Confession

by

ill niño

Edit

Ill Nino's second album, "Confession," is a much more personal album than their debut. Combining metal and Latin influences (I know this sounds strange, but trust me it works), this band has successfully produced melodic, heavy and beautiful songs. While I feel this is their most personal work, I don't like it as much as their previous album, "Revolution Revolucion." However, it's a treat to see that they didn't recycle that album and have come out with a newer and different sound while still maintaining a dark and heavy approach.

This is a really talented band on the metal scene, as they take their music to different levels. Their sound is very unique and they never sound like they're repeating the same old thing over and over again. The lead singer knows how to growl and sing with the best of them, and the guitars are absolutely amazing. What it all comes down to is that Ill Nino is a band with extremely talented people. It's clear that these guys always have different ideas going around, and they use that to their advantage.

People who are more familiar with their debut may be a little let down by this album, as it isn't nearly as heavy. Don't get me wrong, the album is still very heavy, just not as much as "Revolution Revolucion." I really love the sound of this album and was not let down, although I can't honestly say that I prefer this album over the previous one. I can pretty much listen to the whole CD in its entirety, but I find myself skipping to my favorites rather than just letting the entire album play all the way through for the most part. The only downside of this album is that I don't find it has that punch or intensity as their first release, and it's not because of the different sound.

Despite that, I still think it's a great album. My favorite songs are "te amo... I hate you," "how can I live," "unframed," "letting go," "two," "cleansing," "re-birth," "this time's for real," and "when it cuts." The one song I really dislike is "numb." It doesn't fit in with the rest of the album, and I always find myself skipping over it. In time, I may grow to like it. It has happened in the past. I just don't like the song right now. Other than that, I enjoy the rest of the songs.

"Confession" is a fine album from a group that has once again shown great promise. There's a lot of growth within this album, even though I feel that it isn't as powerful or as memorable as their debut. Ill Nino knows how to make great music and I look forward to seeing what they have planned next. If you're a fan of Ill Nino, then this is something to check out. If you haven't heard Ill Nino yet, then I strongly suggest picking up a copy of "Revolution Revolucion" and then checking out "Confession." Not a bad effort, if you ask me. I hope to see further progress from them in the near future. -Michael Crane

First of all, I think there is a general misconception of what "metal" is, but because much of the noise that is produced today is referred to as metal, I will leave that discussion for another day. I purchased "Revolution..." a couple of years ago based solely upon a magazine review, and was favorably surprised and impressed with the depth and breadth of the music contained therein; they had really set themselves apart from the amoebic crowd of sonic trash peddlers out there today. "Confessions" is a decent release...but sounds a little overproduced and forced. After one listen, I gave it to my 17 year old son, who of course loves it. His review of the album is analogous to what is found within the other reviews here. So, do you purchase the release? If you plan on following this band into the future, then of course. Because I prefer less profanic anger in my music, I choose to listen to more "musically" diverse heavy stuff that requires a trained ear to appreciate, though also admitting quite possibly that what I listen to is lyrically inferior to Ill Nino. Maybe I'm getting too old, but when the lyrical content is all that is focused upon, with the music as background noise, much of what we call the "art of music" is lost. These guys are not not bad here, just less unique than the numerous cast of "others," on this particular release. Nu-metalheads will love it. Check out the new "Soil" and "Drowning Pool" albums for a similar taste of good music.