Militarie Gun’s ‘God Save The Gun’: a brutally honest look at losing control

Militarie Gun’s debut album ‘Life Under The Gun’ was one of 2023’s most celebrated albums, released to praise from the like of Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NME, Revolver, Stereogum, and more. Now the band is back with their new album ‘God Save The Gun’.

Militarie Gun’s new album, ‘God Save The Gun’, starts with a confession. “I’ve been slipping up” frontman Ian Shelton roars on the opening cut ‘B A D I D E A’. Its real vulnerability tucked amongst distorted bass and blown-out drums, and the perfect introduction to one of the most exciting records of the year. This isn’t just a sonically daring, massive swing of a rock album, it’s also a very human document of being at your worst when you should be on top of the world.

“I’m well aware that being this vulnerable turns my personal trauma into a marketing hook for this album”Shelton says. “But I’m fine with it, if not provoking it. Over the past couple years, as I spoke about addiction from the perspective of someone affected by it, I became the one struggling with it. There’s a farcical logic to entering a situation, fully knowing the consequences, and doing it anyway, but that’s where my head was when I started leaning on drinking.” It wasn’t until the band was scheduled to enter the studio in early 2025 that Shelton realized he was the one who needed to hear ‘God Save The Gun’s message. “I thought I was playing a character, but it was becoming my reality” he explains. “Right before recording, it hit me that I was really losing control and needed to do something about it. I looked at the records as a whole and could see that it was a note to myself. When I read back those lyrics, I could clearly see they’re saying, ‘yeah man, you’re fucking up’.”

Shelton and his bandmates, guitarist William Acuña and Kevin Kiley, bassist Waylon Trim, and drummer David Stalsworth, more than rose to the challenge of following up Militarie Gun’s acclaimed debut. Stalsworth, Trim, and Kiley all joined touring after a series of member shakeups that would hobble most bands but only made Millitarie Gun stronger. “It took us a long time to find the right people to be in this band, but it feels like alle the pieces have finally fallen into place.”