SPREAD EAGLE
"The Brutal Divine" (Frontiers
New Recordings; 2026)
Reviewed by Snidermann
Spread Eagle's "The Brutal Divine" is one of the roughest, rawest records of the year. It's stripped-down hard rock that's so bare-bones that it often sounds closer to punk rock than heavy metal and that works just fine.
The guitar here is the album's real star. With hook-laden riffs, blistering leads and crushing chords, the fretwork stands out on each of the ten tracks here in a way that makes you sit up and take notice.
It's hard to pick a favorite track here, mostly because I lean toward the tracks with the most engaging leads (and that's most of them). But, if I had to choose, I'd go with "Gunflower," "Forbidden Lucky Honey" and the fast and furious "Inside a Shrunken Head," but that could change listen-to-listen.
The album closes with the poppiest number, "Make Believer," with its pleasing riff and its brighter sound (and another one of those killer leads) it's a nice way to go out.
It's been too long since I've listened to a Spread Eagle album so it's impossible for me to compare this album and, say, the self-titled album Snidermann reviews below. But I can tell you this much: There's a lot to like about "The Brutal Divine," and I, for one, am glad that Spread Eagle's still around.
For more information, check out https://spreadeagle.us/
"Spread
Eagle" (MCA; 1990)
Reviewed by Snidermann
When good music hits you, it's like getting kicked in the stomach. And, when that music is totally unexpected ... well, let me just say it is very hard to describe.
Whatever that feeling is, it hit me when I started listening to Spread Eagle's self-titled CD from 1990. I have never heard anything about the band but, man, what a big surprise it was to hear such a great band that I knew absolutely nothing about!
The music is clearly 80s style hair band but I don't mean that in a negative way. Instead, "Spread Eagle" has a Ratt or Motley Crue thing going on throughout the CD that rocked the house.
The music is simple and to the point and there are no fillers—just killer rock'n'roll. Spread Eagle is as good a hair band as I have ever heard and I have heard them all (or so I thought before this one).
For more information, check out https://spreadeagle.us/
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
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