When the Hives landed in the early 2000s, the music industry neatly compartmentalized them: somewhere between the Vines and the White Stripes, in the so-called "garage rock revival." But on their first album in 11 years, The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons, it's clear they've always been in a league of their own.
For one, there's their velocity. "I feel like we're probably the fastest popular band in normal rock music — not in metal or anything," singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist tells GRAMMY.com backstage over Zoom. (In a humorous contrast, their rhythm guitarist, Vigilante Carlstroem, is asleep in the background.)
Then, there's their eclecticism. While a large part of their aesthetic involves stripping away extraneous layers (like minor chords, reverb and extraneous snare hits), they pull from all corners of the canon.
"Even though Hives records might sound very cohesive, they always draw inspiration from all kinds of stuff," adds guitarist Nicholas Arson — very recognizably Almqvist's brother.
Arson cites Slayer and Kraftwerk as perennial inspirations; on The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, Muddy Waters, the Beastie Boys, Plastic Bertrand, and '60s girl groups were in the stew. The resulting album — titled after their is-he-or-isn't-he-real svengali — is both a distillation of their high-octane aesthetic and the most eclectic thing they've ever made.
While barrelling lead single "Bogus Operandi" is Hives to the core with a fresh coat of paint, outliers like the spaghetti-Westernized "Stick Up" and lo-fi, beat-boxing "What Did I Ever Do To You?" plant their flag in relatively uncharted territory.
No, the Hives aren't merely a remnant of the Y2K "guitars are back!" moment; in 2023 as in 2003, there's nobody like them. Here's a breakdown of the lead-up to the long-awaited The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons.
Dr. Matt Destruction Left In 2013
Soon after the Hives' last album, 2012's Lex Hives, bassist Dr. Matt Destruction left the band due to health problems. As the band's biography states, he remains "spiritually, emotionally and friendship-wise" an honorary Hive. But nonetheless, he was replaced by bassist Johan Gustafsson — a.k.a. The Johan and Only.
Chris Dangerous' Health Also Took A Hit
The Hives' bassist now boasts a cool scar after major stomach surgery in 2019. As the band put it on Instagram, "This is Chris Dangerous following the surgery that was supposed to be small but didn't go so well and ended up being big."
While Dangerous is rocking again, this further delayed the Hives' return; by the time of the surgery, they hadn't released anything in seven years.
Randy Fitzsimmons Died!
Or so they say. A key piece of Hives lore has always been Fitzsimmons, the so-called creator of the group who shuns the limelight.
According to the press release, the band read an obituary for their architect in a small Swedish newspaper; this led them to what they believed was his grave.
When they dug it up — as per the deliciously retro-horror-flick album art — they found a casket sans body, filled with lyrics and demos for their new album.
No matter what journalists throw at the Fitzsimmons canard, the Hives stand firm: "I don't feel like I have to respond at this point," Almqvist told Rolling Stone this year. "I'm saying Randy exists. You're saying he doesn't. I am closer to the source of this information."
(And to the suggestion that Fitzsimmons is a pseudonym for Nicholas Arson: "Let's just say my brother isn't nearly talented enough to be Randy," Almqvist said.)
The Hives Saw A Hives-Shaped Hole
Speaking to GRAMMY.com, Almqvist explains that they waited for someone to fill the Hives' vacancy in rock music. And waited. And waited.
"In the past 10 years, we've been kind of waiting for someone to take our spot and we don't feel like anybody did," he say. "So weirdly, there was a missing piece in the rock puzzle that we could just slot into again, it feels like."
Granted, various subgenres of extreme metal had breakneck BPMs covered. But not rock itself. With the post-pandemic populace ready to dive into each other again — see the current hardcore boom for proof — the Hives fit 2023 like a glove.
It's not just speed, though, but attitude that was missing.
"I think everyone's pretty touchy about most things, I think a lot of rock bands are cowards when it comes to expressing themselves," Almqvist says. "You meet bands a lot and they seem very nervous about how they're perceived. And that doesn't sound like a rock band to me.
"A rock band should not be worried at all about how you're perceived," he continues. "That's your job as an artist." With their trademark brand of winking self-aggrandizement, the Hives fit this role to the T.
That said, they do see other guitar acts steering the ethos back in the right direction — from Fidlar to Viagra Boys to Amyl and the Sniffers.
They Found A Simpatico Producer
Despite their veneer of minimalistic brute force, the Hives have always been rangy from a production standpoint.
2007's The Black and White Album involved sessions with the Neptunes and Timbaland; the final product also included contributions from Jacknife Lee, Dennis Herring and other heavy hitters.
For The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, the Hives tapped Patrik Berger, who's helmed hits by pop stars from Charli XCX to Robyn to Carly Rae Jepsen. (If that lineup sounds un-Hivesy, get this: Charli XCX was deeply influenced by the Hives early on.)
"We spent way too much time on bad ideas," Almqvist says about their early, pre-Pharrell attempts to work with far-afield producers. "But with Patrik Berger, there wasn't that much to explain really.
"I guess he has more of a similar background to us," he adds. "He's our age. He grew up in Sweden. He's kind of liked a lot of the same music we have. So, yeah, I think he was more like us."
Accordingly, the band and producer mostly hewed to the demos; Berger didn't steer the songs off-course, but kept their workflow moving. "He was very positive and energetic," Almqvist says. "That's how I remember it."
The Hives Are Relieved — And Ready To Move Forward
Over Zoom, with The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons out for roughly 24 hours, the Hives project a sense of well-earned ease; they finally have a new offering for the people.
"It feels like golden days. Like they never went away," Arson says. "We come back and there's tons of people waiting in line to get their records signed and stuff. People selling out shows like it's hot cakes."
"The fact that we finally have a record of new songs out feels like a great relief," Almqvist adds. "I think that's a pretty heavy weight off our shoulders."
Watch the Swedes on "Howard Stern" recently, dusting off the song that put them on the map: "Hate to Say I Told You So," from all the way back in 2000.
Instead of going through the motions, the band attacks it like it's their last chance to make a mark — the black-and-white-suited band out for blood, Howlin' Pelle a tornado of wrists and hair.
Given this reminder of the Hives' next-level energy and prowess, did rock's previous generation just reset the bar for youngsters? To borrow a phrase, hate to say it.