LIVE REVIEW: Ill Nino - Rebellion, Manchester 11th September 2024

It was a few years ago when I was recommended to see Ill Nino at Bloodstock. I am that I went along and witnessed the Latin metalheads at full throttle. 

Tonight, I get to see the band on their 25th anniversary tour. The lead singer is not with the band and is replaced by Bad Wolves / Five Finger Death Punch member Tommy Vext. The sound of Santana’s Maria Maria blasts out whilst the band hits the stage, to be swiftly replaced by the brutal opening bars of If You Still Hate Me. 

The rhythms of drummer Dave Chavarri and percussion of Daniel Coute give the band their unique sound. Guitarists Jes De Hoyos and Sal Dominguez provide the metal edge, whilst Lazaro Pinas bass fills in the gaps. Vext bounces around the stage; he is a colossal unit of a man and for me gives the hardcore punk element to the band which I really like. This comes across on harder songs like I am Loco and This Is War. His vocals are still tuneful enough to cope with the lighter EMO style songs, like singles This Time’s for Real and What Comes Around. They still feel relevant, and the crowd knows every word, much to the delight of those on stage.

After an amazing percussion interlude from Chavarri and Coute, the band launch into the semi-acoustic With You. The song draws out the emotions of the crowd as they all sing along at the top of their lungs. Vext then introduces the band and lets rip with his famous version of Zombie, originally by The Cranberries. This version, however, is much heavier and takes on a different, more relevant feel to today’s world. The set continues with some heavier tracks, I Hate You being of my favourites from the set. 

They then go into a medley of their favourite rock songs including Pantera’s Walk and Slayer’s Angel of Death amongst others ending with One Step Closer (originally by Linkin Park). The set concludes with crowd favourites Unreal and How Can I Live. The crowd goes nuts for a final time.

As the band do their now obligatory end of set photo, those walking away are dripping with sweat but grinning from ear to ear. A great set by a very underrated band. Personally, I think that Tommy Vext improved the band with a more brutal, hardcore edge, although one suspects the fans would rather usual vocalist Marcos Leal was at the helm to bring a more EMO feel to a lot of the songs. For me, both are great frontmen and I’m more than happy to see either next time I see them (hopefully at the Nu Metal festival in Mexico City).

Review and photos by John Caffrey