7

Generic album alert

Sometimes with music you need the right kind of atmosphere, the right kind of vibe before you can really enjoy it. Initially with Breed77's new release The Evil Inside it felt like that needed to be the case. I tried listening to it on my daily commute, tried it chilling with a beer, tried it amongst mates, I even tried listening to it whilst on the toilet, but not once did I feel anything clicked. On the whole this is just a very average album and nowhere near the quality of earlier material.

The opening two tracks, Drown and Broken Pieces are actually pretty good. These two songs personify the intriguingly great combination between alternative metal with a Flamenco flavour which the band is predominantly known for. Heavy chugging riffs and groove-laden sections are the name of the game here, but beyond these two tracks the album just feels like it drags. Each song just feels so samey. The vocals, whilst at the start felt good and unique begin to actually get on your nerves a bit and just cause you to totally zone out. Out of nowhere though the track 2Face unleashes to smack you in the teeth, and thank God it did otherwise I'd have fallen asleep every time. It's not terrible music; it's all just very safe. It feels so generic at times you wonder whether the band really put a lot of thought and time into it. And if it feels like the band didn't really care then why should the listener? Probably quite a harsh judgment, but it's just disappointing when bands like this end up just churning out albums without really pushing themselves in any way. Admittedly, many would suggest that Breed77 come into their own in the live arena, and the tracks mentioned would go down a storm in any live set.