The Dwarves as an American punk rock band originally formed in Chicago, USA and now based in California. Its members began playing together in the 1980s but it’s taken until now for them to hit our radar. Very much at the bleeding edge of taste, the band have just released their latest LP, a twenty track collection called CONCEPT ALBUM.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by Julia Lofstrand
As far as punk rock is concerned, The Dwarves have seen it all. Early live sets became notorious for sex, drugs and violence and even as recently as the ’00s they were getting assaulted by Josh Homme. Their 2004 LP The Dwarves Must Die featured The Offspring’s Dexter Holland, Queens of the Stone Age’s Nick Oliveri and Urge Overkill’s Nash Kato. Through all the antics, they never compromised on the music and CONCEPT ALBUM is a belter.
Its twenty tracks range from 30 second screamers to three minute odysseys, starting with BLAST ON which introduces the record with a discordant countdown before FEELING GREAT gives us some vibrant jangly punk pop. VOODOO takes things in a more hardcore direction with quickfire, relentless rock.
TERRORIST OF LOVE keeps things lively and gives us some close to the bone storytelling. AGES AGO gives us some looping hardcore before DEAD TO ME brightens things a little with its macabre surf rock.
DO IT ALL THE TIME brings with it dirty riffs and spoken word vocals. NOBODY AND ME softens things with an anthemic indie rock detour before EVERYBODY SQUIRTS subverts romance with some quickfire filth. KILL OR BE KILLED sits at the heart of the album with some no-holds-barred pop punk.
Single ROXETTE gives us a upbeat dance highlight. YOU LOSE WE WIN is enflamed and defiant. PARASITE is a swinging sigh of a track. COME UNGLUED unravels at breakneck speed. WE WILL DARE, featuring Madd Lucas, is a soaring, juddering love ballad that proves to be another highlight.
LEAN opens with some doom-laden sludge before playing with tempo. AIN’T PLAYIN’ is bright and rebellious. SIXTEEN is fiery and bombastic. STABBED MY DAD is pacey and psychopathic before ALL FOR YOU closes the album with a firecracker. Its big riffs and punchy percussion makes it a final highlight.
You can check out CONCEPT ALBUM below.
