spots on different Billboard charts. Their use of Christian imagery has raised the question of the band being a Christian band among the audiences. An analysis of the band’s lyrics and other musical elements as well as public statements from band members will answer the question: Is Gideon a Christian band?
Is Gideon a Religious Band?
Before delving into the main issue, we’ll love to examine what it means to be a religious band and the religious status of Gideon. A religious band is a band whose musical elements are influenced by the religious beliefs and practices of a particular religious group.
When they first came into existence, Gideon was known as a religious band. However, later in their career, the band announced to their followers that they were abandoning the religious music genre to try other things and possibly provide solutions to different issues that humans were facing using their music.
As people with a religious background, even after detaching from religion, the band still employed religious imagery to make meaning of their songs. An example is “Denial” from the “Out of Control” album. Below are the lyrics:
“You hold the gun,
Pull back the hammer,
Press it against your head,
Asking god to pull the trigger,
Taking shots in the dark,
This hell won’t take you to heaven,
Hypnotized by the lies,
Got you under a spell,
This hell won’t take you to heaven,
An obsession,
You deny,
Can’t you see you’re in”
What kind of Music Band is Gideon?
Gideon is an American metalcore band that has incorporated elements of hardcore punk, melodic hardcore, metalcore, and Christian core at the early stages of their career. The band abandoned Christian core in 2016 and focused on metalcore and other genres.
Metalcore is a music genre that fuses elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. Metalcore is popular for its use of melodic and heavy riffs and stop-start guitar playing, double blast drumming, occasional blast beats, use of trash, scream, and clean vocals, death growls, and use of standard singing during chorus or bridge. Songs by Gideon also incorporate fast and aggressive singing, emphasis on rhythm, varied baseline rhythm, and coordinated tempo shifts.
After Gideon stopped singing songs about faith and other Christian themes, the band explored many other areas. According to the band, their songs are meant to push people to become better. They incorporate an array of themes ranging from; hope to self-discovery and mastery, honesty, confidence, love and relationship, pains, depression, and other mental health-related issues.
Gideon has released 5 studio albums with the last “Out of Control” being released in 2019. After the release of their self-titled EP in 2010, the band was signed by Strike First Records before debuting with their first studio album “Costs” in 2011. Gideon’s albums topped Billboard charts like top Christian Albums and Heatseeker Albums. Their fourth album “Cold” released in 2017, remains their most recognized and successful album to date. The album peaked at No. 5 on Top Hard Music, No. 15 on Independent Records Label Music, No. 23 on Top Rock, and other impressive spots on multiple billboard charts.
Is Gideon a Christian Band?
A Christian is a person whose lifestyle reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ who is considered the founder of the religion. Christians live a Christ-like life and this goes beyond going to church or simply believing in God. The behavior of a Christian should be based solely on the ideals and teachings of the religion.
Christianity entails believing in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as well as other structures of Christianity. True Christians usually possess the qualities of truth, patience, righteousness, self-control, humility, meekness, forgiveness, love, and contentment.
Christian music has become a popular genre of music globally. This music genre has garnered millions of fans globally. Christian music artists have incorporated singing styles that will appeal to diverse listeners including some secular audiences. Many Christian bands and artists have adopted genres like pop, metalcore, rock, hip-hop, hardcore, folk, and rap music to appeal to their audiences.
To be labeled a Christian band, such a band must have publicly tagged itself a Christian band. A Christian band should have members who are Christians, and their songs should glorify Jesus Christ who is the pillar of Christianity. Songs by a Christian band must reflect true Christianity and should be based on the teachings, beliefs, and structures of the Christian faith.
Gideon started as a Christian hardcore band. The band employed Christian imagery in their songs was a significant part of the Christian music industry and was recognized by Christian organizations. After operating as a Christian band for over 10 years, Gideon announced that they will no longer be operating under the Christian umbrella as they desire to explore other areas in their music career.
Even as early as 2016, the band gave some hints about abandoning their faith. Guitarist Tyler Riley in an interview stated:
“We’re just very open-minded and loved making friends with people and we didn’t understand why if they believe something else they would go to a different place when they die. I think that’s what kind of opened the door for me: making all these friends that believe different things to me and having to ask myself, ‘What did they do to deserve Hell?”
The band also talked about corruption in the church which was another factor that led to their change of faith. In a 2019 interview with Chris Krovatin of Kerrang! and drummer Jake and guitarist Tyler. The duo talked about their loss of faith in Christianity and withdrawal from Christian music and the challenges they faced. According to Jake:
“About six years ago. We all came from Southern Baptist backgrounds, and, personally, that was one of the only reasons my parents let me tour in high school. ‘Oh, he’s doing the Lord’s work,’ you know? We got out and started touring with different types of people that just believed in different things.”
Tyler added that: “This is not an easy thing to talk about to a fellow supposed Christian. It’s like losing your Christian faith. It’s not easy to bring up, not easy to admit even to yourself. That’s the biggest one.”
Gideon Christian Songs
As a band with a Christian background that started as a Christian band, Gideon has a significant number of Christian songs.
Kingdom Minded
“What will we do with it
We’re only here for a moment
One glance a blink of the eye
One chance, it’s your only try
What will we do with it
We’re only here for a moment
I don’t live twice
And I refuse to step back and watch my life go by
Living in light of the Kingdom
Living in light of eternity
Kingdom Minded
I am Kingdom Minded “
Foundation
“This foundation you stand on is paper-thin, budging with the wind
Look into my eyes and say there is nothing to live for, to die for
Wasted life, wasted time
Faithless living as time rolls by
The pride you carry makes you so weary
Stand on something stronger than yourself “
Prodigal Son
“Restoration
This is the last time
I will choose to run from the ones that I love
A young man that was full of pride
That was full of self-regard
Forgiveness you still show
A prideful youth that I’ll never get back
You carried my weight
Forgiveness you still”
Other songs from Gideon’s first three albums; “Costs,” Milestone ” and Calloused” were all Christian songs. The band gave up on Christianity in 2016 and since then the band had stopped focusing their songs on faith-based and other Christian messages. They explored a variety of themes in their songs and now appeal to a larger audience than before.
Is Gideon a Satanic Band?
To be tagged a Satanic band, such a band must have been associated with Satanic practices like demon worship, the use of dark themes in songs, creepy concepts, and the glorification of the devil amongst others in their music.
Gideon was a Christian band and even after leaving Christianity, they have not tilted to another religion. The band or its members have not shown affiliations with Satanism, rather the band has stated that they are open-minded and make music that tackles different issues that affect humans and not necessarily religion.
Conclusion
As an erstwhile Christian band, some elements of Christianity are still embedded in songs by “Gideon.” However, the band had made its intention of detaching from the Christian music genre public and had stopped producing songs that focused on faith, spirituality, or religion. As a result of this, the band is no longer a Christian band.
For the quartet, their loss of faith in God and diversion from Christianity was a difficult decision, but they disclosed that it has been liberating. Having spent many years in the music industry, the band got exposed to a lot of things which according to them, there were some cracks in the logic of people around them, and they also realized that a lot of what they were taught as Christians did not really align with what they discovered and truly believed in.
Think we were wrong? Write your reasoning in the comments and prove us wrong!