Canadian metal favorites Killer Dwarfs have signed to EMP Label Group, who are set to release the band’s long awaited live set Live, No Guff in stores April 13th. 2018 will also see EMP reissues of the band’s recent catalog, including the independently released Start@One, the band’s previously unreleased studio album from 1993, and Wireless, the solo acoustic release from vocalist Russ Dwarf. EMP will also release a 2019 new studio album from Killer Dwarfs, and a new studio album from Russ Dwarf.

Russ Dwarf and Darrel Dwarf recently spoke with The Metal Voice about the upcoming release and the state of the band.

On whether the band is starting over:

Darrel - "All we do is go through hiatuses. We have been together 37 years and we really never break up but we roll through the times and sometimes call them hiatuses and we go to other projects. We have been back touring for a solid five years. Every year we do at least 20 shows."

On new label EMP compared to their former labels:

Russ - "It's so new for us we really don't know. We are really excited about it and happy to be with Dave Ellefson."

Darrel - "Times have changed this isn't Epic Records. Dave's got a label, he is a worldly character himself, Megadeth is a huge act, it's a great thing. Ellefson is working with us cause were veterans, he is a veteran and we are all veterans."

On the new live album and plans for a new studio album:

Russ - "All the classics will be on, something from every album is on there, This live album is just a stop gap because we have to deliver a new studio album next year 2019 for EMP."

Recorded live in November 2016 in various exotic Northern locales including Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto, and Whitehorse Yukon, Canada, Live, No Guff is a collection of the Dwarfs at their vertically challenged finest, powering through blistering performances of three decades of classic tracks including “Stand Tall”, “Keep The Spirit Alive”, “Dirty Weapons”, “Heavy Mental Breakdown”, and more.

Tracklisting:

"Comin’ Through"
"Hard Luck Town"
"Tell Me Please"
"Driftin’ Back"
"Union Of Pride"
"Doesn’t Matter"
"Can’t Lose"
"Start @ One"
"Burn It Down"
"Stand Tall"
"Keep The Spirit Alive"
"Dirty Weapons"
"Heavy Mental Breakdown"

Formed in Oshawa, Ontario in 1981, Killer Dwarfs released their debut album in 1983, followed by their classic releases Stand Tall, Big Deal, and Dirty Weapons, which earned the band a massive following for their style of NWOBHM inspired Hard Rock, and tongue in cheek humor, which is nowhere more evident than in their videos. Iconic clips for “Stand Tall”, “We Stand Alone”, “Keep The Spirit Alive”, and “Dirty Weapons” made frequent appearances on national video outlets like MTV, Headdbanger’s Ball, MuchMusic, and more, helping the Dwarfs sell over 2 million records, and tour the World in arenas and stadiums supporting artists like Iron Maiden.

The band parted ways in the early '90s, and reformed briefly in 2001, before another hiatus that would last over another decade. In 2013 the band reformed and independently released Start@One, their final unreleased 1993 studio album, and began full time touring across the US and Canada. The Dwarfs were back. And this time to stay.

EMP’s Thom Hazaert says, “It came down to a lengthy bidding war between EMP, Monster Records Musik, and Conglomerate Records, and thankfully we came out on top. So we opened Russ’ crate, I held him down while David cut his finger open, and the deal was done. Now we own these guys for the rest of their natural born lives, or at least until the end of 2022. Whichever comes first.”

He adds, “But really no. I personally love the Dwarfs and think they were one of the great underrated metal bands of the '80s, and they are honestly still just as awesome today. We are super excited to own their asses for the next decade. JK. Now, back in the crate.”