Biography
On their first two albums, Ill Nino, crafted songs out of crushing riffs, surging beats and urgent vocals. They then took those songs and infused them with elements of their Latino heritage, including tribal percussion, flamenco guitars and Spanish lyrics. But as innovative and refreshing as their sound was, Ill Nino still felt somewhat constrained by self-imposed limitations. So, for their third album, One Nation Underground, the band decided to act on impulse and do what ever felt natural, even if it seemed unconventional.
"We wanted to make a record that would make us happy as musicians first and foremost," says vocalist Cristian Machado. By stretching their boundaries and catering only to themselves, Ill Nino were able to create music that broke new ground and reflected the savagery, rage, disillusionment, beauty and melancholy the band members felt within. "There was nothing holding us back this time," drummer Dave Chavarri says. "We wanted to let it rip and jam on different Latin rhythms and see where it led us"Ill Nino formed in late 1999, signed to Roadrunner in 2000, and went on to record 2001?s Revolution, Revolucion. Strong airplay for their first single ?What Comes Around? and slots on both the Ozzfest and Jagermeister tours in 2002 helped the album sell almost 190,000 copies. 2003?s Confession spawned the hit ?How Can I Live? which was featured on the Freddy vs. Jason soundtrack, and went on to sell 200,000 copies in the U.S. and 400,000 worldwide. But while Ill Nino is still very happy with both of those discs, they don't consider them as truly representative, viewing them more as twisty staircases to reach the plateau of One Nation Underground. "We wanted to step up and be more intricate in our writing and more musical with our instruments and articulate in what we say," the Chavarri explains. "We all pushed each other and refused to hold back. I feel like this is the first real Ill Nino record. We busted our asses on this one. This is what Ill Nino should have been since the very beginning."
The endless toiling and imminent patience paid off. One Nation Underground is the sound of a band who has grown album by album; a band that has discovered that volume doesn?t necessarily equal power and that the emotion of a salsa rhythm can at times surpass a barreling thrash riff. One Nation Underground is Ill Nino at their finest.
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