Customer Reviews

Tyrannosaurus Hives

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Finally a follow-up to one of my favorite albums in recent years! If you listened to the second Hives album, 'Veni Vidi Vicious', a whole lot and are still listening to it every now and then today you will most likely love this album. The Hives have always felt to me like a very punked up version of the Stones, and while nothing they do is ENTIRELY original they don't feel like a rip-off; their influences are prominent, but their sound is more of a sum than it's parts. With 'Tyrannosaurus' they have perfected that sound.

The biggest difference on this album is the inclusion of some synth riffs here and there and the overall sound of the album is much tighter and claustorphobic. The flow of the album is similar to Veni Vidi in that you get several fast paced songs, then one ballad (in this case it's "Diabolic Scheme") then a few more upbeat songs to round out the album. The playtime isn't entirely long but it takes them 30 minutes to accomplish what other bands take HOURS and ALBUMS to not accomplish.

After listening to this at work all day and two times at home since I got off work, I am thoroughly pleased. Highlights for me include, "B Is For Brutus", "Love In Plaster", "A Little More For Little You", and the recently released single, "Walk Idiot Walk" (which if you haven't seen the video for, you should treat yourself to it; it's incredible!) If you are a fan of the Hives or just a fan of fast, excellent garage/punk rock in general, chances are you'll enjoy this.

Swede rock has been on the upswing in recent years -- Division of Laura Lee, Sahara Hotnights, and (of course) the Hives. After their hit debut "Veni Vidi Vicious," the Hives return with a (short) sophomore album that still harkens back to classic punk, yet expands their old sound. Ladies and gentlemen, "Tyrannosaurus Hives."

It kicks off with a roar in the rebellious "Abra Cadaver," a catchy bass/guitar-driven rocker that slips into the even catchier "Two-Timing Touch And Broken Bones." The first half of the album is made up of songs that sound like their older sound, like the rollicky "No Pun Intended" and roaring bass-rocker "B is for Brutus."

But in the second half, they start to experiment. For example, that the sparking electric guitar sound in "A Little More For Little You," the twitchy squeaks of "Missing Link's" opener or the symphonic punk sound of "Diabolic Scheme." Strings, synths, head-spinning riffs, robotic backing vocals and gentler percussion? You go, boys.

Copying the Ramones? The Stooges? The Rolling Stones? It isn't the Hives' fault that they weren't born in the golden age of rock, and they know it. They do borrow quite a bit, but at least they don't do it badly. While they're not on the level of those rock legends, the Hives do produce good rock -- as in, not the cookie-cutter productions of Train and similar bands. As in, their sound is complex, evolving and shows some of the rebel spirit of classic punk.

Yes, they're a famous, hit band -- but that doesn't make them bad. Nor does the half-hour long playing time. Their music is a solid mixture of bass and guitar at the core of it all, with twisty melodies that have plenty of verve and punk spunk (I can't believe I just said that). But they add in new elements -- is that a tambourine I hear? And was that a Mexican guitar solo?

Howlin' Pelle Almqvist still yells a lot instead of singing, but at least he's good at it. His high yowls at the start of "Diabolic Scream" are an annoyance -- please, I'm trying to listen to that glorious music. But one area that the Hives have definitely worked on is: songwriting. No gooey girlfriend pop punk here. It's a celebration of noncomformity as Pelle sings "There's no deadbeat worker inside of me!" or the entire "Walk Idiot Walk" song.

The Hives prove that they're no one-hit wonder with "Tyrannosaurus Hives," a solid rock album that hints at their influences, yet explores new territory. A nice listen with some excellent songs.

The Hives, probably the band with the highest self esteem in the world (the frontman was qoted as saying "We love you but you love us more!", return for a fourth outing with a bang. Their three previous albums, "Barely Legal", a collection of poorly produced, sometimes painfully recorded songs that showed that the energy was certainly there. Their breakout album, "Veni Vidi Vicious" overflowed with engergy and put it in a better produced, more accessable package, naturally this was a huge hit. THen came the almost-an-EP "Your New Favorite Band" with had several cuts from Veni Vidi Vicious and not much interesting. Now comes "Tyrannysaurus Hives", upon a first listen you realize these guys are on some ungodly form of speed. This there is electricity flowing through every inch of this record, they even seem to find distortions that make you feel like if you touched your stereo, sparks would fly. Just listen to the first fifteen seconds of "B is for Brutus", this distortion is something I've never heard before, its so energetic without being painful the only comparibly "heavy distortion" guitar production ive heard is the Smashing Pumpkins "Saimese Dream". However in terms of the energy in the guitars, they are on opposite ends of the spectrum, on "Saimese Dream" is comes at you as a wall of smooth, almost beautiful, distortion; in "Tyrannosaurus Hives" the guitar is fast, choppy, agitated, and confident.

Track by track...here be go:

Abra Cadaver- this seem like its probably something written back aroudn the barely legal era, it has the same feel to it. Alquvest certainly knows how to constrcut lyrics that sound cool, even if you can't understand what he's saying.

Two Timing Touch And Broken Bones - Probably the coolest, tightest punk song ever written. The rythym in this song is pretty incredible, the only misstep is a slightly clunky chorus.

Walk Idiot Walk - Guitar sound like "Sticky Fingers" era stones. Vocals sound like like a very angry Sgt. Pepper. Clapping always makes everyone happy.

No Pun Intended - A straightforward punk song, nothing too interesting.

A Little More For You - Another song with with cool rhythym guitar work. This one has a more skaish feel towards the beginning, then turns into something more similar to AC/DC for its chorus. It works quite well, it has a nice building effect that you don't get much because Hives songs are so short usually.

B is for Brutus - this is my personal favorite. The distortion sounds like electricity. The riff is killer. The lyrics are defiant and in your face, just what a good Hives snobby punk rock song should be.

See Through Head - This is like a much better version of No Pun Intended. More stylized, has something to remember it by. A neat song.

Diabolic Scheme - You gotta give them credit for this song. Nothing in the song really works that well when you deconstruct it, but they do it with such conviction and it reminds you for a minute of why the Rolling Stones were so cool, you can't help but appreciate it for that.

Missing Link - Another rhythmic one, this time at twice the speed. Double as impressive as Two Timing, but not as original.

Love In Plaster - this one doesnt really tickle my fancy, but still adds synth to the list of experiments. Reminds one of Baba O'Riely, but it goes away just in time for you to realize that thats probably a bad thing.

Dead Quote Olympics - um, this songs great, but I really don't know why. It shouldn't be. It's just fun.

Antidote - The most straightforward rock song here. ONe guitar becomes two, add drums, then bass. Insert a cool riff, and lyrics that could be about naughty things. A nice closer, personanlly it doesn't quite wrap up the album the way "Supply and Demand" did for Veni Vidi Vicious, but hey, whatever.

A fantastic group of songs, clocking in at just over 30 minutes, you'd swear it was an hour and a half. Especially if you listen to it loud.

After hearing so much about The Hives, as well as "Hate To Say I Told You So" on MTV and "Main Offender" at an American Eagle store, I figured I'd take a chance on Veni Vidi Vicious. So I picked that up at a used CD store for $4.99. And, then, after really liking about half the album and hearing they had another CD coming out, I figured I'd pick that up on its release day while it was cheaper. At first, I kind of discarded it. But then after having a "Hives" day and listening to VVV two or three times straight, I decided to give this one another shot. And for some reason I loved it. From the quick-thinking, quick-paced "Abra Cadaver" to the way-too-catchy unpretentiousness of "Antidote" and everything in between, I felt as if I had heard a completely different album the second time. I guess all I really needed to do was give it a second chance, as they say.

Staying on pace with The Hives' debut (Barely Legal) and, more importantly VVV, Tyrannosaurus Hives is loveable non-stop punk-ish rock with a surplus of witty lyrics and haunting beats and riffs that go together better than meat and potatoes do. It is much better than Veni Vidi Vicious, in my opinion. Yes, this is an incredibly short album--almost exactly 30 minutes--but a great album. There's no space for waste. So there isn't a bad song on here; I usually only skip over "Love In Plaster" because it takes me about 26 minutes to get to work.

With all the highlights on this album, it's easier to start with its few pitfalls: "Love In Plaster", as I said, is a decent track though not quite on pace with the rest of the album's excellence. Not a big deal. Second, "Diabolic Scheme", the only 'slow' track, is nothing compared to VVV's infamous "Find Another Girl". But if you're not looking to compare between albums it compliments this album very nicely. It's a great let-go after the killer "See Through Head". Now for the (seemingly endless) highlights: they are, pretty much, every song that hasn't been mentioned yet. Maybe not "No Pun Intended" (great lyrics) and "A Little More For Little You" (great beat) so much, but certainly/absolutely/positively the remaining eight. In my opinion, "Abra Cadaver" and "Antidote" are the two best Hives songs to date. Taking its precedence from VVV's opener, "Abra" clocks in at just 1:33 but manages to get a lot across about being independent and needing 'no alibi'. Absolute genius. "Antidote" is lyrically more simple but musically stunning, featuring the timeless line: 'you want antidote I got the poison'. Fourth- and fifth-favorites "Walk Idiot Walk" and "Two-timing Touch And Broken Bones" were the singles; and for good reason. If you've heard 'em and liked 'em, don't waste your time reading this.... "B Is For Brutus" has to be the sleeper track here--my third favorite. Amid the great start of T-Hives, I tend to forget how good the smashing guitars in the chorus are. "See Through Head" takes no time in starting in. The endless chants of 'you got a head...' never get old. "Missing Link" is a super-fast tune about life's inane repetitions and redundancies that falls just short of the 2-minute mark and yet lacks nothing short of more handclaps. Then we have the oddly-titled "Dead Quote Olympics" which I happen to love more each time I hear it. The line '...it doesn't mean it's good cause you found it at the library' is rich; on top of '...and that moment that you live for - it doesn't live for you!' It's a definite hidden gem; as is this CD. You may not be able to find it as cheap as I found VVV, but quit spending your money on food and cloths and go and buy Tyrannosaurus Hives. Because after all, the Hives are law, and you are crime if you don't own this record.

The Hives' newest record is a solid followup to "Veni Vedi Vicious", pretty much taking up where that one left off. The songwriting is similar with simple, catchy guitar riffs and Pelle's trademark screaming without screeching vocals. I've heard a lot of comparisons to Devo on the new record but I don't think that is too evident, although it's there if you really try to hear it (a few songs have synth behind the guitars giving it a early 80s retro feel). This record has some good 60s influences that also have a 1979 mod revival-esque sound to it. This is especially clear in track 2 where I thought they were going to bust into "Steppin' Stone". For me The Hives have always had a heavy SONICS influence and that style of songwriting is super clear on this great 3rd record. If you like The Hives, check out 1965 garage band THE SONICS (Here are the Sonics & Sonics Boom) or even mod revival band LONG TALL SHORTY. I don't think The Hives are anything like the bands they are lumped with, such as White Stripes and The Strokes. The Hives have more of a punk sensibility and their garage influences seem more authentic. This is simple music that is stunningly complex.

Just for a note , maybe they came from out of the blue with Veni Vidi Vicous in America, but in Sweden this album was released in 1997 or something and people were listening alot to it back then and they did as great concerts then as now, almost better, but they do keep up that intense and more desperate version of the acclaimed energy some of the times now too. :) well it always rock anyhow, a desperate pelle or not so desperate but energetic and always seriously entertaining. So it has been some years between their last one and this. But I agree that they're definitive a live band and nothing else, really, even though their music always is great as basic stuff, and Pelle is divine, but the album is more of a recap of the concert experience. You should still buy it, at least those other two. It's not bad, it just isn't as great. I still love the Hives as a band and as entertainers, among other great bands. Blah this was the worst comment ever, I've got to go and do my english lessons beacuse I can't express myself at all. :(

Yeah i bet you dont hear those words too many times now a days, but this is what The Hives do best. This is a great 'rock 'n roll' album, yeah they do sound like past bands; but that is what they're trying to resurrect listen to the lyrics of 'no pun intended' this is lash out to their worst critics. I hope they keep trying to resurrect the sound of Elvis Costello, The Ramones, and other great bands that have been now forgotten; replaced with bands that only seek to become rich by meshing together popular genres.

I?m a huge fan to The Hives earlier albums, but none of them comes close to T.H when you look at the entire picture. When I put this album in my stereo for the first time I thought the windows in my house would crack. This is Rock n Roll at it?s best. I even began to sweat from listening to it. It was so exhausting.
-Abra Cadaver - Is a pure straight in your face punk song. They knock you down with their first song. But just when you thought it was safe to go back up song nr 2 starts...
-Two-timing touch and broken bones - Just when I got back up on my feet, this song completly blew my mind. It?s an instant classic, and maybe the best punk song written since..., since I don?t know. Will be a live favorit for sure.
-Walk idiot walk - The first single, a catchy rock song. At least you can now start to breath again from the schocking start on the album.
Well I could go on 4ever and praise them even more, but you all know what I think by now. The songs that stand out on the rest of the album is: A Little More For Little You, B is for Brutus, Dead Quote Olympics and Antidote. But as a album Tyrannosaurus Hives is a dinosaur that will crush anything in it?s way. The Hives is the best rock group today. Period.

I totally feel connected to the cat who saw these guys July 24, 2004 on David Letterman. These guys blew me away. Their lead singer is just awesome. He totally reminded me of Iggy Pop with all that energy, the camera closeups and his honesty. I loved it. I haven't seen somebody swing a mic like that since watching some old Who back from the early 70's! The only band thats given me the willies like that on TV were the Foo-Fighters on Letterman as well about 5 years ago. The Hives rock and rock well!!

Out of the blue, the Hives released "Veni Vidi Vicious" and suddenly became the new darlings of garage rock. And not without reason: this Swedish band rocks with a playful energy that's rarely matched by other bands of their ilk. Were you thinking that "Tyrannosaurus Hives," the followup, would disappoint? You'd be wrong. It's every bit as enjoyable as its predecessor, featuring 30 minutes of brash and hard electricity. It's a fun ride with catchy hooks, rock solid melodies, and tight instrumentation. Points of interest: killer tracks like "B Is for Brutus," the furious "No Pun Intended," "See Through Head," and the downtempo (yes, downtempo) "Diabolic Scheme," which is as close to a ballad as you'll probably hear from these guys. While the unexpected punch of "Veni Vidi Vicious" may be gone, the intensity of "Tyrannosaurus Hives" is undeniable. Recommended.