God Save the Gun

Militarie Gun

When Militarie Gun dropped their proper debut Life Under the Gun back in 2023, I was pretty obsessed. I thought the band had the perfect formula for crossover punk bangers: cutting power pop guitars, punchy drums, enthralling yell-sung deliveries with the occasional quirky ad lib from Ian Shelton, and dead simple song structures that barely breached the two minute mark. While I thought the formula was perfect, this new album from Shelton and company suggests that they're in pursuit of even greater pop supremacy. This comes in the form of more methodical production; expanding the sonic palette with synths in addition to tinkering with different guitar and drum sounds. We also see the band fleshing out their songwriting by adding pre-choruses, bridges, and instrumental outros in order to reach the more standard three minute track length. I can see the ambition in further bridging the gap between hardcore and mainstream pop; attempting to emulate Turnstile's success without directly biting their style. However, just like the last Turnstile record, God Save the Gun sounds more concerned with winning everyone over instead of leveraging their hardcore punk strengths. As a result, the album is frustratingly underwhelming.

There's a lot of factors working in tandem that negatively impact the record. First I'll talk about the guitars and drums which, spoiler, are generally unremarkable. With a considerable increase in 'sad boy' acoustic guitar, or guitar tones (often fuzzy in nature) that lack the trebly bite to emerge from the background, the guitars really leave something to be desired. Mind you, if the guitars did standout more, you would only uncover uninteresting chord progressions. The approach to the drums is similarly disappointing. I can tell that a lot of thought was put into tailoring the drum sounds to fit the vibe of each song. For example, they experiment using different snare sounds, applying heavily squashed compression, or distant room tones to create different dynamics. Often, I find this approach backfires with Kick's plastic bag snare, and the lumbering, tape-slowed groove on I Won't Murder Your Friend being two of the most glaring examples. I'm apprehensive to use the term 'over-produced,' but I honestly wished the band just stuck with a consistently punchy, natural drum sound to give these tracks a more satisfying sense of propulsion.

In addition to the bland production, the album's energy and pacing is down in the dumps. The slower, more mellow cuts seem to outnumber the more energetic ones, especially towards the end of the record. I understand that Shelton's writing on this record isn't the sunniest as he vulnerably works through his trauma and self-destructive tendencies. But tracks like B A D I D E A and Maybe I'll Burn My Life Down -- both of which are fairly scuzzy punk ragers -- are able to address these dark subjects with an abundance of energy and entertaining self-deprecation. I wish this level of energy was a little more represented throughout the entire record. I think this adjustment would also frame Shelton's voice in a better light as his raspy whispers and more measured singing can't really hold up during the record's more delicate moments. I find he's at his best and most convincing when he is hollering at the top of his lungs.

It's a shame as I think Shelton has some great concepts for songs here. God Owes Me Money is a great way to express how life has dealt you a bum hand. I Thought You Were Waving provides thoughtful commentary on how we can be oblivious to the signs that someone is struggling. And despite being a little on the nose, I Won't Murder Your Friend examines how an otherwise exemplary friend's spiral into deep depression can produce collateral damage among those closest to them. I have a great deal of respect for Shelton's openness and lyrical focus, but my gateway into digging deeper into these songs have always started with the sound as opposed to the lyrics. Given that the production isn't to my taste, and these songs as a whole don't pack the same energy as their last outing, it's difficult for me to fully connect with them.

At the very least, God Save the Gun has at least two bonafide bangers. Throw Me Away is the closest the band comes to achieving their accessibility goals while maintaining the magic from their previous record. It has a peppy drum beat, a driving bass performance, and some watery guitar flourishes in the verses. The short pre-chorus injects a little bit of tension thanks to a cutting chromatic vocal melody, which is immediately resolved by the soaring chorus. Shelton's vocals are very passionate and I love the weeping guitar leads that hang in the background. The only other song I really liked was Maybe I'll Burn My Life Down. Like the previously released single B A D I D E A, it's very punchy with the nuked drum beat and fuzzy guitars. Although, this track is packed with lots of interesting little details that the previously released single doesn't have. The way the guitars have this pitch dive quality on those descending half steps is really ear grabbing. I think Shelton gives one of his best vocal performances on the record, especially when he showcases the range of his holler on the chorus. Lastly, the vocal chants of "I feel trapped" and the octave piano strikes are fantastic examples of the band making appropriate pop concessions in a heavier context.

God Save the Gun was one of my most anticipated records of the year, and sadly it didn't deliver. It had terribly bland production that didn't punch or felt terribly inauthentic to the band's hardcore origins. The pacing and the energy was also consistently low which exaggerated the overwhelmingly drab themes in Shelton's lyrics. I think the band is capable of delivering a supremely poppy rock record with a satisfying punk edge, but it requires a more organic, spontaneous process as opposed to the conscious, methodical effort put forward here. I'm really hoping the band will bounce back with a more thrilling record next time.