MilitarieGun are atrulyuncategorizableband.Led by vocalistIan Shelton,the bandsdebutfull-length,Life UnderThe Gun,is forgedby alifetimeof experienceand effort,offering12 tracksthat manageto blendthe unbridledaggressionof hardcorewithmassive hooksand personalityto spare.Throughoutthe record,MilitarieGun demonstratestheirmasteryof melodyand grit as Shelton interrogatesalifetimeof interpersonalrelationshipsthroughadistinctlyblunt,empathetic,and self-awarelens.Ultra-catchytrackslike “Do It Faster”and “VeryHigh”lookat his challengingupbringingwithadultperspective, whileNeverFuckedUp Once, demonstratesawillingnessto approachthe thirdrail, juxtaposingsomeof Life UnderThe Gun’smostdarklycomediclyricswithitsmostovertpop-rocksensibilities.The albumcloseswithits anthemictitle trackwhereSheltonsingsthe finalrefraina life of pursuit” endsup pursuingyou like an urgentreminder to himself: moveforwardor get swallowedup yourpastmightshapeyou,but it doesnthaveto defineyou.The songsfinallonechordringsout like aquestion,afittinglyhopeful-yet-ambiguousendingfor the debutalbumfromabandthatsalreadycomeso far and evolvedso much butwhosestoryhas onlyjust begun.