by Ed RivadaviaSpread Eagle simply arrived at the party too late. By the time the New Yorkers hit the scene in the early 90s with their metallic hard rock, the jig was pretty much up for all manner of hair metal -- even above average quality material like theirs. Signing to MCA didn't help matters either, and after watching their competent debut vanish without a trace, they could only pray that its follow-up, Open to the Public, would not suffer the same fate. Sadly, it did just that. In all honesty, Spread Eagle weren't very adept at composing radio-friendly singles, and, at their best, tracks like "Devil's Road" and "Preacher Man" feature gloomy melodies and darker strains which most stations would probably have passed on anyway. But for fans of the grittier side of '80s metal (Badlands, Lynch Mob), Spread Eagle may just be ticket.