The Dwarves

It's been many moons since we've heard from punk rock upstarts the Dwarves. Having called it a day with their recorded material (the band kept playing live) circa 2004, when the aptly titled The Dwarves Must Die completely missed their usual high watermark, it seemed as if they truly were put out to pasture. Apparently there's still more life left in this sex-, drugs- and rock'n'roll-fuelled corpse, as vocalist Blag "the Ripper" Dahlia and guitarist Hewhocannotbenamed pull a string of tunes together, nab virtually every Dwarf from their quarter-century existence and hammer out one of their best works. The Dwarves Are Born Again finds the misfit marauders crafting a complete experience by delving back into the hotspots of their "classic" sounds. Everything from the expedient hardcore tenacity of "Stop Me," a tune harkening back to the aggression of "River City Rapist," through to "Happy Birthday Suicide" and its poppy "Everybody's Girl" atmosphere ensure the album hits each crucial aspect of this dangerous band's legacy while still offering new twists. At that, opener "The Dwarves Are Still the Best Band Ever" is a lovely piece of hyperactive, fornication-driven dirt baggery, while "Zip Zero" benefits from Mr. Voice, Gary Owens himself, creating a fun, cartoonish essence. Fun, inventive and enthusiastic while still lecherous, wily and lascivious, as the title asserts, a quarter-century into their existence, the Dwarves truly are Born Again.