On paper, Militarie Gun should be in a celebratory mindset heading into God Save The Gun, the highly anticipated follow-up to their critically acclaimed, monstrous Life Under The Gun LP from 2023. That album propelled the band, centered around songwriter/vocalist Ian Shelton, to the forefront of an exhilarating and burgeoning post-punk movement, a scene filled with fresh ideas and uniqueness. Militarie Gun didn’t simply stamp their name on this movement with previous releases; they bullied their way to the front of it, laying down fresh pavement for a path they can call their own. With a beloved album and the opportunity to make a second one falling right in their lap, Militarie Gun seems to have everything a band could want, but the 14 songs on God Save The Gun say otherwise.
Underneath the frenetic, polished rock that drives these songs, Militarie Gun is penning the most vulnerable music of their career. God Save The Gun finds the band battling with inner turmoil, leading them to make difficult decisions that are ultimately for the better. Shelton brings an almost entirely new lineup to the studio to record God Save The Gun. Still, the songwriter also brought with him the treacherous terrain of success, the outside forces that seize spirits and minds, and the aftermath of living a destructive lifestyle. Where the band’s previous releases explored how addiction affects those around us, God Save The Gun points these emotions inwards, creating an introspective record that is energizing, healing, and more than anything, a successful sophomore effort from a band living up to their potential.
This is not an album made by a band struggling with newfound attention; Militarie Gun is dealing with real-life situations and using their natural talents to express the complexity of it all. The album is centered around Shelton’s own grapples with addiction, and how breaking that vicious cycle can lead to collateral damage. Every moment on this album is attached to a raw emotion; the avalanche of drums and throaty vocals on “Maybe I’ll Burn My Life Down” is akin to an emotional breakdown, while the acoustic bliss of “Daydream” acts as a clarifying moment, recognizing that noticing a problem is just the start. This approach makes God Save The Gun less of an album and more of a living, breathing expression of the many corners of humanity, an ode to feeling every emotion wholeheartedly, good or bad.
If God Save The Gun is a human, “I Won’t Murder Your Friend” is its bleeding, beating heart. The heartbreaking song finds Shelton taking a hard, empathetic approach to writing about the strife he dealt with while recording this album, coming to the disastrous realization that a change is not only needed, it’s essential. This is the moment where all the themes, sonic maneuvers, and maturity of God Save The Gun come together. It is a sweetly sung tune about death with a distorted crescendo that seemingly mimics the noise inside an addict’s head while attempting to make peace, creating the hypnotic juxtaposition that fuels this album.
To make these earthshattering lyrics digestible, Militarie Gun employed an infectiousness that smoothes the jagged edges of their songwriting. “Kick,” a song about not being able to promise you won’t hurt someone again, is blanketed with swinging melodies, “Wake Up and Smile” vividly paints the pain of hiding what’s really going on with a subtle, breezy energy, and the searing guitars of “Fill Me With Paint” mask the battle with being a vulnerable artist. God Save The Gun is a daring yet rewarding sophomore effort from a band seeking solace in the hectic pace of creative success, coming to terms with its pitfalls, and crafting a honed 14-song collection of brutally self-analyzing, immersive rock.
