Much (perhaps too much) has been written about the demise of heavy metal as a commercial force in the wake of grunge in the early 1990s. And certainly, a lot of 1980s cock-rock bands found themselves out in the cold in a post-Nirvana and Pearl Jam world. That was too bad for the Killer Dwarfs, who were always one of the smarter metal bands, in terms of lyrics and a down-to-Earth sense of who they were. Because Method to the Madness is one of their best albums. And for a long time, it was their last.
In addition to making a great commercial heavy metal album when much of the music industry was heaving in another direction, the band’s lineup changed with the departure of guitarist Mike Hall. Newfoundland’s Gerry Finn stepped into the role. From the blistering opening of album opener “Hard Luck Town,” he put his own stamp on the Dwarfs’ sound. The almost eerie bridge and languorous guitar solo add a rich dimension to the song.
It was one of the singles and shows what the Dwarfs do best: a madcap sonic assault with plenty of sing- (or shout-) along choruses. It’s still a staple of their live shows, so should you hear Russ Graham bellow to the audience, “What kind of a fuckin’ town is this?” — now you know the answer.
The rest of the album, a lengthy 13 songs, is a fitting cap to the Dwarfs’ initial burst of popularity. “Just As Well” is a grinding, rowdy fist-pumper. “Driftin’ Back,” is a nostalgic ballad that plays to the strengths of the Dwarfs’ acoustic range.
It’s not the only one, either — “Four Seasons” is a fantastic piece, about the inevitable passage of time, one that Graham would revisit on his 2013 solo acoustic album.
It’s not all soft and weepy, of course. The album’s title track, “Method to the Madness,” is another big, loud, slightly obnoxious tune, that kicks off with the truism “Opinions are like assholes / Everybody’s got one!/Turn the other cheek?/I don’t think so!” and boasts a chorus loud enough to fill a canyon, in the tradition of previous Dwarfs tunes “Stand Tall” and “Power.”
There’s not a lot of filler on this album, which is one of their longest, and also their strongest. “Give and Take” shows the Dwarfs’ propensity for layered, complex sound. I have to say, despite my fondness for Stand Tall, Method to the Madness is my favourite Killer Dwarfs studio album.
For some reason, “Doesn’t Matter,” from the Dwarfs’ previous album Dirty Weapons, was included at the end of the version I bought. It’s too bad, because while an excellent song, it feels tacked on after the fantastic album closer “Cowboys and Conmen.”
Unfortunately, the Dwarfs went on hiatus after Method to the Madness. That made one of their strongest and most musically diverse albums also one of their last… for a while.
Method to the Madness
- Killer Dwarfs
- Sony, 1992
- Four and a half stars out of five
