Dirty Weapons
| Dirty Weapons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Genre | Pop metal | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Andy Johns | |||
| Killer Dwarfs chronology | ||||
| ||||
Dirty Weapons is the fourth album by the Canadian band Killer Dwarfs, released in 1990.[1][2] They supported it with a North American tour.[3] The first single was the title track.[4] Dirty Weapons peaked at No. 151 on the Billboard 200.[5] It was nominated for a Juno Award for "Best Hard Rock or Metal Album".[6]
Production
Recorded over four months in Los Angeles, the album was produced by Andy Johns; frontman Russ Graham claimed that Bob Hope, who was a neighbor, alerted security a few times while they were recording.[7][8] The band appreciated Johns's ability to work fast and to better capture their live sound.[9] Nicky Hopkins contributed on piano.[2] Killer Dwarfs started writing new material right after the release of their previous album, Big Deal.[10] "Not Foolin'" is about a music industry figure who allegedly cheated the band out royalties.[11] The title track was inspired by the 1989 air battle near Tobruk, wherein Libyan aircraft were shot down by American aircraft.[11] "Want It Bad" is a power ballad.[12]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [13] |
| Calgary Herald | B[14] |
| The Winnipeg Sun | [15] |
The Toronto Star said that "Dirty Weapons is a cleaner, crunchier showcase for the improved songwriting chops of Berklee-trained guitarist Mike Dwarf."[7] The Calgary Herald called most of the album "weak-to-above average material" and noted that "the songwriting continues to lag."[14] The Winnipeg Sun stated that the band, in Andy Johns, "has finally found the master mixer they've been looking for."[15] AllMusic opined that Killer Dwarfs' "pop-metal style was sort of Mötley Crüe meets Ratt meets Poison."[13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dirty Weapons" | |
| 2. | "Nothin' Gets Nothin'" | |
| 3. | "All That We Dream" | |
| 4. | "Doesn't Matter" | |
| 5. | "Last Laugh" | |
| 6. | "Comin' Through" | |
| 7. | "One Way Out" | |
| 8. | "Appeal" | |
| 9. | "Not Foolin'" | |
| 10. | "Want It Bad" |
References
- ↑ Heim, Chris (March 2, 1990). "Hard rockers the Killer Dwarfs". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. O.
- 1 2 Kelly, Sean (2013). Metal on Ice: Tales from Canada's Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Heroes. Dundurn. pp. 22, 157.
- ↑ Kim, Jae-Ha (April 10, 1990). "Killer Dwarfs shoot for big time with new 'Dirty Weapons' album". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 2.36.
- ↑ Barr, Greg (March 23, 1990). "Killer Dwarfs". Ottawa Citizen. p. C3.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2001). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums, 1955–2001. Record Research. p. 454.
- ↑ "The Junos; The nominees are". Edmonton Journal. February 7, 1991. p. C1.
- 1 2 Potter, Mitch (March 9, 1990). "Dwarfs nix short jokes in bid to go large". Toronto Star. p. D16.
- ↑ Krewen, Nick (June 5, 2003). "The Dwarfs are back; Head-bangers say they're still killer on stage". The Guelph Mercury. p. F16.
- ↑ Kendle, John (June 3, 1990). "Killer Dwarfs out to conquer nation". The Winnipeg Sun. p. 47.
- ↑ "Comin' Through with the Last Laugh!". Thrust. Vol. 2, no. 4. April 1990. p. 22.
- 1 2 Rubinoff, Joel (March 2, 1990). "Hey ... beneath the killer hype, Killer Dwarfs are killer thinkers". Waterloo Region Record. p. C5.
- ↑ Whiteford, Jim (May 25, 1990). "Records". Kilmarnock Standard. p. 85.
- 1 2 "Dirty Weapons Review by Alex Henderson". AllMusic. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
- 1 2 Miller, Glen (March 22, 1990). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. F4.
- 1 2 Kendle, John (April 12, 1990). "Pop". The Winnipeg Sun. p. F8.