The Hives
– Veni Vidi Vicious
Swedish garage rock revivalists The Hives didn’t come to mess around. Veni Vidi Vicious is 28 minutes of pure adrenaline—no filler, no wasted motion, just hook after hook, riff after riff, all delivered with a sneer and a strut. It’s the kind of album that grabs you by the collar, shakes you around, and leaves you grinning like an idiot.
This is rock ‘n’ roll boiled down to its most essential elements: pounding drums, razor-sharp guitars, and frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist howling like he’s trying to start a riot. There’s nothing fancy here, but that’s the whole point. The Hives take the blueprint laid down by The Stooges, The Ramones, and early punk, strip it to the bone, and inject it with a level of cocky precision that makes every song feel like an anthem. It’s all about speed, attitude, and the kind of choruses that make you want to throw your drink in the air and kick over a table.
But what really sets Veni Vidi Vicious apart is its sense of control. Beneath the chaos, everything is tight, sharp, and perfectly placed. The band might sound like they’re about to fly off the rails, but they never do. It’s all part of the act, and they play it to perfection.
Choice Tracks
Hate to Say I Told You So
The defining Hives track. That opening riff is pure gold, and once it kicks in, there’s no escape. Almqvist’s sneering delivery turns every line into a taunt, and the whole thing is over before you even have a chance to catch your breath.
Main Offender
A short, brutal stomp with a riff that sounds like it was carved out of stone. The bassline grooves hard, the guitars slash through the mix, and the attitude is off the charts.
Die, All Right!
Fast, frantic, and dripping with arrogance. The drums hit like a punch to the gut, and Almqvist sounds like he’s having the time of his life leading the charge.
Supply and Demand
A perfect example of how The Hives build tension and then explode. The stop-start riff keeps you on edge, and when it all finally crashes down, it feels like a victory lap.
The Hives Are Law, You Are Crime
One minute long, pure chaos. It’s the sound of a band kicking down the door and laughing about it.
Veni Vidi Vicious doesn’t waste a second. It’s lean, loud, and completely in your face. The Hives came, they saw, and they left behind one of the best garage rock records of the 2000s.