Are you waiting for Ill Niño to finally release their IllMortals Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 records? So is everyone else, and it doesn't seem like they've ever coming (despite pre-orders having been taken).
The problems started in July 2024 when Ill Niño failed to deliver the first single from IllMortals Vol. 1, and failed to release the record on June 28. "Beast Inside" eventually surfaced but Vol. 1 did not. Then Ill Niño split with vocalist Marcos Leal in September 2024, played some shows with vocalist Tommy Vext as a live fill-in, and that was it. IllMortals Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 never came out.
So what the hell is going on? According to a very lengthy statement issued by Leal this morning, IllMortals Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 remain unmixed and unmastered. Leal said only he and now-former guitarist Marc Rizzo are the only two members to play on the records with some appearances by percussionist and backing vocalist Miggy Sanchez. Leal further notes there are "no 'production issues,'" no label issues, no guest spots from "well-known vocalists," and no reason either aren't finished.
Leal later mentions he doesn't believe either record will ever come out, and states quite frankly "this is a level of incompetence that I've never witnessed before." So yeah – don't hold your breath for IllMortals Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.
"Good morning guys! Remember this record ?" wrote Leal on his Facebook. "I'm coming on this morning to give alittle update on it since it's been completely left unmentioned and unfinished. Upon my departure from the band I entered into an agreement stating that this record would be released in December 2024, that time has came and went, another missed release date to go along with the countless other release dates that have been missed stemming back to 2022.
"As it sits right now the record is still unmixed and unmastered, still lacking critical contributions from the 'OG' members who just never played on it Not one other member apart of the current I.N line up plays on this record. Just me, Marc Rizzo and our producer, honorable mention to Miggy who sang on a few songs with me that were removed from the record.
"There are no 'production issues', there are no issues with any kind of label or anything of the sort, as the band is independent and run by one person who is also in the band. No other 'well known vocalists' recording vocals on any of the songs that me and our producer wrote for the band. There is no reason for the record to be sitting there untouched while people paid pre order money and have been waiting for it.
"My personal opinion… it likely will never come out with all the scrutiny and empty promises that have come with it, now I'm out of the equation what purpose does the record really serve? You won't ever hear these songs live, there will be no more music videos or any kind of true support behind them, it glorifies people that have nothing to do with the band anymore and i know that is something that just won't fly with the people that are still involved.
"I've seen things said by 'the bands manager' that people should know their place and not push back against things because it's not their band or their place to go against any things they see that are wrong, that we should just be thankful for our position. Well for the record, this is what I was pushing back against, this is what I put my foot down over, being the face for the lie I wanted nothing to do with, i just wanted things done properly and the fans to get what they paid for, plain and simple.
"I was tasked to front the band during a really turbulent time, replacing an iconic vocalist who I grew up idolizing, and to write music for the band that I loved to the core, that was in desperate need of a rebrand and reboot. I did just that, went 5 years writing and performing never taking a sick day, never missing a show, never quit the band just cause I got covid, never gave up on the band cause I lost important people in my life, toured my ass off sacrificing 9 months out of my fathers final 11 when he was diagonased with Cancer, stepped on stage 3 days after burying my dad, In the end none of it mattered towards the cause I was fighting for, and It doesn't matter how many tik toc videos [Ill Niño guitarist Jes De Hoyos] makes telling you something different or who members are or aren't, he was not invested in to do what I did for the band, he doesn't play one riff on this record so really his voice on the matter is irrelevant and the saddest part is this situation cost friendships of over 15 years over straight up lies and incompetence, but that's neither here or there anymore, this record still sits untouched and if it ever does come out it will just be thrown up without any kind of promotion or any of the things that were promised to the fans or the band members and producers who worked their ass off on it and believe in it.
"This is a level of incompetence that I've never witnessed before and I can honestly say my life is much better without the stress or struggle of trying to cover up the fact that it was anything else than a big fuck up! I hope the fans get what they deserve and what they paid for but knowing what I know, it will likely never happen … Who knows maybe it will just get leaked one day!
"Sorry for the long rant this am but it was really bugging me people still blowing up my inbox asking me questions about it and why the band page just blocked them for asking a question about it, while it just goes completely unmentioned by the band Since I'm a main song writer of this record, I felt it's appropriate,and my place to say the truth about it!
"Thanks for the love and support through this mess, this will be the last time I ever speak about this matter or anything regarding this band, It's a chapter of my life I am happy to close and walk away from completely. Look forward to giving you guys a New Swim the Current record, and a new Shattered Sun EP as well as our 10 year anniversary of our first record Hope Within Hatred You will most likely see those records before you ever see this one!
"Much Love and Respect, Marcos!"
