The Hives Forever Forever The Hives is their seventh album. Armed with riffs that will melt your face, the Swedes never disappoint.
THE HIVES FOREVER FOREVER THE HIVES
Who else would call their new album The Hives Forever Forever The Hives but… must I even write it? Full of distortion that’s stuck with them for over thirty years, the quintet shows their inventiveness by delivering some brilliant twists and turns. The Hives don’t lose their identity, but they’re still evolving! The introduction invites us to take a front-row seat for this saturated symphonic concert. To avoid too much of a shock, and because nature demands it: evolution comes gradually.
Enough Is Enough bursts in with an addictive chorus, biting lyrics, and a series of riffs that bring hints from their earlier albums. It’s well-crafted, instantly familiar, and hits hard right from the start! Hooray Hooray Hooray follows quickly, with a touch of vintage in its aesthetic and that ever-present rage in the lyrics. Bad Call doesn’t let up either, a proper little boiling gem, followed by the upbeat Paint A Picture.
From classic rock we shift to classic punk with O.C.D.O.D., which echoes their early days. No, there isn’t an added touch of maturity. Why would there be? Short and punchy, its distortion gives way to the clarity of Legalize Living, rich in political meaning. An unmissable banger! The dark interlude is brightened by a few optimistic notes, marking a turning point. Not only for the vinyl you’ll need to flip, but for the mood of the album too. Pessimism and rage give way to resilience and resistance.
Roll Out The Red Carpet is pure energy, unapologetic rock (not that we’d expect anything else) that makes you want to jump around. Born A Rebel keeps a smile in its notes and offers a natural, almost gentle rebellion continued by They Can’t Hear The Music. Better still, Path Of Most Resistance dares to flirt with addictive pop sounds to carry the resistance through. The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, both the title and the album, recalls the rock essence of the band, their varied influences, and their ability to do whatever they like without compromising their roots.
Little bonus: the album is cleverly crafted. The intro and the interlude are just obvious examples, stylishly splitting the record in two. One half more brutal, the other more danceable. Already, it’s impossibly addictive, fun, and cathartic. But when the vinyl sings that last line… and loops it again, screaming “Forever The Hives” for, well, forever… it’s nothing short of genius.
