Militarie Gun – “God Save the Gun”

Two years after breaking out with Life Under the Gun, Militarie Gun return louder, chunkier and more confident on God Save the Gun. Where their 2023 release sharpened their melodic instincts, this follow-up doubles down on heft. The hooks are still present, but they are wrapped in fuzz, distortion and a wall of sound that feels intentionally massive.

The album’s origins add an interesting wrinkle to its identity. In its early stages, God Save the Gun was conceived as a collaborative effort between Militarie Gun and Dazy, complete with a nine-song track listing. Ultimately, the project reverted to a proper Militarie Gun release, but Dazy’s fingerprints remain. You can hear it in the blown-out textures and sugar-rush crunch of tracks like “Fill Me with Paint” and “Kick,” where power pop gloss rubs up against hardcore urgency.

Production was handled by Riley McIntyre, who delivers the “massive” sound Ian Shelton reportedly heard in his head while developing the album. The guitars are thick and fuzzy, often stacked into a dense roar that never quite tips into sludge. Drums cascade in and out of tracks with force, propelling the songs forward without sacrificing clarity. Everything feels bigger, but not bloated.

Stylistically, the band is less overtly melodic this time around. The pop instincts that defined much of Life Under the Gun are still embedded in the songwriting, but they are buried beneath chunkier riffs and heavier tones. Militarie Gun continues their mission of bridging power pop and hardcore, though here the pendulum swings closer to the latter. The result is a record that feels more muscular and confrontational.

“B A D I D E A” kicks the door open with immediate chant-along energy. It’s the kind of track built for packed rooms and sweaty singalongs, with a hook that latches on from the first listen. “Throw Me Away” channels shades of early 2000s punk, pairing driving guitars with a surprisingly strong melodic core. It balances abrasion and accessibility in a way that few modern hardcore-adjacent bands manage.

“Isaac’s Song” is the album’s most intriguing curveball, featuring Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse as a guest vocalist. Brock’s distinct, slightly unhinged delivery meshes surprisingly well with Shelton’s intensity. The collaboration underscores the band’s ambition, signaling that their influences stretch beyond hardcore’s traditional borders.

Throughout the record, Shelton proves he has the vocal chops to compete in the mainstream hardcore conversation, including with bands like Turnstile who have recently expanded the genre’s reach. He can snarl, shout and soar when necessary, carrying hooks without sanding off the grit that gives the band its edge.

God Save the Gun is a worthy successor to Life Under the Gun. It does not reinvent the band so much as refine and amplify what already worked. The guitars are fuzzier, the drums hit harder and the ambition feels larger. Militarie Gun are not just honing their sound. They are fortifying it, positioning themselves as one of the most compelling forces in contemporary hardcore’s evolving mainstream.

For Fans Of:

• Turnstile – Glow On
• Dazy – Outofbody
• Fiddlehead – Between the Richness