Dwarves return with Jenkem and 2026 Tour Dates
Legendary and notoriously volatile, Dwarves return with a new full-length, Jenkem, arriving June 5 via Greedy Records (Distributed by MVD). Decades into a career that has cut across punk, hardcore, and heavy music, the band remains a fixture of underground culture — as influential as they are unpredictable, and long past the point of needing introduction.
A high-velocity blast rooted in hardcore’s most feral instincts, Jenkem taps into the same raw aggression and breakneck intensity that fed the early crossover between punk and thrash. Stripped down and dialed in, the album revisits the band’s most confrontational era, channeling the savage spirit of Blood, Guts & Pussy while pushing their nihilistic edge even further.
Across thirteen short, violent bursts — fast, filthy, and unfiltered — plus one mid-tempo crusher, Jenkem wastes no time getting to the point. It’s lean, abrasive, and built for impact — a record that lands somewhere between classic hardcore urgency and the blunt force of thrash’s punk roots, reinforcing Dwarves place in that lineage.
Never content to simply release music, the band is rolling out Jenkem with an avalanche of live and animated videos, alongside a series of collectible 7-inch releases. Fans can also snag signed copies and exclusive merch directly via the band’s official site, continuing the DIY ethos that has defined Dwarves since day one.
To mark the release, Dwarves will take their notoriously chaotic live show on the road for an extensive North American and European run. The tour kicks off in May with Screeching Weasel in Portland, Seattle, and Denver, followed by additional US dates including Austin and a run of fall shows alongside The Exploited and Total Chaos. The band then heads overseas for a massive European stretch with EyeHateGod, including appearances at Hellfest, Obscene Extreme Festival, Sjock Fest, Krach am Bach, Azkena Rock Festival, and more — further cementing their place on bills that pull from hardcore, punk, and metal alike.
Jenkem Tracklist:
1. Confused
2. We Are the Scene
3. Drug Lust
4. Damned If I Do
5. Must Confess
6. Too Messed Up
7. I’m Dead
8. Bad Drugs
9. I Wish You Were Dead
10.Psychosis Tripping
11. Hey Melania
12. Here We Come Again
13. Be Ruthless Destroy
14. Last Chance
Dwarves 2026 US Tour Dates:
5/21/26: Portland, OR @ Nova w/ Screeching Weasel
5/22/26: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon w/ Screeching Weasel
5/23/26: Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater w/ Screeching Weasel
6/12/26: Dallas, TX
6/13/26: Austin, TX w/ Prong
6/14/26: San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill w/ The Pandoras
9/4/26: Philadelphia, PA
9/5/26: Brooklyn, NY
9/6/26: Montague, MA @ RPM Fest
9/11/26: Scottsdale, AZ w/ The Exploited, Total Chaos
9/12/26: Los Angeles, CA w/ The Exploited, Total Chaos
9/13/26: Murrieta, CA w/ Total Chaos
9/16/26: Las Vegas, NV w/ Total Chaos
9/17/26: Orange County, CA w/ The Exploited, Total Chaos
9/18/26: San Francisco, CA w/ The Exploited, Total Chaos
9/20/26: Sacramento, CA w/ The Exploited
Dwarves at Showbox SoDo Seattle, WA October 2025 | Photo by Patrick Hughes
About the Dwarves:
Formed in Chicago in the 1980s before relocating to San Francisco at the dawn of the grunge era, the Dwarves have carved a path through multiple generations of underground music — from ’80s punk to ’90s grunge to the 2000’s punk resurgence — all while maintaining a reputation for speed, volatility, and a total disregard for convention.
Their notoriously chaotic shows saw them banned, censored, and canceled throughout the 1990s, building a rabid following, while alienating much of the music industry. Just as the band seemed commercially written off, their music began surfacing in mainstream films, television, and other media, underscoring a level of musicianship and production often overlooked beneath the chaos. Blending elements of punk, hardcore, thrash, garage rock, and heavy metal, the Dwarves’ 16 LP catalog — including Blood, Guts & Pussy (1990) and The Dwarves Are Young & Good Looking (1997) — helped define a strain of underground music where humor, aggression, and shock value collide.
Decades on, the Dwarves remain a singular presence — an infamous, influential band whose legacy continues to cut across scenes, generations, and genres; an enduring force at the intersection of punk, hardcore, and heavy music, known for their high-velocity sound and no-holds-barred approach to both recording and live performance. Dwarves continue to push boundaries, evolving their sound while maintaining their reputation as one of the underground’s most unpredictable and explosive live acts.
Lineup:
Snupac
Rex Everything
The Fresh Prince of Darkness
Mike Pygmie
Ginger
Andy Now
Sgt. Saltpeter
Blag Jesus
Dwarves at El Corazon Seattle, WA April 2025 | Photo by Samantha Jones
