On top of smaller things such as the sun, human existence and the universe stands an obelisk known as The Hives. The greatest rock band to ever grace the earth with its mere existence. They have looks that make everything else look ugly, songs that make other music seem as important to save for the afterworld as sewage water and now infinity has succumbed and publicly states that The Hives will be the first band in the world to walk through the pearly gates of eternal existence. All this made possible with the release of their new album!!!
They have quickly regrouped, plugged in, turned up, and have recorded an album that rock music arenas were built for, but so rarely contain on their seventh full-length LP,
The Hives Forever, Forever The Hives
The Swedish five piece - Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist [vocals], Nicholaus Arson [guitar], Vigilante Carlstroem [guitar], The Johan and Only [bass], and Chris Dangerous [drums] play like their lives depend on it, with both total control and complete reckless abandon.
It is an album that sounds like a greatest hits but you’ve never heard the songs before.
"We wanted to make a Hives arena album. We have never really tried to do that before. We loved touring with Rolling Stones and AC/DC. That sort of blockbuster is larger than life rock. We thought, maybe we should give that a try. Of course we luckily can’t help but sound like The Hives anyway. Why aim to win by a whisker we thought so let’s put 12 singles on an album"
"But I think we did it. I really think this is us at the peak of our powers. Who gets to say that 30+ years in? That’s right. Nobody."
It represents the next step in The Hive’s rise to the top. They have consistently been one of the most inventive and irresistible rock bands of the 21st century. Formed in 1993 as young children in a steel industry town in Sweden, their first album, 1997s Barely Legal, opened the door and Veni Vidi Vicious, finished in the first days of the new millennium, convinced the world that rock was saved, earning them platinum albums and legions of fans. Rolling Stone hailed it as one of The Top Albums of the Decade, and Pitchfork touted the massive hit single "Hate to Say I Told You So" among The Top Songs of 2000-2009. They evolved across Tyrannosaurus Hives [2004], The Black and White Album [2007], and Lex Hives [2012], collaborating with everyone from Joshua Homme of Queens of the Stone Age to Pharrell.
The Hives Forever, Forever The Hives is the band’s 7th studio LP, a razor-sharp culmination of their rupturing, signature "powder-keg" (NYT) rock n roll energy.
Straight off the road, into the studio they went with long time collaborator Pelle Gunnerfeldt (Viagra Boys, Yung Lean) who recorded and produced most of it in Benny from ABBAs studio Riksmixningsverket, with old touring buddy and new collaborator Mike D of the Beastie Boys adding magic touches. "We usually make a record, tour for three years, forget who we are for a year, and then make another record," says Pelle. "This is the fastest we’ve ever followed up an album. It was great to come straight off tour, go record, and hit the road again. Staying in the zone as a band."
"Pelle has been involved to some degree on almost every Hives release, and he’s part of our sound," he goes on. "Recording a band well, where everyone plays all at once, is a dying art. Like some sort of indigenous handicraft. Pelle is the best producer who can do that in Sweden. For guys like us, there’s nothing cooler than a Beastie Boy. So, it was a big
deal to do a few songs with Mike D. When he came to Stockholm, there was a sense of occasion. We only had two days I think and didn’t know him well. It made everyone the right amount of nervous. Josh from QOTSA and Shellback did a bit of consulting as well. It’s very much a Hives album though. I guess we’re the executive producers".
"I mean this band sleeps til we wake and then kicks ass until we fall asleep again so once we have the song in order, which is the hard part, it’s pretty easy."
Ultimately, The Hives have made a record that will last forever too.
"This band is what I’ve done for my entire life," Pelle signs off. "In a way, it’s family. In a way, it’s friends. In a way, it’s colleagues. In a way, it’s a symbiotic comedy group," he laughs. "It’s really cool we’ve been a band this long and we still want to do this. We’ve never sounded better. This is it for me. We’ll keep going until we can’t. This is our classical music, rock music, you know. Forever"
