Mixerr Album Reviews #2,236

Ill Camino - Test Drive was an EP used to promote their upcoming full-length self-titled album that would be released in 2004. Test Drive featured 3 songs from their upcoming full-length self-titled album. The Austin Music Award-winning Ill Camino released their first EP on the local heavy hitters label Vallejo Music Group (VMG) in 2002 on CD format. There is no cassette edition for this album. All albums on the Vallejo Music Group were issued on CD format and digital download.

Ill Camino stood the test of time with this particular EP. This EP has aged well and could sell if released today. Angel Ferrer’s style of bass playing has got heads bobbin’ and shaking to an infectious groove. Angel can go from a silky falsetto to a rough rock-n-roll scream in an unexpected split-second. One song that stood out the most was Levantate. Levantate was the one Spanish song on the album that stood out due to Angel’s silky falsetto on a tough rock-n-roll track. One word to describe this EP is eclectic. The hard rock driven Tell Me was another song that stood out due to the lively loudness. Ill Camino was lingering towards a hard rock sound during this time.

The Ill Camino band was named one of the Best New Austin Bands in the Austin Chronicle Music Poll 2002 in the Austin Chronicle. Ill Camino was also nominated for The Austin Chronicle Top 10 best Austin bands. This caused Ill Camino to garner a minor buzz in Austin, Texas for 2 short years before disbanding. Now Ill Camino was one of those bands that could have been a bigger name lingering towards international stardom but never got the chance to due to internal conflicts within the band and inexperience of the music business.


Levantate was the one Spanish song on the album that stood out due to Angel’s silky falsetto on a tough rock-n-roll track. Angel gets highly emotional on this song. The song has a killer bass guitar solo at the 2:18 mark in the song.

Tell Me has that hard rock driven Vallejo vibe. In fact this song is similar to a Vallejo song. That is no coincidence as this song was recorded at VMG Studios in Austin, Texas. The lively loudness is what makes this song stand out. The song is about wanting and needing that person you admire so much. You want that person to tell you things.


There were many factors as to why Ill Camino broke up and why the band did not get their limelight into international stardom.

What led the band to split up and spiral into decline was Anger Ferrer’s younger brother, Albert Ferrer, leaving the band. He did not like where the band was going musically. Albert wanted to go in a different musical direction.

The stress of working jobs and taking care of their families took a toll on band members of Ill Camino. All of them were working so hard in the band. It was lot of stress of course.

Despite having everything in professional management such as a lawyer and booking agent, the members of Ill Camino were inexperienced about how the music business worked. They were inexperienced about the business aspect of music. Them not paying attention to that is what also led to the breakup of Ill Camino.
 
I rate this EP 5/5*****!