I'm going to start doing little tidbits, mini review-type things. Songs or Albums or Artists that are on my mind that you should FUCKING LISTEN TO. If you don't already, that is.
Put simply, ill Nino is an odd combination of latin music, and nu-metal. Good stuff all around. They've got three albums, all of which are solid listens the whole way through.
The coolest part about ill Nino is that they can take a wierd assed concept like latin music mixed with metal, and make it actually work. It doesn't sound like a gimmick, it doesn't sound fake, it doesn't sound like they're trying too hard to force themselves into a specific niche just to be different. It sounds natural. These are some kick-ass dudes with latin heritage who decided to take what they grew up with and combine it with the metal scene. It's a great combination that isn't really like anything else out there, because the vocalist can switch form english to spanish at any random point, and there are often breaks in the music where a guitar solo might be, that have some crazy electrified mariachi/metal sounds to them. It's really very cool, but you'd have to hear it to get it.
If they have a downside to them, it's certainly the lyrics-- these days, that doesn't seem to bother people, though. They aren't horrible, but alot of the songs use some pretty generic metal-imagery and metaphors that we've all heard before. They're not played out or particularly similar to anything else on the market, but the lyrics aren't anything revolutionary.
Thier first album,
Revolution, Revolución is a pretty good start. The band's sound gets a bit mixed up in the rap-influenced, record-scratching metal that was on the scene at the time of its release, which might sound negative, but it actually makes for an awesome experience. The album has alot of great songs, and it holds a special place in my heart because it was the first "hard" CD that I ever bought. The first "metal" album that wasn't Metallica. The record scratching antics are totally absent from the later two albums, and it's something that I wish they would bring back from time to time.
ill Nino's second album,
Confession, is a more mainstream effort. Most of the "screaming" is left out, or
very minimalized, and the record scratching and uber-hard music goes out the window. Some people might look at this as a sellout, but I still think the album is very good. It's a more melodic approach to the music, the missing elements have thier ups and downs. The record scratchy sounds are gone, I suppose they weren't fitting for the band's style, so this isn't a bad thing alltogether. The cutbacks to the screaming leave certain songs feeling a bit emptier than they should, but it's not as if there is a big gaping hole in the album that says, "scream at me!". Overal, I liked the album, it just wasn't quite as special as the first.
One Nation Underground is the band's third and most recent album, and I find this to be a combination of the differing styles of the first and second albums--because of this, I feel it is thier best work. They took the good parts from each album and made something that was better than either of the other two could be. The band re-gains it's harder edge on this recording, but also keeps in mind what it learned from playing melodies. The best and most versatile release from ill Nino yet, I'm a bit surprised that this album didn't catch on more than it did when it was release almost a year ago-- but, from what I hear, they're huge in Mexico, so why the fuck do they care about us stupid Americans anyway?
Key songs from the artist:
Revolution, Revolución -Liar :: A song that really knows the power of repetition, sometimes the best way to get something to stick is to keep shoving it in your face. This is one of my favorite overall ill Nino songs, and a great song in general. The lyrics aren't anything special, but the vocals are especially haunting, which is becoming quite the trademark for ill Nino. "Liar: you said that things would be the same / Yo Se (a variation of "I know") things would be the same... LIAR!"
-If You Still Hate Me :: An extremely hard, allout jam-fest. A great song to flip on when you just need to lash out on... something! I have it on my "fucking pissed off" playlist
-I am Loco :: The song has an interesting use of stereo channels. There's a "ticking" sound that plays back and forth from the left to right channels over and over again, and it's a really innovative way to convey the feeling of "craziness" that the vocalist is talking about. The ticking begins and slowly builds as the lyrics "God please... I am becoming the monster you promised to keep him away / now I feel like he's living in me..." are uttered, just as the lyric ends, the music comes in and we get a taste of what this seemingly strange song really is, the refrain is, again, haunting. The vocalist has a great voice, whether screaming or singing, it's very well done.
Confession -Letting Go :: "Killing you is killing me", a great lyric, ill Nino's lyrics were pretty abstract and/or undefined on the first album, and this is a great song to demonstrate the improvement in both the vocals and lyrics.
-Unframed :: A song about the singer's father, who he apparently never knew. The song uses some good imagery, unframed pictures of a father that his mother never wanted him to know. Decent lyrics, great vocals, a solid track.
One Nation Underground -This is War :: Dear god, this song hits so retardedly hard that I almost felt uncomfortable listening to it the first time that I heard it... it's the opening track on the CD, and ... just, dayamn. As soon as the first vocal hits, you'll think you're about to get kicked in the face, try not to duck as a reflex. I can't say much for the lyrics, they aren't all that great, but ... well, you'll just have to listen to it, haha.
-What you Deserve :: Probably my favorite ill Nino song, it's right next to Liar off of the first CD. It's definitely got a softer side to it, but the lyrics are excellent, and there's a tone/rythm change-up about 2/3 into the song, where the flow completely changes for about 20 seconds (very remeniscent of Spineshank, another of my favorite bands, who I'll tell you all about in good time). I can't really describe the change-up, you'll have to hear it, but it's great-- again, "haunting", it sticks with you forever. "It's too bad that you have made mistakes, it's too bad that I cannot relate..."
-Turns to Gray :: A great song with a cameo by Hatebreed's lead singer. I'd call this a single, except that I'm not sure if they even released one for this album... This is a song that is lyrically typical for ill Nino-- pretty bland in the lyrics department, that is. Basic, standard metal, generic. The music however, is great, and that's why I like this track.
-Everything Beautiful :: Another song with vocals that you're sure to never forget. Lyrics are as expected, again, the sound is key. The refrain is absolutely amazing, there's a slight hint of a piano in the background, and the entire song has a very slow, yet forward motion to it. It's a very defining sound that's... beautiful, as the title suggests.
All in all, ill Nino is a great band that I'd highly recommend to anyone. They aren't perfect, and are a bit lacking in the lyrics department, but the vocals really stick with you, and the music is something that's totally unique-- you won't find the sound anywhere else. Check them out.
