Ill Niño

Ill Nino raise a pronounced middle finger to the haters on Enigma. Metal and the mainstream should both pay attention starting now, because Ill Nino has crafted their best record to date. A chaotic combination of gnashing thrash riffs, tribal groove percussion and experimental vocals, the album is the band's masterpiece. At heart, the record shows Ill Nino pushing the limits. They've evolved past the "Nu-Metal" label that's often been tagged to them, and created a hard rock record that'll be a milestone for them. Kicking off with "Alibi of Tyrants," Ill Nino proves that they still can rip riffs with the best of them as guitarists Diego Verduzco and Ahrue Luster (Ex-Machine Head) shred fast, catchy licks. "Me Gusta La Soledad" sees Cristian Machado stretching his vocal range. It's a ballad completely sung in Spanish over a light, classical guitar line. The song is haunting, memorable and strangely catchy. Ill Nino proves powerhouse potential for the mainstream Latin market with that. Meanwhile, the groove held down by bassist Laz Pina on "Finger Painting with the Enemy" is impenetrable as his playing remains experimental, heavy and funky throughout. The best heavy track, "Guerilla Carnival," sees percussionist Danny Couto and drummer Dave Chavarri locked into pure drum mayhem as Cristian croons the huge chorus. In the end, this album is the best kind of enigma you can find.

—Rick Florino
03.31.08