Ian Shelton, frontman of powerviolence bastions Regional Justice Center, introduced the world to his then-new project Militarie Gun at an unfortunate yet opportune time – the early stages of 2020 when his powderkeg version of melodic hardcore made for the perfect soundtrack to a world that equally felt like it was on the verge of combustibility. Since then, Shelton has stayed the course with the way this place is spinning off its axis to equal effect with the Gun – now no longer just a side-piece, but a full-blown band featuring guitarists Nick Cogan (of Drug Church) and William Acuña, drummer Vince Nguyen (of Modern Color) and bassist Max Epstein – that can main stage headline hardcore fests and are now signed to Loma Vista Recordings for the release of their proper debut full-length, Life Under The Gun.

On the heels of the three extended plays that preceded it, this is where Militarie Gun hinge upon perfecting their tick-tick-boom formula of heavy punk-pop and chonky riffed jams that accentuate the post-pandemic existential vibe. From the get go in its opening one-two punch, “Do It Faster” and “Very High”, shouting to anxieties allow Shelton’s inner aggression enough space to feel their way through the mellowed-out malaise of where things are at now and finding a sweet spot with the dark and light corners in life that aren’t mutually exclusive. New to Militarie Gun’s moodery are the resignations of “Will Logic” and “My Friends Are Having A Hard Time” where Shelton’s sighs are as big as its chorus and harmonies all while the “pushing the boundaries of hardcore” tropes remain firmly in tact in their agility as an alternative rock band tempting many styles in their unwind.

After working their way through these motions, he and Militarie Gun continue swirling around in the existential washing machine cycle of being – the big manic pop of “Seizure of Assets”, a necessary re-recording of the All Roads Lead to the Gun II highlight “Big Disappointment” and the dazied calliope of “See You Around” – that ultimately lead you to the only place an album like this could land: with a question mark on “Life Under The Gun”. “How am I supposed to trust who I’ll be in a day?,” Shelton wonders in it, though affirmed by the uncertainty. So far, his gut instincts here with Militarie Gun haven’t led he and the band astray…

Highlights: “Very High”, “Will Logic”, “My Friends Are Having a Hard Time”

Militarie Gun’s Life Under The Gun will be released June 23rd on Loma Vista Recordings.

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