Metal Flamenco Medley Of Fun
There are few bands that'd have the nerve to do and more to the point there are few bands who would actually do it well. Steps forward then Breed 77, a band that it would appear aren't like your average complacent metal band, willing to fit in and merrily comply with the metal guidebook. You see the thing is there is almost this unwritten rule that for a song to find a place in the hearts of the public it must be sung in plain straightforward English, a rule that isn't only confined to metal but indeed covers virtually every music genre. So, what better way to break the rules than release an entire album of songs sung in Spanish? In short it could be a disaster waiting to happen, that is if you're any band except Breed 77. For probably the first time fans of the Gibraltar born rockers have got the opportunity to hear how the band sound naturally, to hear them singing songs from their first three albums in their native tongue adding a refreshing element to each track and making them unbelievably more exhilarating than first time round.
From the instant 'Petroleo' gets things under way it is clear that Un Encuentro is an album that is going to demand your full attention and whilst you may not understand a single word Breed 77 are invigorously singing, the power and the force of the band still resides in every note and every line. With crashing drum beats, riffs that wail and scream combined with bass lines that rhythmically pound their way into your subconscious, Un Encuentro brilliantly couples the band's greatest tracks with the ease of their mother tongue, breathing new life into the tracks and still retaining the charm and full bodied exhilaration of the originals. On top of this the Gibraltar band manage to do the unthinkable and actually mix metal with Spanish flamenco, a task that on paper sounds utterly ridiculous but somehow effortlessly transcends into each track adding a air of authenticity to the Spanish laced album. Meanwhile it is left to 'La Ultria Hora' to break the metal constraints once more with the grace blending of the band's metal roots with tranquillity of an acoustic track, once more proving that the unthinkable can be achieved and what's more can be done well.
For fans of Breed 77 Un Encuentro may initially sound like a mere rehash of old tracks – think again. Sure, there may not essentially be any new material here but Un Encuentro is far from being a reissue of old material. True, the initial idea of an entire album in Spanish may seem slightly daunting to non-Spanish speakers but ultimately Breed 77's music transcends the language barrier, instead providing a rousing slice of metal brimming with exhilarating tracks that provide both heart thundering riffs with inspirational grace and whilst the majority of acts feel the need to follow the herd, thankfully Breed 77 have managed to carve out their own path for metal finds to follow and embrace.