“If I kicked you within the face, I’m sorry, however I might do it once more.” Ian Shelton doesn’t look like the kind of man to sugarcoat issues. In any case, when the Los Angeles musician first started making hook-heavy hardcore beneath his Militarie Gun moniker, he wasn’t writing lyrics; he was recording his vocals off the dome, his most well-liked methodology of dealing with COVID-19 isolation.
Shelton has lengthy been utilizing his music to take care of personal-life hardships, first with Regional Justice Middle, the band he fashioned after his brother was incarcerated. 5 years later, Militarie Gun are impressively big: They’re touring with Manchester Orchestra. They’re performing onstage with Bob Mould. Submit Malone’s a pal and a fan. Shelton has even significantly thought of writing for Doja Cat. Militarie Gun are some of the extensively beloved hardcore bands of the last decade, however in line with their new album God Save The Gun, out this Friday, that success means juggling an entire slew of recent issues: “Now I’m swimmin’ in a circle/ Yeah, I’m swimmin’ down a drain,” Shelton muses on “Kick,” in that very same breath the place he’s fantasizing about knocking all of your enamel out.
Shelton is the product of a turbulent childhood: His dad and mom have been alcoholics, and watching them flip-flop out and in of restoration was all of the convincing he wanted to, for essentially the most half, keep away from the stuff himself. He by no means totally recognized as “straight edge,” although, regardless of his idolization of straight-edge punk heroes like Refused and Minor Risk. As Shelton tells it, informal abstinence from alcohol was working nicely sufficient for him till Militarie Gun, having expanded from a solo mission right into a full band, launched into an intensive tour following their 2023 debut Life Below The Gun. As many bands are wont to do, Shelton started bookending his gigs with a drink, or a couple of. Then he began consuming when he was bored in-between exhibits. Abruptly, he’d eradicated his informal abstinence and fallen sufferer to disconcerting dependency.
God Save The Gun largely facilities round Shelton’s descent into somewhat-madness, although these dispatches come from a extremely populated, but oft-overlooked grey space: He’s not at all-time low, but it surely’s a straight shot proper forward of him. Asking for assist feels inordinate, however ignoring his proximity to desperation feels irresponsible.
He doesn’t actually improvise lyrics as of late, however even his premeditated songwriting retains a familial frankness, the kind of language you may use whereas venting to your buddies on a protracted drive. “All I want is a brand new obsession,” Shelton shouts over pressing, pinging piano keys on the refrain to “Perhaps I’ll Burn My Life Down,” one of many document’s extra admittedly tongue-in-cheek moments. On lead single “B A D I D E A,” a spell-along rager many have half-jokingly dubbed the hardcore child’s “Scorching To Go!,” Shelton dodges woe-is-me territory by acknowledging that he’s the one who’s been main himself in direction of the same destiny as his less-lucky members of the family: “I been giving in, giving in, giving in/ Missed by a mile, may have sworn it was an inch.” His lived experiences make him empathetic in direction of these battling dependence on vices of their very own, however he balances it with an general air of private accountability. He is aware of rattling nicely these concepts are unhealthy. He simply needs you to listen to him out, no pity wanted.
Whereas Shelton has plentiful problems with his personal, God Save The Gun additionally touches on how these contribute to the complexities of his interpersonal relationships. He digs into this deepest on the balladic “I Received’t Homicide Your Good friend,” the place his need to be a dependable help system to a cherished one — to really feel wanted, purposeful — is at odds along with his personal burdens and the anxieties of listening to much more of them: “I’m feeling weighed down, however I promise that I carry it for you.”
Whereas Militarie Gun’s hardcore roots are obvious in God Save The Gun’s crunchy guitar tones and the slight scorched rasp of Shelton’s vocals, it’s additionally amongst their extra sonically compelling work. Whereas this isn’t the one pop-leaning document to return from a hardcore-aligned band this 12 months, it’s an absolute blast to hearken to: You’ll be able to hear Shelton’s love of early rock ‘n’ roll within the sweeping, instantly-sticky melodies of standouts like “Fill Me With Paint” and “Throw Me Away,” whereas the darkly-funny “Thought You Had been Waving” warns of the hazards of grinning-and-bearing-it with a school rock slant. The mandolin elaborations of “Chuckle At Me,” in the meantime, recall the signature jangle of the Dunedin sound. Shelton’s stated that one of many causes he turned to consuming was to alleviate his boredom: How outstanding it’s that he wound up making some of the thrilling rock albums of the 12 months.
God Save The Gun is out 10/17 on Loma Vista.
