Horses and Hawgs

In the very early '90s — before alternative rock became mainstream in 1992 and 1993, thanks to Nirvana and Pearl Jam — the studios of Los Angeles were full of aspiring pop-metal and hair bands who hoped to be the next Poison or the next Warrant. If an L.A.-based studio was headbanger-friendly, it could safely assume that its clients owned a lot of hairspray. But Dillinger wasn't typical of long-haired bands who recorded in L.A. in 1991. Although Horses & Hawgs was recorded in 1991, Dillinger's sound is more '70s than '80s or early '90s. Instead of sounding like Poison meets Warrant meets Winger, this bluesy, gritty hard rock/arena rock effort sounds more like Bad Company and Free meet early Aerosmith, with a hint of Lynyrd Skynyrd. In fact, one of the tracks is a likable cover of Skynyrd's "Whiskey Rock-a-Roller." But original material dominates the CD, which is characterized by its gritty, earthy outlook. Tracks like "The Bad One" and "Home for Better Days" indicate that the members of Dillinger (who shouldn't be confused with the reggae artist) have spent a lot of time listening to '70s rockers; at times, Horses & Hawgs sounds like an eight-track tape that is stuck in the body of a CD. Unfortunately for Dillinger, Horses & Hawgs turned out to be one of 1991's overlooked releases. But that doesn't mean that the CD isn't enjoyable. While Horses & Hawgs falls short of exceptional, it is a generally decent and satisfying (if derivative) disc that deserved more attention than it received.