The Evil Inside (Deluxe Edition)
Global Music Ltd./Demolition Records
Outside the release of the fan only E.P. release ‘Under The Skin’ (Which was an acoustic collection of old favourites, a new song and a cover), it’s been a long three years since Gibraltar/U.K. based outfit Breed 77 last released something new studio wise for fans to devour. But after what seemed like an eternity, the five piece flamenco flavoured/alternative outfit has finally released their long awaited follow-up to 2009’s ‘Insects’ with ‘The Evil Inside’.
On their sixth full-length release, Breed 77 (Who comprise of lead vocalist Paul Isola, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Danny Felice, rhythm guitarist/backing vocalist Pedro Caparros López, bassist Stuart Cavilla and drummer/percussionist Andre Joyzi) have once again moved on and evolved in the musical sense, and once again delivered an album that stands apart from anything the band has released in the past.
The album is opened up with ‘Drown’, which was unofficially the first single from the album after being made available for free download for fans late last year. The song is a heavy mid-paced opener that showcases a simpler and more straightforward-like song writing style for the band, with the group’s trademark Latin influences taking a backseat to heavier guitar riffs and upfront melodic choruses. Despite the band’s direct song writing approach, Isola’s strong vocal melodies and catchy choruses give the song its distinct character, and help get the album off to a solid start.
The follow-up track ‘Broken Pieces’ is classic Breed 77 with its subtle Latin influenced acoustic guitar work behind the traditional heavy riffs, Felice’s standout lead work and Isola’s dual vocal approach, while ‘Fear’
seems to blend elements of the new and the old sounds, which means that it’s a little catchier and simpler in terms of song writing from the band, but still with enough Latin influences to please long time fans of the band.
In terms of the new, the mid-paced ‘Looking For Myself’ is a definite favourite, as too is the fast paced and decidedly more metallic sounding ‘2Face’. But what worked on these two former tracks doesn’t necessarily work for all of the tracks in the same vein, with the flamenco tinged slow burner ‘Low’ (Which originally debuted in acoustic form on ‘Under The Skin’), the plodding title track ‘The Evil Inside’, the unremarkable ‘Higher’ and the somewhat bland ‘Burn City Burn’ coming across as good, but hardly what you would call the strongest of songs Breed 77 are capable of delivering.
On a more positive note, ‘Bring On The Rain’ (Which is officially the first single from the album) is bolstered with some great backing vocals, which turns what could have been an ordinary track into a full-blown anthem, while the introspective and moody ‘Motionless’ is a mix of traditional Latin acoustic work, subtle orchestration and straight out classic rock/metal, and provides the album with an epic closer that rivals fellow fan favourite ‘The River’ (From 2004’s ‘Cultura’).
In terms of bonus tracks for the deluxe version of ‘The Evil Inside’, the extras are a bit like the album itself in terms of being a bit hit and miss. The band’s cover of Alice Cooper’s ‘Poison’ (From 1989’s ‘Trash’) is lacklustre at best, and seems devoid of any real spark. The bonus studio track ‘The Fallen’ does fare a little better, but hardly the kind of track that many would consider Breed 77’s best.
The closing two tracks, ‘Ceigo’ (From 2007’s ‘Un Encuentro’) and ‘The Battle Of Hatin’ (From 2009’s ‘Insects’), are live recordings from the band’s 2010 tour of Madrid (Spain), which are solid representations of what the band sound like on stage. Perhaps they’re a little thin sounding, and raw in places, but worthy additions nonetheless.
Overall, ‘The Evil Inside’ showcases a different side to Breed 77’s unique sound. And while not everything on the album works, there’s more than enough here to keep diehard fans pleased.
For more information on Breed 77, check out - http://www.breed77.com/
© Justin Donnelly
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