Audio CD review:
Ill Nino - One Nation Underground

Ill Nino - One Nation Underground

Band: Ill Nino Title: One Nation Underground Rating: Release Date: 2005-09-21 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: This Is War 2: My Resurrection 3: What You Deserve 4: Turns to Gray 5: De La Vida 6: Liberacion of Our Awakening 7: All I Ask For 8: Corazon of Mine 9: Everything Beautiful 10: In This Moment 11: My Pleasant Torture 12: Barely Breathing [Instrumental] 13: Violent Saint 14: Frustrated [*]

"Society is a loaded weapon" Otherwise, you can pay a third and maybe a quarter of the price and get the domestic CD]. [Note: If you don't mind paying the big bucks--this album is worth it--or can find a good deal on this version, this Japanese import includes a bonus demo track. I am becoming a huge Ill Nino fan! I haven't been this excited about a band in over a decade! One Nation Underground received some early lukewarm reviews. The most common complaint was that it is not as hard as their previous albums. On first listening, I felt it was not quite as good as Revolution/Revolucion but an improvement from Confession. After repeated listens, I am liking this album more and more and put it right up with Revolution and maybe even slightly above! It is not as intense and powerful as Revolution so I can understand why some fans who hoped they would produce a heavier Sepultera/Korn style metal album may have been disappointed. That heavier side of Ill Nino is here, but not as much as on Revolution. This band has so many styles working for it which is the reason they are my favorite modern band. The more accessible power metal style is what drew me to them because so much new metal is dominated by death metal with screeching or bellowing vocals. The excellent, sing-along-to vocals here along with the addictive hooks is what makes this band top-notch in my opinion, and that side of Ill Nino is most prevalent on One Nation Underground. The shorter tracks also make this album more accessible. The booklet includes photos of the band, lyrics (including the English translation of the Spanish parts which is a big plus), credits and thank you's. As the album title/cover suggests, there are political themes here, but I don't think it dominates the album. The last tracks, brings responsibility away from society and back to the individual: "I am the only thing that destroys me/I hold my own convictions/Yo me rompo (I will break). " "This Is War" (3:45): Korn-like beginning. Furious and angry. It reminds me of "If You Still Hate Me" off Revolution. It changes tempo and vocal style as Ill Nino is known for and has a Latin-style instrumental bridge. "My Resurrection" (2:54): For fans who like the heavier Korn-like metal sound, this song is for them. It has screaming, vicious vocals straight-through. "What You Deserved" (3:00): Now this track has that more accessible power metal sound that I prefer. It is very catchy. One of my favorites. "Turns to Gray" (3:24): Thunderous vocals combined with a catchy, sing-along chorus and a heavy powerful ending. "De La Vida" (4:05): This is a pounding track. There is a lot of depth to this one. An excellent blend of the accessible and the harsh with some Spanish lyrics. In other words, what Ill Nino is all about. "La Liberacion of Our Awakening" (3:45): As the tile suggests, this is a very political song. The spoken word part includes lyrics like "corporations play a monopoly with society" and "Pharmaceutical companies provide you with all the answers to your problems only to fill the pockets of the politicians. " Excellent chorus. "All I Ask For" (3:40): One of the softer, more radio-friendly track on this album. Very catchy. I love this track! It's softer but still rocks! You may not bang your head, but it will definitely move in a nodding motion (Oh yeah!). "Corazon of Mine" (3:30): Now the heavier side of Ill Nino. Still, not as much of the raw, harsh vocals, but still a blistering track. I love the chorus: "Stay forever/Walk behind me/When I say it's forever/Don't remind me how long. " "Everything Beautiful" (3:14): Intense at times but, as the title indicates, it is beautiful at others, particularly the chorus: "And I'm breaking away from everything beautiful. . . " Ah, the beauty of metal. There's nothing like it. "In This Moment" (3:22): A lot of Latin flavor here. "My Pleasant Torture"(4:29): OK, this track may be a bit soft for Ill Nino. There are some powerful parts but, "Did you ever ask the stars not to shine no more, fly no more?" is rather sappy. Like "With You" off Revolution, Ill Nino is not at their best doing sweet, sensitive songs. "Barely Breathing" (1:05): Short, soft guitar instrumental. It hooks into the next track, which is incredible, I didn't even know this was a separate song until I checked the track listing. "Violent Saint" (3:46): FURIOUS and BLISTERING! Incredibly powerful ending track. The tortured vocals screaming out "Why am I a victim to myself? When everything burns my torture lies within!" Awesome! Ill Nino rules! . You can see a complete list of all Ill Nino discography, or go back to the Ill Nino tabs