Artist: Silentarmy (aka Mentally ILL)
Album: "The Man Against Himself EP"
Mentally ILL drops his solo EP entitled The Man Against
Himself. This cat now goes by the name of Silentarmy, for all
you underground fanatics.
A California native, Silentarmy grew up in
difficult circumstances, moving out on his own at the tender age of 16.
It was then that he started to promote himself and his music by selling
cds out of his car. His music is life inspired, dealing with personal
issues such as being diagnosed bipolar, to dealing with the pain of
relationships gone wrong. This EP was done in less than three months,
in order to prepare for an unexpected turn in his career, a summer
tour. Silentarmy now resides in Minneapolis, where he is working
on another album due out in late 2005.
The first track on this EP sets the tone for a truly unique sound for
Mentally Ill. "Burn My Werds" has Silentarmy rhymin about how his words
go unheard , how he expresses himself, and how powerful his words
really are. Despite this, Silentarmy feels his words fall on deaf ears.
The beat in this track flows nicely with the lyrics, definitely makes
you wanna nod your head.
The next track on the EP is entitled "Basic". It comes through
with a different tone than the first track. It’s slightly upbeat with
some sick rhymes and a hot beat. I almost skipped over this one because
of the first line, but i stayed listening out of pure curiosity and
because I liked the first track. "were takin it back like ewoks
and asics before breast implants and girls with plastic faces." Its
slightly vulgar with reference to NUTZ and STD’s, but it’s a good
listen.
"Queen of Razorblade Hearts" is up next at #4 on this EP. The title of
this track is intriguing. The rhymes entail all there is when there is
loss; something everybody has felt at some point or another. Silentarmy
rhymes about games and drama that bring people down, but says that at
the same time it’s these games and drama that some people live for. The
chorus pretty much sets the mood for this track. "It’s like your playin
games over and over and it’s still the same thing, it’s like you hate
but you can’t live without it so you crowd your life around it, What a
terrible thing." I have to wholeheartedly agree with his thoughts on
not trusting the opposite sex. You find someone you think has the same
feelings and intentions as you. You open up so as not to push them
away, you are cautious, and just as you start to feel confident it’s
the right person your entire perception of reality and what was is
sucked into a time warp and is no longer. The one u love never looks
the same once trust is lost. That’s basically in a nutshell what I got
from this track. If you’ve ever been through pain like this you’ll be
able to feel this track.
The next track is called "Fuck You Bitch (Cut Your Vain)". Silentarmy
tells a story in this track about a female that he regrets ever getting
involved with. It’s a hot track, I especially like the end, so keep
your ears open when you hear this one. The beats have a different sound
to them, kinda like a base guitar mixed with turntables thrown in.
"Pain Overdose" is one of my favorites on this EP. It deals with
feelings of solitude and despair. Silentarmy tried to silence the pain
of life with drugs. Attempting suicide, he turns to music as his outlet
and a means of expression. It has a laid back beat, and lyrics armed
with emotion, getting an A+ in my book. "we all fall yet we still
manage to rise, some do it better than others and that’s life"
The track up next is called “Issue XXIII Paragraph Seven" The thing
that stood out the most about this track was the flow. It really
defines who Silentarmy is, and his style of rhyming as well. Its
quick and crafty pulling rhymes from deep inside, but managing to stay
on point all the while.
Track 9 is by far my favorite on the EP. Its filled with raw
emotion and can be appreciated by all those who understand. "Your Love
Will Leave a Scar on My Wrist" is the title of this one. I’m not
sure I can really even summarize this track. Its pure feeling, you
gotta just listen and you’ll see what I mean. Best track on the cd
though I’m at a loss for words to describe it.
Track 10 "Days of Drama" is another one of my personal favorites.
Silentarmy explains how his music is a summary of his past and how it
is his form of expressing his feelings and emotions regarding it. The
opening beats pull you in on this one, and the rhymes will keep u
listening.
Next up is "II.VI.IV". The beat in this track has a sorta depressing
tone to it, but it’s appropriate for what the track is
addressing. Feelings of suicide. I’ve never experienced this so I
don’t feel able to comment the feelings involved, but the rhymes in
this convey the deepest of pains to the listener.
"Appenixxx" is the last track on this EP. It brings a different mood,
it kinda picks u up if you’ve fallen listening to the highly emotional
lyrics that tear through your heart in the previous tracks. It has a
laid back beat, and the lyrics refer to Silentarmy and the simplicity
of his being despite the dizzying array of feeling and emotions that
consume him. "who am I . I’m just you’re average cat with a couple of
tats, a backpack like a punk motherfucker"…nuff said.
Overall, this EP pretty much blew my mind. the production was on point
in every track and the EP itself had an overall thematic flow to it,
which gets a person involved and keeps them listening. It has alot of
feeling and emotion, and as humans were drawn to anything that spurs on
our emotions. this cd is an excellent expression of the inside of one
man , his feelings, fears, loves and hates, which he shares in the
hopes of reaching others who can relate. I normally will listen to the
cd’s I review solely for that purpose; this cd stays in my car and is
listened to on the regular.
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