SPREAD EAGLE – Spread Eagle [Digitally Remastered] HQ *0dayrox Exclusive*

As requested, here’s SPREAD EAGLE 1990’s self-titled debut album, in its remastered version released by Lovember Records in association with Universal Music, now out of print.
A cult classic from the very early Nineties US melodic hard rock scene, all songs on ”Spread Eagle” are honest, driving, kicking hooky tunes from the genre, sporting the ‘big production’ sound from the era. Songwriting is intense, plenty of variation.
Songs like “Switchblade Serenade”, “Scratch Like A Cat”, “Broken City” and “Thru These Eyes” received considerable airplay and MTV rotation, leading to SPREAD EAGLE touring with established acts.
This is a punchy, bright remaster elevating the production quality even more.

For those who may just be embracing good hard rock as it was, SPREAD EAGLE plays it loud and nasty New York style. The band have a revitalized album with the remaster that sounds really good. The thing that stands out for me with this version is the clarity. I am hearing things for the first time that I am sure were probably there on the first go around. The album also sounds a bit more balanced overall with everything getting equal attention.
The guitars are dropped a little and the drums come out a bit more. It all sounds good and gives the album a nice updated sound that fits today’s standards.

While only utilizing one guitarist, their sound is immense, and it makes you think there has to be two axemen going on. Dokken was a band who could fill a venue with their mammoth sound using only one guitarist (cuz George Lynch is a legend), and Spread Eagle’s music isn’t all that far behind.
If you had to pinpoint their sound, it’d be like a cross between Skid Row and Love/Hate.

”Spread Eagle” begins with ‘Broken City’, a song with a Billy Squire-ish opening riff. When Ray West opens his maw to sing, you are in for a treat. This guy can wail, howl, sing and scream with the best of them.
‘Broken City’ is different kind of song, one that doesn’t get into the opening verse until 1:20 into the track. West just snarls the pre-chorus as he screams, ‘People call this living Hell … I call this Broken City home!” While the riffs are somewhat brutal and heavy, the solo is oddly melodic, in a good way.
You may remember their biggest hit, ‘Switchblade Serenade’. It was a great song back in 1990, and still is today. It begins with a somewhat ominous and bluesy rhythm passage, and the guitar cuts with in West singing the chorus as the opening lines of the track.
‘Suzy Suicide’ has great attitude as does ‘Scratch Like a Cat’. Then ‘Thru These Eyes’ gives a bit of balance to the album.

All in all this is a great debut and has an appeal in my opinion to be accessible to a younger crowd as it was quite a few years ago. Sounds great back then and even better now!
It has a lot of grit and attitude akin Skid Row / Sebastian Bach and really was one of the better releases back in its day. It showcases the band’s true nature as musicians.
”Spread Eagle” could do well in today’s market with its updated sound. If you haven’t checked this one out, it’s a flash from the past that holds up very, very well today.
Great classic US hard rock record.

Only at 0dayrox

01 – Broken City
02 – Back On The Bitch
03 – Switchblade Serenade
04 – Hot Sex
05 – Suzy Suicide
06 – Dead Of Winter
07 – Scratch Like A Cat
08 – Thru These Eyes
09 – Spread Eagle
10 – 42nd Street
11 – Shotgun Kiss

Ray West – vocals
Paul DiBartolo – guitar, backing vocals
Rob DeLuca – bass, backing vocals
Tommi Gallo – drums

Try here:
www.amazon.com/Spread-Eagle-Reissue/dp/B000KP63G0