OK, this is just a short Metal Monday post, because it’s mid-December and I’m not hearing enough of Motörhead’s version of “Run Rudolph Run” on the radio. (Go figure.) I was also inspired by Angélique Jamail’s series, 12 Days of Seasonal Earworms You Need Right Now. (If you want today’s actual Metal Monday post, click on over to my review of the Killer Dwarfs’ Dirty Weapons.)
Chuck Berry’s version of the song written by Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie is the most famous one. But I have a soft spot for Motörhead, and Lemmy Kilmister’s gravelly exhortations to Rudolph to, well, run, just sound right. I first heard this version on the compilation album We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year. (Sadly, it’s one of the only good songs on it.)
Fortunately, if you can’t find that in your local music store, someone went to the trouble of putting together an unauthorized music video. It’s bizarre, it’s great and it works.
On Dirty Weapons, the Killer Dwarfs incorporate more range and diversity in their sound, and the album was a worthy follow-up to Big Deal. The image they portrayed was less goofball than on the previous two albums. But the seriousness that was always a part of their lyrics remained.
Killer Dwarfs’ Dirty Weapons
The eponymous album opener, “Dirty Weapons,” signals where the Dwarfs are headed. The hard-driving drums and thick guitar riffs underlay lyrics that focus on trust and mistrust in an age of decaying alliances and new technology.
The video matches that dissonance, with overtly edited images that look like cut-and-paste propaganda. (As well as the de rigeur late-80s heavy-industrial/post-apocalyptic set.)
That’s not to say there wasn’t a lot of range throughout the album, too. The heavy, grinding “Comin’ Through,” has a chorus with a screaming admonition to “Get outta my way.” In a similarly fast vein, the relentless riff-heavy “Nothin’ Gets Nothin’” sprints from start to finish.
But on the other hand, “Doesn’t Matter,” one of the album’s other singles, is more low-key, anchored by acoustic guitar riffs, meant for anyone feeling beaten down by circumstances. “It doesn’t matter at all/Where you’ve been or what you’re going through/We’ll make it through somehow,” sings Russ Graham, giving Jon Bon Jovi a run for his money in encouraging his listeners to buck up.
Many of the other songs show a lot of swagger, like the
stomping, cocky “Appeal,” or the nimble, layered “Not Foolin’.”
Like other heavy metal bands at the end of the ’80s, the Killer Dwarfs showed a mastery of a big, commercial sound and pushed at the edges of the genre. Of course, with the explosion in popularity of grunge in 1991, gems like Dirty Weapons often get overlooked in hindsight.
Big Deal was, for the Killer Dwarfs, an apt title. The band had signed a contract with Sony for their third album, and had the chance to show that the video success of “Keep the Spirit Alive” was no fluke. That they were, in fact, a Big Deal.
KIller Dwarfs’ Big Deal
Given the video for their first single off the album, “We Stand Alone,” in which the Dwarfs lampoon how signing a big-deal contract might make them sellouts, it’s fair to say an additional meaning to Big Deal could well have been “so what?”
But if Stand Tall established the Killer Dwarfs as a melodic heavy metal band, Big Deal displayed a sound with more polish. They also took things in different directions. Album opener “Tell Me Please” is a hook-heavy crowd-pleaser, one they still play live.
“We Stand Alone” is a confident, catchy heavy rock song that takes full advantage of Russ Graham’s soaring vocals, the thump and dexterity of Darrell Millar’s drumming, Mike Hall’s wailing lead guitar, and the full-bodied sound of Ron Mayer’s bass playing, with more of the band’s backing vocals than on the previous album.
The delivery of a thunderous chorus also stands out in “Lifetime” and “Power.” Other notable songs are “Union of Pride,” a slow-paced anthem of solidarity, and the frenetic, heavy “Burn It Down.” As on Stand Tall, Graham and Hall share writing credits on all songs.
Album closer “Desperadoes” starts off with spare riffs evocative of Bon-Scott-era AC/DC, but there’s no mistaking it for anything other than a Killer Dwarfs song. At a 2019 show in Winnipeg, they played it live for the first time (according to Russell) as the final encore of the evening. Thirty-one years was worth the wait.
Overall, Big Deal is a great example of 1980s heavy metal, and should, ahem, stand tall among other albums of the latter part of the decade like Whitesnake’s Whitesnake or Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet.
Stand Tall was the breakout album for the Killer Dwarfs, and if you kept abreast of music videos in the winter of 1986-87, chances are you saw all or part of “Keep the Spirit Alive.”
Killer Dwarfs’ Stand Tall
(Not that even such a successful video, played in heavy rotation on MuchMusic, MTV and network music video shows translated into much mainstream radio airplay. At least, not on the rock stations I was listening to.)
For many Canadians in their teens at the time, the image of Russ “Dwarf” Graham singing while trapped in a crate being catapulted through various misadventures before making it to his band’s concert is what springs to mind when thinking of the Killer Dwarfs.
This album marked a departure in style for the band. Original guitarist Bryce Trewin had left and Mike Hall took his place. Bassist Ron Mayer replaced Ange Fodero. The change is dramatic, with the all of the songs on Stand Tall co-written by Graham and Hall. Many incorporated backing vocals, giving Stand Tall a much more commercial, pop-metal sheen.
Which is no mark against the album. “Stand Tall,” another single that garnered a goofy, self-mocking video, is built on soaring guitar riffs, pounding drums, and a shouted chorus that still gets audiences singing along in live performances.
Other standout tracks are “Human Survival” and “Bite the
Hand That Feeds,” as well as the era-appropriate “Up to You and Me,” a sombre
meditation on responsibility in an age of nuclear-weapons brinksmanship.
Aside from the generally more melodic metal sound, the outstanding guitar work of Hall on the solos in the title track and “Keep the Spirit Alive” really fill out the Dwarfs’ sound. And Mayer’s ominous basswork is the heartbeat powering songs like “Up To You and Me.”
For those looking to actually listen to this album, its success means you’re in luck — but only if you have a turntable. It sold well on vinyl in the U.S. and Canada. You can find used copies for reasonable prices online, but finding it on CD is much, much harder, even considering the album had a 2003 re-issue. (You could, as the Dwarfs showed in the video for “Stand Tall,” just go ahead and make your own copy, but your results may vary.)
The sense of humour in the videos that put the Killer Dwarfs on the map, as well as the thoughtfulness behind many of the lyrics, display a band hitting its stride. In a sense, Stand Tall was their “debut” album, showing signs of things to come.
It’s been a while since I bought a werewolf shirt, but the Full Moon Club flannel shirt by Werewolf V was worth the wait.
Most of the lycanthropic clothing I have consists entire of T-shirts. And unfortunately when Werewolf V released the earlier version of the Full Moon Club button-up shirt, I missed it.
So when I saw the announcement of a Kickstarter campaign to produce the new edition, I took a look at the shirt, and a look at my wallet, and …. there was no debate.
The Kickstarter was successful (though sadly, not enough to
hit the stretch goal that would have allowed backers to choose a purple
version), and after enduring overseas shipping times, my Full Moon Club shirt
arrived.
This is a fantastic, comfortable, and beautiful shirt. The material is soft and the fit is just right. I also like the little touches, like the custom snap buttons, the black lining inside the sleeve cuffs, and the logo on the front pocket.
Logo on the front pocket of the Full Moon Club shirt
And of course, there’s the I-survived-a-werewolf-attack-and-all-I-got-was-a-shirt
claw damage on the back, with the embossed Full Moon Club lettering across the
top.
The fit is perfect, though I had some difficulty figuring
out what size to order — mainly because the flannel shirts I was measuring to
get a sense of it were thinner fabric. (During the Kickstarter, Werewolf_V was
very helpful in assisting people like me figure out what size they would need.)
I might be tempted next time to order a size larger, because I often like to
wear a t-shirt under a button-up shirt; but on its own, the Full Moon Club
shirt is very comfortable.
As of this writing, some of the extra shirts from the campaign are for sale at the designer’s online store. If you’ve been looking for a warm werewolf shirt that looks great, lope on over and check it out before they’re all gone.
Fans of early 1980s heavy metal are likely already familiar with the self-titled debut album from the Killer Dwarfs, but if you’re a fan of heavy riffs, soaring vocals and big, stomping shifts in tempo and haven’t heard it, it’s definitely worth a listen.
Hailing from Oshawa, the Dwarfs (on this album, singer Russ Graham, drummer Darrell Millar, guitarist Bryce Trewin and bassist Ange Fodero*) show a strong New Wave of British Heavy Metal sound, with a dash of prog rock. At times the songs sound like Black Sabbath as played by Rush.
