Tyrannosaurus Hives

The Hives: Howlin' Pelle Almquist, Nicholaus Arson, Vigilante Carlstroem, Dr. Matt Destruction, Chris Dangerous.
Riding high on the success of their second full-length album VENI VIDI VICIOUS, and the singles collection YOUR NEW FAVOURITE BAND, the Hives returned to blow more doors open with 2004's TYRANNOSAURUS HIVES. Steeped inexorably in the influence of the Stooges, the New York Dolls, and the nervous, jittery punk and New Wave of CBGB's golden era, this Swedish quintet offers up a rock & roll brew difficult to resist. With their dependably raucous party vibe, the Hives churn out spastic, riff-driven tunes with sing-along choruses over taunt grooves and jackhammer rhythms.
From tongue-in-cheek monster-movie blues ("Diabolic Scheme") to the herky-jerky, Devo-esque "Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones," to the bouncy fun of the album's lead-off single "Walk Idiot Walk," the Hives push all the right rock buttons. Garage-bred aesthetics, like fist-pumping anthemic choruses and singer Howlin' Pelle Almquist's rasp-scream, are nicely counterbalanced by crisp production and the occasional keyboard embellishment. While they're not stunningly original, it is hard to argue with the Hives. This is everything rock music should be--catchy, rhythmically infectious, and unapologetically wild.