Militarie Gun frontman Ian Shelton has never really sounded all that hinged, but on “God Save the Gun”, he practically revels in his own depravity. “Put me in the trash,” he sings proudly on “Throw Me Away,” the pummelling drums and wallop of a chorus seemingly there to beat the singer black and blue. It’s the most prevalent theme of the band’s second proper studio album, one that’s intent on looking inward with a ferocity both playful and almost unbearably intense.
Nowhere is this more evident than on “God Owes Me Money,” a song which might sound cheeky but is, with its depiction of childhood abuse, downright brutal in its bare-metal vulnerability. “I’ve been drunk every day for a month, I learned from you and mom,” Shelton sings later on the surprisingly restrained “Daydream,” unafraid to assign blame even among all the self-flagellation. Even so, “God Save the Gun” is a genuinely ecstatic record, a pure stank face of infectious hooks, call-and-response vocals, and wiry riffage. Even its dourest moments find an almost rapturous form of release. Like the open-handed shaman of its cover, Militarie Gun imagines a world where even the death cult of The Gun might put together a few fun group meals and a movie night or two.
Released June 23rd, 2023
2023, © 2023 Loma Vista Recordings.
The Fat Angel Sings 