Spread Eagle - Spread Eagle (Album)
With the current trend of various late 80’s metal bands resurfacing, the time is ripe for NY based alternative metal band Spread Eagle to unleash their remastered, self titled 1990 debut album on the Australian public.
Listening to Spread Eagle will take you back to the hair day, when the true metal fan would summon the Gods and fall to their knees air guitaring, or like myself, rip into a screaming soprano in front of the mirror whilst pulling my best Axl Rose moves.
Being a metal enthusiast, this relaunch is a must for the library and will be for anyone who has an interest in this era’s music, when metal was king and bands such as Skid Row, Love/Hate, Tora Tora, Lillian Axe, Ratt and Slaughter were the diet at every metal nightclub throughout Sydney. Much of my induction to the late 80’s and early 90’s metal music took place on Thursday nights at “The Cobra Club” in Parramatta, Sydney. Each week the PA guy would blast a new release from the US, and I’d get a copy of his play list and would buy the CD’s. Spread Eagle was no exception.
Remastering from analogue is like a dream come true for old school bands. The clarity of the music is masterfully recognised on each track, maintaining the originality but enhancing the instruments so they just seem to “pop out”. Guitarist, Paul Di Bartolo, and his contribution to the song 'Dead of Winter' is an example of this. His opening technique to this song would have you thinking effects pedals to mimic wind and rain; however, after speaking to him recently he pointed out that the sound was in fact created using multi-tracking alone – genius!
Unlike the definition of falsetto - a forced, high pitch male voice - Ray West’s vox comes effortlessly; track after track is bellowed tastefully (even though I find his vocal ability superlative, I still believe it is embryonic.) Ray is definitely the archetypal front man for a metal band, and artistically speaking, I reckon there is a lot more to come from this guy with his range and vocal strengths.
Intense and highly sought after Bassist Rob De Luca is commander of his instrument. Rob has fine-tuned his technique to deliver superiority in every sense. Whether he plucks, slaps or picks (probably all 3), his note assembly is highly astute.
Tommi Gallo is the God of thunder, and his kit is his throne. Expect plenty of tom rolls, an executioner style of cymbal smashing, plenty of kick bass and a splash of snare and hi-hat. Tommy Gallo is clearly ahead of his time with his technique.
Spread Eagle’s reissue includes the classics 'Switchblade Serenade', 'Scratch like a cat', 'Broken City' and 'Through these eyes'.
Fingers crossed they visit our shores in the near future!
Lovember Records in association with Universal Music have reissued & remastered this classic CD and it can be purchased exclusively through their website at www.lovemberrecords.com
