It’s been 25 years since The Dwarves first shat out their ‘Horror Stories’ album so by now you would have thought they were all grown up! Not a chance, they are still as disrespectful as ever, grown men maybe and getting on so they are heading towards dirty old men but these are the sort who don’t bother flashing their raincoats but prefer to let things all hang out as you will see on the accompanying DVD in far too much detail. But first let’s get to the album. The group’s history has been quite intense and volatile as you will know if you have followed their antics. They almost had it all, signed to Sub Pop and hob-nobbing with grunge superstars when a press release stating that naked guitarist HeWhoCannotBeNamed had been stabbed to death backfired and the label dropped them. This trick never really did Kvarforth and Shining any harm but obviously some labels just don’t see the funny side even if the had coped with everything from on stage mutilation, fights with the audience and 5 minute gigs and all manner of naked dwarf antics from the group. Break ups and reformations occurred with long gaps between studio albums, in fact their last one ‘The Dwarves Must Die’ was out in 2005 so it has been a six year gap leading up to this new one and fans have no doubt been getting restless.
It is quick to digest the new album, ‘The Dwarves Are Born Again’ is just as irreverent as past releases, right down to that cover which will jump off the shelves of any store not censoring it in a plain cover. Musically it is fast and full on as the band romp through 18 tracks in just over half an hour. It is a versatile listen though, littered with jokes and answer phone messages (as you would expect) and different sorts of musical punkoramas many of which the group helped spearhead. ‘The Dwarves Are Still The Best Band Ever’ is balls deep in sluts and bigging it up (pun intended) as it pogos up and down and jumps all over you like a midget on a trampoline. It’s the higher adrenaline hardcore style of numbers like ‘Stop Me’ that has me jumping around and looking for a speaker stack to dive off though; this is the sound of a pit punch up, short and abrasive. Other songs are more pop punk (yeah I hate the style) but The Dwarves can get away with it as they taught many of their peers how to do it in the first place. The gang shouts of ‘You’ll Never Take Us Alive’ sound like they should be driving the song along as the accompaniment to a bloody heist in a movie and ‘Bang Up’ has a bit of a garage rock flavour which really hits the mark. ‘We Only Came To Get High’ reminds of groups like The Stupids, DRI and MOD and is a youthful anthem and a half whereas ‘I Masturbate Me’ can only be one thing, sleazy; although there’s a touch (ooh err) of Black Flag about it.
There’s very little fat on these Dwarves and it would take a long piece of rope for them to hang themselves. The resurrection of an old number re-titled ‘Happy Birthday Suicide’ is clean and pop laden and one of the most cheerful songs about taking your life that you are likely to encounter. The anti-hits keep coming think and fast and there are many new favourites to be found here; even if laughing at the lyrics to ‘Your Girl’s Mum’ makes one snigger somewhat immaturely.
If you feel slightly short changed by the running time of the album fear not, as the DVD is absolutely crammed with all sorts of footage. You get all the group’s videos right back to the horror punk of the early stuff. You get to see singer Blag Dahlia go through all sorts of hair styles from the archive footage to the new material and see the band perform at little record shops to big stages. There is always an air of chaos and you never know what to expect, one amusing section is the recording of various fights and bloody encounters between band and fans. Guitars are broken over heads, microphones swung to clatter on bald bonces and drums and cymbals flung out with wild abandon. Naturally it’s all done in the worst possible taste and will keep you occupied for ages. All in all there is nothing here that any self-respecting Dwarves fan (ahem) won’t love.
Damn I meant to write a short review!
http://www.thedwarves.com
Pete Woods
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