Solar Eagle (obscure US-styled power/prog/speed metal)

FINALLY! After some four years of searching on the internet and browsing through trade lists, I finally found a great rip of Solar Eagle's one and only demo, Charter to Nowhere, on the world wide interwebs. This, my friends, is by far one of the most skullcrushing demos I have ever heard. Their rare as hell 12" EP (which sells upwards of 500 USD most of the time) was already great, but this is even better. The sound is of LP quality, and sounds better than a lot of those early American metal LPs if you ask me.

Musically, these guys are kinda like the bastard child of early Queensrÿche and old Agent Steel, featuring an uptempo melodic and progressive sound, with a vocalist that's somewhere in between Geoff Tate, John Cyriis, and Midnight. They also kinda remind me of a more progressive and slightly rawer version of early Crimson Glory. It's unfortunate that these guys never recorded a full length album. If I had the money I'd release the demo and the 12" EP on CD, but alas!

I don't know if the mods are okay with me posting the link to download this in this topic (ult? Kmorg?), so if you want it you can PM me. If you love old fashioned US power metal as much as I do, you're definitely gonna dig this.

Since this is a demo, and long oop to boot I'll allow you to put a link here. Besides, I WANNA HEAR IT!

Alrighty, there ya go:

http://www.mediafire.com/?y43kgv4e1zz

The mediafire password is strappado. If you give me a while I'll get you a link to the 12" EP as well.

And here's the EP:

http://rapidshare.com/files/71175859/SOLAR_EAGLE_-_Solar_Eagle_EP__Can_-_1988_.rar

Enjoy!

Agent Steel, Queensryche and Crimson Glory comparisons? Sounds like my kinda meat.... shall give it a whirl and see what methinks...thanx!

So any opinions?

Sounds OK but not wonderful to me.

Dave the Boss wrote:

So any opinions?

Haven't had time to listen to it today, as the kids are running rampant thru the house in a post-holiday, chocolate fueled mania. Hope to get to it in the next day or two

Temple of Blood wrote:

Sounds OK but not wonderful to me.

Really? I can't imagine anyone not loving scorchers like See and Chains of Gold, but oh well, to each their own!

Gave this a first spin today, Boss... musically they're pretty damn good but WOW, that vocalist is the textbook definition of "acquired taste." He's obviously going for the Tate/Cyriis thing but IMO he couldn't hold either of those guys' jockstraps.

Will give 'em a few more plays and see if it grows on me any.

Wow, the voice is pure Cyriis worship! The overall quality is of course nowhere near as good as the bands they set out to mimic. But as an obscure discovery, this works just fine.

I dunno, I got bored with most of the well known bands quite a while ago, so I'm always insterested in hearing obscure stuff, and Charter to Nowhere is definitely among the best US metal demos I've ever heard. Maybe it doesn't reach the greatness of Ample Destruction or The Spectre Within, but it's a lot better than a lot of well known albums imo.

I agree that a lot of big names and popular albums are way overrated and there are many great lost treasures if you look around.

Thanks for the links Dave, you rule man. I'll give my thoughts in a bit.

You're welcome man!

Listened to both again today, the music rules and the vocalist grew on me...haha. Even played both for my dad and he dug too. It took a few listens to actually "get" it, but not bad hunks of metal.

Hahaha, your dad rules!

Dave the Boss wrote:

Hahaha, your dad rules!

Yeah, he digs most of the stuff I listen to. Ultimatum is his favorate I think.