“Every single song a single, every single a hit, every hit a direct hit in the face of the man”: The Hives big up their new Mike D-co-produced record

The Hives - Enough Is Enough (Official Music Video) - YouTube

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Swedish garage rockers The Hives have announced their return. They have a new album out in August, titled, with their customary self-effacement, ‘The Hives Forever Forever The Hives’.

It’s their seventh in total and follows comparatively hot on the heels of their last, The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons, in 2023. Interestingly, it’s co-produced by ex-Beastie Boy Mike D and features contributions from Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme.

Press releases aren’t usually worth quoting for these sort of things, but The Hives' unhinged-but tongue-in-cheek bravado is always worth a giggle. They describe the new record as “a new body of work the likes of which have never been heard or indeed probably will again.

"A new record so full of energy, joy, anger and life that you will be questioning reality as you have known it... Every single song a single, every single a hit, every hit a direct hit in the face of the man.”

Every new Hives album comes with a new look and this one involves them posing on the cover in crowns and regal ermine; the reigning monarchs of international garage rock. Apparently, the crowns are replicas of the one that King Charles wore at his coronation in May 2023.

They’ve also shared a new single, Enough Is Enough which comes with a video filmed in Budapest with frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist in the boxing ring. Almqvist has also been speaking to the NME about the album and in typically modest style has declared it to be their best to date:

“After 30 years of being a band, we’re at the peak of our powers. That doesn’t happen a lot. I’ve studied rock history and it’s super rare. Judge for yourselves, but I’m assuming you’re going to agree.”

Oh and there’s a tour too, which starts in Australia in July before moving onto the United States and then Europe. Four UK dates have been confirmed for Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and London’s Alexandra Palace in late November. For details click here.

The Hives Forever Forever The Hives will be out via Play It Again Sam on August 29.