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Life Under the Gun

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Life Under the Gun
An aerial shot of a crowd walking around a dead body smashed by a large rock
Studio album by
Militarie Gun
ReleasedJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)
Recorded2022
StudioStudio 606, Los Angeles, California, United States[1]
Genre
Length27:17
LanguageEnglish
LabelLoma Vista
Producer
  • Ian Shelton
  • Taylor Young
Militarie Gun chronology
All Roads Lead to the Gun
(2022) 		Life Under the Gun
(2023)
Singles from Life Under the Gun
  1. "Do It Faster"
    Released: February 21, 2023[4]
  2. "Very High"
    Released: April 18, 2023[5]
  3. "Will Logic"
    Released: May 23, 2023[6]

"I let everything just consume me entirely... I've never worked on something harder in my life.

—Vocalist Ian Shelton on recording Life Under the Gun[7]

Life Under the Gun is the first full-length studio album by American hardcore punk group Militarie Gun. The release has received positive reviews from critics.

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80⁄100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY[9]
Exclaim!7⁄10[10]
Kerrang![11]
The Line of Best Fit7⁄10[2]
NME[12]
Paste8.4⁄10[13]
Pitchfork7.4⁄10[14]
Rolling Stone[15]
Slant[16]

Life Under the Gun received positive reviews from critics noted at review aggregator Metacritic. It has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on ten reviews.[8]

Writing in a BrooklynVegan profile, Andrew Sacher calls Life Under the Gun "one of 2023’s best rock records" and states that this music debuts a "bigger, cleaner, catchier version of Militarie Gun".[1] The Line of Best Fit's Greg Hyde gave this album a 7 out of 10, calling it a "flawed but enjoyable debut album" that has some weaknesses but is ultimately "listenable and fun".[2] In NME, Rishi Shah gave this release 4 out of 5 stars, writing that it "transcends the limits of what hardcore can be in 2023, leading with a melodic approach that can open the wider scene up to a whole new audience".[12] Writing for Paste, Ethan Beck scored this album an 8.4 out of 10, calling it "a relentless and infectious hardcore benchmark";[13] the magazine chose it as one of the best albums of June 2023.[17] Editors at Rolling Stone stamped this album a Hear This release, with critic Brenna Ehrlich writing, "there’s really no predicting where Militarie Gun’s sound will go next over the course of the album".[18] Slant Magazine's Steve Erickson gave this album 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing that the music is "uptempo and aggressive", but also stating "while their emotional palette may feel rooted in anger, unlike Regional Justice Center, the band’s more melodic passages strive to express it without becoming trapped by it".[16] Editors at Stereogum chose this as Album of the Week and critic Tom Breihan calls this "a chance to stretch out and see what they could do at LP length" and compares this music to Britpop and college rock, noting "hooks within the hooks—backup-vocal harmonies or hip-shaking acoustic guitars buried in the mix with all the distorted riffage".[19] In a June round-up of the best albums of 2023, the publication placed this at 21, with Breihan praising the songwriting hooks: "even as those choruses soar, [vocalist Ian Shelton] still growls with authority, and he’s got the best gorilla grunt in the game... the hooks are bigger, but the intensity remains... a great melody should make you want to kick a hole in a brick wall".[20]

In June 2023, Alternative Press published an unranked list of the top 25 albums of the year to date and included this release, calling it an album that show's the band's "pop smarts" "by way of soaring highs, tight arrangements, and catchy-as-hell melodies".[21] In a mid-year review, Rolling Stone India included this release in their best albums of 2023.[22] Editors of Vogue included this in an unranked list of the 22 best albums of the year, published on October 23, 2023, with critic Taylor Antrim stating that the songs are "short, loud, and incredibly fun" and part of a hardcore renaissance.[3] In November, GQ Australia editor Will Lennox listed this as 17 on the 23 best albums of 2023, calling it "an outlet for the everyman" that sucked him "into its aggressive but warming embrace".[23] A piece by Nina Corcoran for Pitchfork Media chose this album to spotlight how American hardcore punk music embraced experimentation and cross-genre elements in 2023.[24]

Life Under the Gun in best-of lists
Outlet Listing Rank
BrooklynVegan[25] BrooklynVegan's Top 55 Albums of 2023 —
Exclaim![26] The 50 Best Albums of 2023 42
GQ Australia[23] The 23 Best Albums of 2023 17
Louder Sound[27] Favourite Albums of 2023 (Dannii Lievers) 7
NME[28] The 50 Best Albums of 2023 19
The Ringer[29] The 27 Best Albums of 2023 10
Rolling Stone[30] The 100 Best Albums of 2023 51
Stereogum[31] The 50 Best Albums of 2023 7
Stereogum[32] Best Hardcore Albums of 2023 1

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "Do It Faster" – 1:48
  2. "Very High" – 1:55
  3. "Will Logic" – 2:18
  4. "My Friends Are Having a Hard Time" – 2:40
  5. "Think Less" – 1:54
  6. "Return Policy" – 2:16
  7. "Seizure of Assets" – 1:53
  8. "Never Fucked Up Once" – 2:20
  9. "Big Disappointment" – 2:31
  10. "Sway Too" – 2:54
  11. "See You Around" – 2:02
  12. "Life Under the Gun" – 2:46

Personnel

[edit]

Militarie Gun

  • William Acuña – guitar
  • Nick Cogan – bass guitar
  • Vince Nguyen – drums
  • Ian Shelton – vocals, production
  • Waylon Trim – guitar

Additional personnel

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Sacher, Andrew (June 20, 2023). "Militarie Gun made one of 2023's best rock records by not caring if you think they're cool". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Hyde, Greg (June 20, 2023). "Militarie Gun's melodic influences emerge on Life Under The Gun". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Antrim, Taylor (October 23, 2023). "The Best Albums of 2023 (So Far)". Music. Vogue. ISSN 0042-8000. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  4. ^ Carter, Emily (February 21, 2023). "Militarie Gun drop new single Do It Faster, announce debut London headline show". Kerrang!. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  5. ^ Corcoran, Nina (April 18, 2023). "Militarie Gun Announce Debut Album, Share Video for New Song "Very High": Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  6. ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (May 23, 2023). "Militarie Gun share their brand new single "Will Logic"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Hughes, Mia (May 31, 2023). "MILITARIE GUN: How BIZKIT-approved punks used GROHL's gear to make defining album". Music. Revolver. ISSN 1527-408X.
  8. ^ a b "Life Under the Gun by Militarie Gun Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. n.d. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  9. ^ Jamieson, Sarah (June 23, 2023). "Militarie Gun - Life Under the Gun review". DIY. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Dika, Paul (June 27, 2023). "Militarie Gun's Aim Is True on 'Life Under the Gun'". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  11. ^ Pearlman, Mischa (June 23, 2023). "Album review: Militarie Gun – Life Under The Gun". Kerrang!. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Shah, Rishi (June 21, 2023). "Militarie Gun – 'Life Under The Gun' review: hardcore punk straight from the heart". Reviews > Album Reviews. NME. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Beck, Ethan (June 23, 2023). "On Life Under the Gun, Militarie Gun Arrive Fully Formed". Paste. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  14. ^ O'Connell, Chris (June 27, 2023). "Militarie Gun: Life Under the Gun Album Review". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  15. ^ Ehrlich, Brenna (June 21, 2023). "Militarie Gun's Raucous Debut Is an Emotional Breakdown Dressed Up Like a Sugar Rush". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Erickson, Steve (June 19, 2023). "Militarie Gun Life Under the Gun Review: Hardcore Anger Management". Music. Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  17. ^ Beck, Ethan (July 1, 2023). "The Best Albums of June 2023". Music > Lists > Best Albums. Paste. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  18. ^ Ehrlich, Brenna (June 21, 2023). "Militarie Gun's Raucous Debut Is an Emotional Breakdown Dressed Up Like a Sugar Rush". Album Review. Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  19. ^ Breihan, Tom (June 20, 2023). "Militarie Gun 'Life Under The Gun' Review". Album Of The Week. Stereogum. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  20. ^ Breihan, Tom (June 6, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2023 So Far". Album List. Stereogum. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  21. ^ "25 best albums of 2023 so far". Alternative Press. June 23, 2023. ISSN 1065-1667. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  22. ^ "The Best Albums of 2023 So Far". News & Updates. Rolling Stone India. August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  23. ^ a b Lennox, Will (November 6, 2023). "The 23 best albums of 2023, according to a GQ editor". Culture / Entertainment. GQ Australia. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  24. ^ Corcoran, Nina (December 20, 2023). "Hardcore Expanded Its Boundaries in 2023—and the Scene Embraced It". The Pitch. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  25. ^ "BrooklynVegan's Top 55 Albums of 2023". BrooklynVegan. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  26. ^ "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2023". Features. Exclaim!. November 30, 2023. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  27. ^ Leivers, Dannii (December 17, 2023). "Louder's writers pick their 10 favourite albums of 2023". Louder Sound. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  28. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2023". Features > Music Features. NME. December 8, 2023. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  29. ^ "The 27 Best Albums of 2023". Music. The Ringer. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  30. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2023". Music > Album Reviews. Rolling Stone. November 30, 2023. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  31. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2023". 2023 in Review. Stereogum. December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  32. ^ Breihan, Tom (December 11, 2023). "The 10 Best Hardcore Albums Of 2023". 2023 In Review. Stereogum. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
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