HIVES - The Hives Forever Forever The Hives

A title that sounds like self-glorification, a cover portraying them as austere sovereigns. Then again, the Hives are no strangers to unexpected looks, even if up to now they'd mostly stuck to less daring choices. For "Veni Vidi Vicious", twenty-five years ago, they showed up in suits and ties, repeating the trick four years later for "Tyrannosaurus Hives". It would go on to become a live trademark. The ancien régime attire they're sporting today tells a different story: with the thirtieth anniversary of their debut "Barely Legal" now just around the corner, the Swedes are (re)planting their flag - not without irony - on the planet of alternative rock, claiming the status of enlightened monarchs, as "The Hives Forever Forever The Hives" testifies.

It's genuinely hard, in fact, to have predicted a comeback from the five men of Fagersta this rough and jagged, at least in spots. The first single "Enough Is Enough" gave a loud and clear hint of that: a boulder of distortion and opportunely screamed choruses that explode, raising the bar of their garage-punk. The rock'n'roll stylings of the other advance track "Paint A Picture" represent the less dark, more radio-friendly side of the coin, including the tempo change in the chorus that practically begs to be chanted at their upcoming live shows. Right in between sits "Legalize Living", whose blacksabbath-ian verses suddenly open up into another melodically flawless chorus, second only to that of the uptempo rockabilly cut "Roll Out The Red Carpet".

This "The Hives Forever Forever The Hives", as mentioned, has no qualms whatsoever about still getting its hands dirty, as in "Hooray Hooray Hooray", a sonic rampage in which Pelle Almqvist's voice transforms as the song progresses: cannibalistic at the start, shriller as it moves along. They even venture into hardcore-punk territory on "O.C.D.O.D.", proof of a tracklist that sprawls in the most varied directions (there's still time to mention a hangover-inducing "They Can't Hear The Music" too).

Caught between a mad urge to floor the accelerator and an innate ability to reach a far wider audience - the radio crowd (how well would a "Born A Rebel" that sounds like Offspring, or the closing title track, fit on one of the many stations out there?) - the Hives still seem to be having an absolute blast, which is, after all, the simplest and most effective way to entertain the listener too.

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05/09/2025