Giftdwarf - Giftdwarf (2011) - A refreshing mixture of comedy and heavy metal - 80% (08/06/11)

"Giftdwarf" (this is a joke of words because "Gift" means "Poison" in German and the band name is a reference to the German expression "Giftzwerg" which means "Poison Dwarf" and which simply describes an angry little man) is a band that is like no other. A glimpse at the strange but original cover artwork underlines my thesis. This band is composed of the German comedian Gerd Knebel from the legendary "Badesalz" and a couple of well known heavy metal musicians like Uwe Lulis that has played in "Grave Digger" and "Rebellion" which happen to be two of my favourite bands.

This original mixture can also be found in the songs themselves. The music is straight and heavy and there are many catchy choruses, sharp riffs and traditional guitar solos to find on this record. A few trumpets and harps add some additional variety to this weird mixture in a couple of songs but they never get too dominant. The lyrics mind sound silly at some points but the music never does and would also work win a more serious context.

But the thing this album is really about are the lyrics that are really funny and request further attention. The album really rises and falls depending on how you judge the humour of the comedian Gerd Knebel and if you are open minded enough for this experiment. Even though this is a German band and there are some vocabulary jokes in the lyrics that only German speaking people might fully understand, this album might be a great gem for any fan from any country.

As this is a really particular and rare to find album, I would like to give a few examples for the hilarious lyrics in some of the songs. A first good example can be found in the musically outstanding and quite diversified killer track "Holiday" that starts as follows:

When the baby pukes on your favourite boots
When your daddy farts on his credit cards
When your sister's smashed and your car is trashed
Grandma lost her haire - yes-ter-day it was there
And the cheesy smell makes you think you've gone to hell
It's holiday, it's holiday, the best time of the year...

Another great example for the very particular humour can be found in "My mother looks like Lemmy" which is a song that sounds indeed a lot like "Motörhead":

She got an "Oberlippenbart" on each hairy cheek she got a big wart
She wears black leather and got tattoos
There ain't nobody gonna light her fuse
She really likes porno and big fast cars
She only drinks whisky and smokes cigars
Two bottles a day - keep you healthy for sure
And if you don't like it, honey, there's the door
She ain't no beauty with a microwave
And the best of all is she don't gotta shave
Cause she looks like Lemmy from Motörhead

In the end, let me suggest you to check out the band's video clip for the quite catchy track "Fritz" which made me discover this band. It's included on the enhanced part of the album and can also easily be found on the internet. This video clip gives you a good idea of what those guys do. The lyrics are very funny and the music is straight and catchy. Even if there are more varied tracks on the entire album, this funny song remains my favourite track on the record along side with "Holiday" and the opener "iPott". Phenomenons of the contemporary society are touched in a hilarious way in those tracks and softly criticize beneath the surface of humour if you open your ears and your mind for those details. This is way more than just funny party music and in fact a very intelligent album at some parts.

Even if there are some little fillers on this record towards the end, this experiment is worth to get discovered in the entire world. Musically, it's more or less of an average quality with a few nice experimental gimmicks but the lyrics are very funny and unique. You can laugh, drink and bang along too many killer tracks at the same time on this stunning record. In my opinion, those guys are at least as funny as "Spinal Tap" or "Edguy" when they decide to do some humorous stuff. I hope that this wasn't just an experiment and that this band will soon work together again and play a couple of shows.