Once in a while it becomes apparent that you are hearing something that is a little bit special. With ‘Revolution, Revolucion’, Ill Nino are delivering the latest update on the Nu-Metal blueprint and extending the plans that little bit further. Drawing influence’s from just about every important release of the last decade, Ill Nino take what Linkin Park started and finish it with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Imagine the Park having a new arsehole torn into them by Slipknot while Max-era Sepultura beat a tribal drum in the background. Yep, it’s that good.
Ill Nino succeed where others fail by sitting back and taking notes on where their peers make mistakes. If Linkin Park are too light-weight and Soulfly’s tribal beats sound forced then you take two missed opportunity’s and make your move to steal there vacated crown. There are so many reasons why Ill Nino are truly the second coming to those becoming frustrated at the lack of progression in metal. Frontman Cristian Machado’s vocals that can change from the most heart-melting harmonies to the most blood curdling of screams in the length of time it takes Madonna to sack her madras munching guard are just the start of the bands route to success. Machado also manages to intersperse some Brazilian lyrics into the songs, enabling him to give a nod to the band’s South American heritage without sounding cheesy. This avoids Rammstein-like alienation of the audience, but also allows him the opportunity to show respect to his upbringing .
The main factor in Ill Nino’s brilliance lies in the amazingly natural incorporation of Latin rhythms and amazing Flamenco melodies on top of the already outstandingly heavy guitars throughout the record. Indeed, percussionist Roger Vasquez adds a welcome element of paranoia to the fray with his vast array of tribal drums and rhythms that allow the music to still maintain brutality when it could all end up going a bit Enrique Inglasias. The best example of this can be seen on ‘Liar’, where the band manage to strum an acoustic Flamenco lullaby that soon morphs into a bone shattering verse with minimum effort.
To pick the best tracks from this album would be like picking the funny bits in ‘The Holy Grail’. There are just too many to mention. Just go out and buy the damn thing. Ill Nino are the future sound of metal, Viva la revolution.
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10Terry Bezer's Score