DVON's Full Review: Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars by Killarmy
For those of you who have read my review of Killarmy's sophomore album, Dirty Weaponry, know that I have a lot of respect for 9th Prince, Killa Son, P.R Terrorist, Beretta 9, Shogun Assason and Islord; better known as Killarmy. While I may not necessarily be bias, I know the amount of talent each of these emcees have which generally makes me think of the quality that each of their albums have lyrically. Even when the production may be lacking, the lyricism is excellent and can usually lift this shortcoming off of the beat construction. As well, Killarmy are an extremely underrated group that still haven't got the critical acclaim that they deserve, which is basically what I'm here to do. Regarded as their most mediocre album, Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars has been ignored worldwide for reason unknown to me. Even though it isn't a classic, it's better than many other debut albums released in the later years of the 1990s which is generally why I can appreciate this album as much as I can.
Below Is A Track Listing And Their Overall Rating:
1. Dress To Kill (*****)
2. Clash Of The Titans (*****)
3. Burning Season (****)
4. Blood For Blood (*****)
5. Seems It Never Fails (*****)
6. Universal Soldiers (****)
7. Love, Hell or Right (*****)
8. Wake Up (*****)
9. Fair, Love & War (****)
10. Wu-Renegades (****)
11. Full Moon (***)
12. Under Siege (***)
13. Shelter (***)
14. Camouflage Ninjas (****)
15. Swinging Swords (****)
16. War Face (****)
17. 5 Stars (*****)
Dress To Kill is a prime example of 4th Disciples genius. Over a synthesizer that utilizes chattering chords and a pounding bass line and melancholic drum loop, the group spits spiritual, low-key verses. The vocabulary displays their education and their far from uplifting lyricism that reflect strongly on the production. The overall feel is dark and menacing, complementing the great flow, liquid rhyme schemes and in-depth, varied rhymes overall are this tracks main highlights.
A great way to start everything off, showing us that Killarmy are skilled emcees and not a Wu-Tang Clan knock-off. As well, they prove that they aren't trying to be remotely in the same vein as the Wu-Tang Clan, creating a style all they're own.
Clash Of The Titans continues with this dark, metaphorical setting and opens up the album quite well; almost as good as Dress To Kill. While the production is slightly less quality in comparison, the track overall is a highlight due to its subject matter and lyrical stylings.
Also, the up-beat, pace-changing antics of Burning Season further shows us 4th Disciples producing abilities. Over percussion that remains non-existent and barely in-audible and echoes off of the jazzy background, we get dark, nihilistic and graphically rapped verses that describe every horror of the streets in the form of a narrative. Along the lines of Mobb Deep, Killarmy are often violent to pain verbal pictures and this is justified with the practical non-use of slang but with cautionary tales and extremely well-crafted vocabulary. It's refreshing to see literacy in the form of underground East Coast Hip-Hop, especially through emcees this talented.
It would seem I'm going too far into detail here, but I can't fail to mention my favorite track on this album, Blood For Blood.
Once again, the lyricism is dark, nihilistic and grimy. However, the production has even more variety as a synthesizer voice and dark, grimy drum loops are ran over instrumentation through keyboard to provide a rather atmospheric, yet extremely effective sound that works on every merit.
Judging by this, you can get a basic feel of the album. The street poetics are dark, descriptive and extremely well-written. As well, each emcee gives their interpretation of what street poetry and street-smart lyricism should be, so you get six different views of this. If the variety isn't enough, each emcees lyricism and subject matter varies from track to track and tosses different elements into the mix. ("Deep in the hot sands of Savannah, stands a rhymin' highlander/Mental expander with all the propaganda/You in a contest, on his conquest/Lies a rap voyager, articulate lyricist/Lyrics are deadly like asbestis/You get cardiac arrested by the specialist")
Continuing on, Love, Hell Or Right, which is a skit, basically shows us what skits should be. Over trumpets basically giving us an atmospheric musical accompaniment over ponderings about death and senseless violence in the ghetto. The remorseful skit gives us a look into each of the artists’ thoughts and mind states, thus giving us a feel that these street stories are describing the actions of the streets and they, basically, must react with violence of their own to overcome the fear of death. Sheer brilliance.
Wake Up follows soon after. With each group member shouting "Wake the fuck up or get woke the fuck up" I'm sure many of you can figure out exactly what this track is about. If you think it's about the affects of Nyquil, you need serious help.
With a drum beat and accompanying piano and nothing more, each member gets introspective and let's the listener peer into their mind. Giving us a glimpse of what they're thinking. As well, the complexity, spirituality and many superstitions being explored, drawing their own conclusions, this is an incredibly unique track. Over the dark, extremely atmospheric production the equally dark, poetic lyrics explore in-depth urban legends that are brought up through most of our lives (UFO's, cover-up's, etc...), I admire Killarmy for paying attention to these so-called legends and giving us a look into what they think of spirituality; as well as the aforementoned. ("I kill killing orders like a lieutenant/Hit the planet Earth then explode like a human cannon/The universal author, born to kill saga/Givin' niggas head trauma/Bulletproof shield is made of gold armor")
The introspective theme is continued with Fair, Love & War.
The brilliant production of what sounds like a synthesized bag pipe and a pounding bass line resonates over more street tales. This time, we're taken through they're childhood, given looks at how they group up. Seemingly, poetry may be one of the group’s hobbies as it sounds like spoken-word poetry was incorporated into cautionary subject matter, basing subject matter on metaphors, this giving us more originality.
The trade-off between the incredibly ingenious subject matter, deft lyricism and great production is generally equal and provides more listenablity to Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars. Each of these elements plays a part in defining the overall persona of the track and delivers on each of these accounts.
The mood quickly changes when Camouflage Ninjas and Wu-Renegades, a near identical track in comparison, get both spiritual, socially conscious and are then accompanied by subject matter; all at the same time.
The production remains to be exceptionally good and is only one-upped by the extremely well-written, original and incredibly in-depth lyricism that never seems to let up. Over vocabulary that must be heard to be believed with a high-speed flow and non-stop rhyming again and again, still mixing together educational aspects with wordplay that shows the true abilities of each one of the members lyrical abilities.
Without a doubt, on top of being two incredibly well-written and overall amazing tracks lyrically, the production is second to none. 4th Disciple really proves himself as a producer by providing each of these tracks with a signature sound that fits the subject matter and lyricism incredibly well.
Before Wu-Renegades, the trio of Full Moon, Under Siege and Shelter are two lyrically sound tracks, still delving into the more underground-influenced, introspective topics. Even with the lyrics being as well-written and as well thought-out as they are; the production is mediocre. The atmosphere doesn't seem to click here, as if 4th Disciple was just trying to put out some production to fit the style of each of these tracks.
However, the introspective, inquisitive lyrics are enough to bring all of these shortcomings back up. Even over mediocre production, the lyricism and original subject matter shine. This is more than enough to make these particular tracks listenable.
Even after the shortcomings of the aforementioned tracks, the ending of the album more than makes up for what was mediocre.
Relying on descriptive wordings and complex rhyme schemes to complement the deep, meaningful lyricism over extremely well-done production was, quite possibly, accidental. But, no matter how you put it, the genius of War Face, complete with metaphorical subject matter and 5 Stars which is basically a conclusion-based track to the album. Above all else, however, it ends Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars on a good note.
The pure production of 4th Disciple and the uncompromising lyrics that ring true with points made about society and inner-city violence are brutally honest, yet listenable moments that sum up everything that Killarmy stand for. From the light production values of War Face to the darker, more nihilistic feel of 5 Stars it's near perfection and only makes the album all the much better when the lyricism is at an intermission. ("Let's go to war with break beats/My battleground is in the streets/Shogun Samurai assassin the professional spectacle/Mental terrorist/Plant a time bomb in your ear/And hold your brain for hostage/Killarmy equipped with detonating swords")
The best conclusion to draw from the end of the album is that the quality production with even higher quality rhymes and extremely well-thought-out utilizations of dictionary vocabulary and liquid flows from each emcee was that the group tried they're best to make sure everything, lyrical and beat wise, was top-notch. With that said, the ending tracks prove this quite well. Without a doubt, the two aforementioned tracks sum up everything Killarmy are about: In-depth lyricism formed to teach a lesson or solidify a point; inform the listener of the true horrors of project living. With that said, the album as a whole succeeds.
Even though I think that the follow-up to this, Dirty Weaponry is a better album overall, you must keep in mind that this was the groups first album. While this album wasn't up to the standards of the aforementioned album, that's not to say it's bad by any means. Occasionally, the lacking production on a few tracks may distract the listener from the incredible lyricism. While many will probably knock the production for sounding too much like RZA's style, that's basically who 4th Disciple learned his tactics from so the production's identical sound should come as no surprise. Looking passed a few moments that I mentioned above that were generally mediocre, what we have here is a fairly good debut album that's better than most.
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