Description
The Hives – Tyrannosaurus Hives – 180 Gram Vinyl Record
The Hives’ Tyrannosaurus Hives, released on July 20, 2004, is the Swedish garage rock band’s third studio album and the highly anticipated follow-up to their breakout Veni Vidi Vicious (2000). Coming at the height of the early-2000s garage rock revival—which included The Strokes, The White Stripes, and The Vines—Tyrannosaurus Hives doubled down on the band’s trademark sound: fast, sharp, and swaggering bursts of punk-infused rock delivered with tongue-in-cheek bravado. Where Veni Vidi Vicious had turned them into international stars with hits like “Hate to Say I Told You So,” the new album sought to prove that The Hives weren’t just a flash in the pan.
From the very start, Tyrannosaurus Hives is a whirlwind of energy. The opening track, “Abra Cadaver,” bursts out at breakneck speed, immediately reasserting the band’s identity as masters of the two-minute garage rock anthem. That momentum continues with “Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones,” one of the album’s standout singles, which pairs a relentless riff with Pelle Almqvist’s snarl, turning raw swagger into infectious pop-punk. Another single, “Walk Idiot Walk,” became a hit on both alternative radio and MTV, its stomping beat and chant-like hook cementing it as one of the band’s signature tracks.
Throughout the record, The Hives keep things concise and tightly wound. At just over 30 minutes long, the album is all about intensity and punch—no song overstays its welcome. Tracks like “See Through Head” and “Dead Quote Olympics” showcase their knack for spiky riffs and driving rhythms, while “Diabolic Scheme” slows the tempo slightly to reveal a darker, more theatrical edge, hinting at the band’s versatility beneath all the frantic fun. “B is for Brutus” plays like a sardonic sing-along, highlighting the band’s playful, almost cartoonish attitude.
Tyrannosaurus Hives is brimming with wit, sarcasm, and attitude. Pelle Almqvist, often performing in a persona somewhere between carnival barker and rock ’n’ roll preacher, delivers lines with a mix of confidence and parody. The Hives have always thrived on exaggeration and self-mythology—casting themselves as the greatest band in the world—and this album leans into that persona even harder, with songs that revel in arrogance, bravado, and irony.
The album refines the raw garage rock of their earlier work with slightly slicker production, courtesy of Randy Fitzsimmons (the band’s mysterious “sixth member” and credited songwriter). The guitars of Mikael “Vigilante Carlstroem” and Niklas “Arson” Almqvist are razor-sharp, Steve Almqvist’s drumming is precise and pummeling, and Mattias Bärjed’s bass drives everything forward with propulsive force. While the album doesn’t reinvent the band’s formula, it amplifies it—more polished, but still frantic, loud, and fun.
Tyrannosaurus Hives received generally positive reviews. Some praised its energy, humor, and commitment to brevity, calling it one of the most entertaining rock records of the mid-2000s. Others criticized it for lacking variety, arguing that the songs blurred together and offered little growth beyond Veni Vidi Vicious. Still, its singles kept the band firmly in the public eye, and its brash confidence reinforced The Hives’ reputation as one of the most exciting live acts of their era.
Tyrannosaurus Hives captures the garage rock revival at full tilt. It may not have had the same cultural impact as their breakthrough, but it solidified The Hives’ identity as a band that thrives on speed, style, and showmanship. With its sharp riffs, relentless energy, and cheeky bravado, the album embodies exactly what The Hives promised: unapologetic, high-octane rock ’n’ roll that’s as much about attitude as it is about music.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Abra Cadaver
Two-Timing Touch And Broken Bones
Walk Idiot Walk
No Pun Intended
A Little More For Little You
B Is For Brutus
See Through Head
Diabolic Scheme
Missing Link
Love In Plaster
Dead Quote Olympics
Antidote
