To give a bit of context for this review, Spread Eagle's self-titled debut was originally released in 1990 (on MCA). This disc is a solid slab of rumbling gutter metal with all the kick of a Skid Row or Gun N' Roses disc but, unfortunately, both the disc and the band got "lost" due to lack of label support and the rise of grunge. The disc was out of print for years until Lovember Records remastered and reissued the disc in 2006 and MVD just signed on as a distributor.

This disc kicks off with the track "Broken City" which is the sound of a band climbing out of the war-zone of early 90's Alphabet City and follows this with the politically incorrect stomper "Back on the Bitch". There isn't a bad track on the disc but the standout tracks are "Switchblade Serenade" and "Scratch Like A Cat", both of which could have had the same radio impact as any of the Gunners or Skid Row hits if they had come out just a few years earlier. Most of the tracks are driving, hard-rock numbers but the band slows down on "Thru These Eyes", which is the disc's only ballad. Slow doesn't mean bad though as Ray's raw vocals and some shredding leads from guitarist Paul DiBartolo keep this track from succumbing to the excesses of 80's hair metal. In an interview a few years ago, Ray described this disc as being recorded on "sheer, sheer anger… and alcohol. "





Ray and Rob started playing a limited number of one-off reunion shows starting in 2006 (Tommi Gallo seems to have fallen off the Earth and Paul DiBartolo (who changed his name to Salvadore Poe) moved into scoring films and documentaries) and seem to have gotten a bit more active this year with the addition of guitarist Dennis Kimak and drummer Rik DeLuca.

Tour Dates:
Oct. 22 - Ray West/All Points West @ Queens Library, Flushing, NY ("Blood Fest 2011")
Nov. 18 - Spread Eagle @ KC Hall, Sanford, ME
Nov. 19 - Spread Eagle @ Voices Rock Club, Lowell, MA
Dec. 10 - Spread Eagle @ Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ (w/ Kix)

Links:
Spread Eagle
Ray West