

The lead single, "How Can I Live", was their first single to break into the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 37 in the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 27,863. Confession was recorded in mid-2003 and released on September 30, 2003. In early 2003, just before Ill Niño was set to record the follow-up, the band parted ways with guitarist Marc Rizzo and percussionist Roger Vasquez. 28 in the Billboard 200 and went on to sell over 350,000 albums worldwide in the first two years after release. On September 18, 2001, Ill Niño released their debut album, Revolution Revolución. Subsequently, the band was signed by Roadrunner Records. They received exposure via the New York metal college radio station WSOU and opened for bands like Kittie, Soulfly and Snapcase. In this formation, the band's first release was a self-titled EP in 2000.


After two months on tour, Chavarri decided to reform his old band, now with Machado on lead vocals and joined by guitarists Marc Rizzo and Jardel Paisante, bassist Lazaro Pina and Roger Vasquez on additional percussions. However, just a month later, the band was put on hold due to Chavarri taking over Roy Mayorga's duties in Soulfly on the Bring Da Shit Tour. By this time, the band had already renamed to Ill Niño. Sykes also appears on the compilation album Métalo, released by Grita! Records in June 1999. Among them were future fulltime member Marc Rizzo, Scott Roberts of Biohazard and Derek Sykes of Demolition Hammer. Gomez left the band soon after the EP's release, with a variety of guitarists filling in his spot. With this line-up, the band released a self-titled EP. He enlisted Merauder vocalist Jorge Rosado, guitarist Daniel Gomez and bassist Christian Machado and took on the position of drummer and percussionist himself. Ill Niño was formed as El Niño by former Pro-Pain drummer David "Dave" Chavarri in May 1998.
