Album Review: Militarie Gun – Life Under The Gun
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
Having only formed in 2021 as a result of frontman, Ian Shelton’s other band, Regional Justice Center, being put on hold during the Covid shenanigans, Californians Militarie Gun had already issued a few extended plays in the form of My Life is Over, All Road Lead to the Gun and its sequel by September 2022.
This month sees the release of the band’s debut full-length, Life Under the Gun, featuring twelve tracks and clocking in at less than thirty minutes. Despite its brief running time, the record is something of a showcase of Militarie Gun’s talent and ambition, morphing between a variety of styles and sounds but all anchored firmly in the ground of Post Hardcore.
Do It Faster kicks things off in a regular fashion, while Very High looks to continue through skipping guitars and a strong bass line, while adding a sprinkle of the emotional into its distinctly US sound.
From here, the band start to slowly turn the dial. Will Logic opens with clean guitar but swift descends into a fat, pounding progression, exuding a Nineties Alternative Rock vibe that becomes prevalent throughout the rest of the album.
My Friends are Having a Hard Time slows things down with a twisting guitar line, See You Around is wholly instrumented by unusual devises but carries with it a staunchly emotional feel, while Sway Too is easy and laidback.
As Life Under the Gun progresses so too does the aesthetic. Where it had been clean and crisp, the latter half of the record takes a turn for dirtier and less amiable. Return Policy maintains some of that Alt Nineties feel but adds a fuzzier guitar line; Think Less concerns itself with choppy, angry riffs and hard-hitting drums.
Guitarists William and Nick show off their collective chops on the brash Seizure of Asset with its full and meaty punch; Big Disappointment has a edgy, stuttering line and the fantastically titled Never Fucked Up Once is a Pop Punk stomper with a killer hook.
Holding it together musically is a rhythm section of Waylon Trim and Vince Nguyen who’re efficiency personified, particularly Waylon, whose bass goes about its business with an understated proficiency.
Such is the varied nature of Life Under the Gun that popping it on random play will give you seemingly endless possibilities, each giving you a new listening experience, as the styles find a new options and pairings.
