The Dwarves first cut me off on my path with their 1986 garage-rock debut, Horror Stories, on Voxx Records. Been a fan since. Over the forty years they've been around, some albums hit, some didn't connect as much. Their last main outing, Concept Album, bloated into a 26-song deluxe CD. Jenkem returns to familiar territory: 14 tracks screaming by in exactly 18 minutes.
Is it another Sugarfix or Blood, Guts & Pussy? No. But the classic elements are all here. It feels like they dumped their entire history and modern style into a Vitamix blender, spitting out a blistering hardcore punk assault balanced with everything they've achieved before.
Lazy critics dismiss them as old guys relying on an unchanging shock schtick. But as Blag told me over a 2:00 PM breakfast a few years back, very few bands change as radically. They shift from pop-punk to garage rock, rockabilly, and metal. People miss the musical architecture because there are always tits on the cover.
Jenkem—named after a disgusting third-world inhalant (DIY inhalant and hallucinogen created from fermented human waste)—reunites Blag with producer Andy Carpenter. They did the country project Ralph Champagne together, but here the goal is raw velocity. Carpenter’s mix gives the songs surgical clarity. Guitars slice cleanly. The rhythm section punches you in the gut. Much of that thrash energy comes from young drummer Snupac—the kid Blag pulled on stage at Punk Rock Bowling because he knew every word.
Irreverent lyrics remain a constant. One-minute opener “Confused” blasts internet polarization. They aren't joining anyone's political team; they're just pushing the outer limits of what people think but won't say. From there, the record balances runaway hardcore with melodic swagger. “We Are the Scene” brings deadly hooks. “Drug Lust” could have been recorded 35 years ago.
They stretch out on “Damned If I Do,” a gold-standard pop-punker hitting two minutes with outstanding guitar work. “Too Messed Up” adds female backing vocals. “Psychosis Tripping” is a melodic masterpiece. After the throat-ripping intensity of “I Wish You Were Dead”—which Punktuation noted is enough to start a kitchen circle pit—they close with “Last Chance Lily.” It channels an early rock 'n' roll flavour with an over-the-top chorus that will not leave your brain.
As Amplify the Noise put it, the record is a "necessary restoration of pure defiance." It won't beat nostalgia for the classics, but Jenkem is a masterclass in growing old disgracefully. Highly recommended.
P.S - No Nudity to Distract Your Feeble One-Track Mind
Track Picks: "Confused", "Damned If I Do", "Last Chance Lily"
Score: 8.5 Double D’s out of / 10
