It’s been a long strange trip for Spread Eagle! Coming onto the scene in 1990 with a killer debut album that was harder edged than many of their contemporaries, the band seemed to have all the makings in place to be the next big thing. But sadly, changing trends in the music world meant that their second album, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, was largely left in the dust despite its quality.
Fast forward over two decades later. Spread Eagle has reunited and been signed to Frontiers, a European record label that largely specializes in classic groups and the musicians who play in them. During the interim years, bassist Rob De Luca made a name for himself as the bassist for the likes of UFO and Sebastian Bach, proving himself one of the best four-stringers in the business. The current incarnation consists of original members Rob De Luca (who also produced the album) and vocalist Ray West. Since 2010, the band has featured Rob’s cousin Rik De Luca on drums, and guitarist Jommy Puledda has been with the group since 2022.
THE BRUTAL DIVINE is the first release from Spread Eagle since their first Frontiers release, which was 2019’s SUBWAY TO THE STARS. I will admit that I’m a relatively newcomer to the Spread Eagle bandwagon than some, having first discovered the band when Hair Nation on Sirius XM had “Switchblade Serenade” from the band’s debut as part of their regular rotation, and of course from researching what Rob De Luca was up to prior to his work with UFO and Sebastian Bach. How does the latest from the group fare?
I’m pleased to say that THE BRUTAL DIVINE is, well, both brutal and divine. I always appreciated how Spread Eagle was a band less glam and more down to earth than many of their peers from the era in which they originally debuted, and that’s well reflected in the band’s latest release as well. Ray West’s vocals throughout the record demonstrate beautifully what makes this guy one of the most underrated frontmen on the business. The band is hard and heavy throughout the album, but isn’t afraid to slow things down for the more melodic stuff as well as needed. Even the newest member of the Spread Eagle family, Jommy Puledda on guitar, gets more than a few chances to shine. It’s all topped off excellently by the Cousins De Luca, who make for the best rhythm section you could ask for. Most tracks on the album are superb Spread Eagle originals, but one of the true highlights is the band’s reimagining of UFO’s “Pushed to the Limit,” a tune from that band’s oft-forgotten Paul Chapman period.
THE BRUTAL DIVINE stands strong as one of 2026’s best hard rock releases, and it beautifully demonstrates that the boys from Spread Eagle aren’t down for the count just yet. If you’re a fan of classic hard rock, you won’t want to leave this one behind. Highly recommended!