“This music has cost us in blood. And this music is in our blood. En Mi Sangre...” says singer Paul Isola. Therein lies the essence of Breed 77, a London band from Gibraltar and a group of strangers in a strange land. Musically, that is.
“Back home we'd be out on a beach under the stars,” adds guitarist Danny Felice. “You've got regular Joes playing guitar or harmonica, just joining in, competing with each other. Everyone plays something. That's Gibraltar.”
For the last 6 years, Breed 77 have been on a mission to translate that musical culture into the world of rock and metal. Be it via the flamenco-trained finger-gymnastics of Spanish-born six-stringer Pedro Caparros or Isola's own soulful, banshee wail, Breed 77 have never been easy to classify. And while their reputation for ferocious, metal-clad live shows has only gotten stronger, they'll freely admit that they've never quite broken through.
“Name a British band that's made it in the last 6 years and we've probably supported them at some stage,” says Isola. “This has been slow, but no one can say 'oh Breed 77 sounds like...'. Sounds like what? You want to fill up a whole magazine?
Cue the entry of master producer Ron St. Germain (Tool, Soundgarden, Bad Brains). Floated a copy of 2004's 'Cultura' album – which shifted a shopping 22,000 units in its first 8 months, the studio veteran was instantly hooked.
“The same thing that attracted me to these guys was the same thing that attracted me to Bad Brains,” he says. “It's like 'holy shit'. It's the mix of styles. It's a microcosm of what's happening to humanity.
Music is the one true international language. Money is usually what it comes down to. There's a lot of pay to play these days, so it isn't easy for any band to make it, but these guys really should.”
But 'En Mi Sangre', Breed 77's third studio album, was not an easy ride. Aside from Germain's reputation as a perfectionist, he insists on analog recording, just like every great from Led Zeppelin to Iron Maiden – Breed's confessed idols. But recording live is something that Felice admits “makes you really believe more in your ability. I can boast about it because we really had to push ourselves.”
But 'En Mi Sangre' is about far more than keeping it real in the studio. From the venom-spitting wrath of 'The Game' to the blood-chugging, guitars-blazing metal dynamics of 'Alive', this is the album Breed 77 were born to make. With orchestral backings, children's choruses, and some of the most progressive sounds to come out of Breed 77 since their inception, 'En Mi Sangre' is a masterwork of production and a piece of music brimming with ambition and the kind of experience today's one-hit wonders simply can't fake. “This is a brave album,” says Isola. “We're finally doing what we've always wanted to do. We're bringing a sense of adventure to music instead of putting out a no-brainer record. We're making music that we want to last forever.”
