Ill Niño's latin based metal with explosive percussions, aggressive guitar and bass elements, and unique melodic vocals have taken the metal scene by storm. Their lastest album, 'One Nation Underground,' harbors intense emotion and is packed with the Latin flare they've made so popular.

"I think that the band has grown in the last four or five years. I think we're a much more mature band," said bassist Laz Pina. "What we were after on the first record,
I think we finally got it right for the third record. It was all trial and error. When we sat down to write this record we wanted to be as pure as possible. We wanted to make sure it has the Ill Niño sound, which is the Latin with the metal elements, but for this record we wanted more of a 'street Latin' representing the culture that surrounds us
in New York and New Jersey."

Ill Niño - Photo: Courtesy Road Runner Records.

After breaking into the metal scene and blasting radio waves with hits from previous albums Revolution Revolucion and Confessions, Ill Niño has come back with an album that surpasses their previous work and sets the expectations high for other metal artists.

"We're all lovers of many different kinds of music. Metal music is what inspired us to pick up the instruments and become musicians. We're rich in culture outside of our genre. We don't discriminate and choose to listen to only one kind of metal. We listen to all kinds of metal; we branch out. It came very natural to us [to blend many genres into our music]. Especially with the Latin music-it's embedded into our soul. Whether it was going to work with metal was the question. But when we created this band, we did it to express ourselves and create something new," Pina said. "I had no expectations from it other than musical fulfillment. Good things ended up coming from it and we got signed from our third show."

With the talent and superiority Ill Niño possesses, there's no doubt why they were signed as quickly as they were. With the motivation to promote their band, Ill Niño made sure their music was heard.

"We recorded some demos and sent them to some local college radio [in upstate New York]. We didn't expect it to be such a hit. They started playing a song and it was getting on heavy rotation and people kept requesting it. Our first show we ever played was for 700 kids, which is unheard of. I never played for 700 kids in my previous bands. So we were invited to do a show for the radio station. There was a bunch of bands there like Shadows Fall, Sick of it All, and I think Biohazard also played. And we were one of the bands earlier on in that day and someone from Roadrunner Records heard the hype about us and offered us a deal that day," Pina said.

Ill Niño is not only known for their Latin flare but also for having a rather large band. With six members, creativity is always flowing and there's never a dull moment.
"I don't see any disadvantages in having more members. It makes the music sound a lot fuller. For being six members we all get along really well. No one is a stranger in this band. The only advantage is you can replicate the studio stuff a lot easier live when you have your full band up there. Disadvantages would be just having another smelly person on the bus. Oh, and if we're playing on a small stage-trying to find some elbow room on stage," Pina laughed.

Ill Nino's "This Is War" was the first single released off of One Nation Underground. "Society is a loaded weapon. No one is exempt from the bullet within," are just some of the strong, constructive, and distinctive lyrics they display.
"I think it had more of a personal message than a political message. It all intertwines with what's happening today. But we wanted to come out of the gates fighting strong. You're always based on the first thing people hear. So we wanted something raw, fast and dirty," Pina said.

Roadrunner Records was the first label to grab onto Ill Niño and guide them towards success. However, with most labels there comes some form of restraints.

"I just wish that record companies would show a little bit more respect for creativity. I think record companies abuse it and take on trends and oversaturate the market with bands that aren't sincere. Their ultimate goal is to make money and I understand that. But respect that there is a creative purpose behind this. We are artists and we need to show our creativity and paint our own canvases. Labels will tell you what to paint and I think they should just back up. It's unfortunate but I guess this whole world is about money," Pina said. "By record companies doing so I think they ruin great moments in records and when you put limits and constraints on your artists, we don't get the full potential. That's a shame and I see that happening a lot. Our label has tried to influence us to go in a certain direction and it's bullshit. But at the same time you have to survive and you have to compromise."

Since their beginnings in 2000, Ill Niño has put out three albums and crushed air waves with their unique and fresh style by mixing Latin elements and intertwining Spanish and English vocals. They've captured a diverse group of fans and continue to grow as a band.

"You don't know what the future holds for anybody. I just hope that we can continue to put out records and continue touring and doing our thing. It's a tough business out here. I feel very fortunate to be able to make it to my third record, which is something I never imagined. I was happy to just get one [record]. We're going to continue writing music, being a band and getting music to you. We have a lot of plans for the coming year. We'll be headlining a two month tour in Europe; we'll also be in Australia and Japan, a South American tour, and an American headlining tour all in 2006. There's also a strong possibility of being on Ozzfest," Pina said.

With a busy year ahead, Ill Nino doesn't plan to leave anyone out and looks forward to doing what they love to do-perform.

"I just want to thank all our fans who have been with us since the beginning and the new ones who can recognize what this band is trying to express. We are truly appreciative from the bottom of our hearts for the continuing support," said Pina.

Ill Niño is:

Cristian Machado - Vocals
Dave Chavarri - Drums
Ahrue Luster - Guitars
Jardel Paisante - Guitars
Lazaro Pina - Bass
Danny Couto - Percussion

Ill Niño's latest album 'One Nation Underground' is now available at your local record store on Road Runner Records. For more band information visit illnino.com. To sample music visit: myspace.com/illnino. Visit the RoadRunner Records website.

Feature by Shannon Swanson - Copyright © 2006 - Florida Entertainment Scene - All Rights Reserved.