Blood, Sweat and Beer... EP

Post-stoner rock quartet Dirty Rig have chosen a suitable title, Blood, Sweat and Beer Make America Strong, to describe the so-called "beer metal" contained in their 2003 debut. Sounding rather like a latter-day Corrosion of Conformity jamming with Clutch and Rob Zombie on vocals, the Long Island natives get off to a fairly inauspicious start with the unremarkable "Hitch Hiker," but gain strength with each successive track on this six-song mini-album. Starting with the far more memorable "GTO," which sees a keening, Ozzy Osbourne-inspired warble replacing the gruff, also Clutch-like, vocals heard thus far, one realizes that it's versatile Ed Sebastian who may truly be the group's secret weapon. As if to prove this assumption correct, he then assumes an appropriately whiney delivery to help pure hard rocker "Throw Down" strut just like Guns n' Roses. Next, Chas Banellis's dirt-encrusted guitar riffs propel the slow-grooving "Leather Boots," and yet another great hard rock single in "Alcohog." Finally, an over-the-top guitar solo on the closing "Two" finds Dirty Rig bordering on full-tilt metal mania — another sign that the band has a lot more going for them than initially apparent. A bonus DVD containing performances of three live tracks makes up somewhat for the mere six songs on hand.