The Hives
Record review
Reviewed by Raoul Hernandez, Fri., July 30, 2004
The Hives
Tyrannosaurus Hives (Interscope) Little Steven Van Zandt probably peed himself when he first heard Tyrannosaurus Hives. The syndicated Mafioso of all things dank and subterranean would surely kill for the Fagersta Five, now certain to reign his garage airwaves like the king reptile the snotty Swedes named their third LP after. If 30:04 can be considered a "long-player." Fiercer than the previous Veni Vidi Vicious, more predatory than Barely Legal, Tyrannosaurus is ravenous for repeat plays, with its high ratio of memorables to album tracks (8:4). Ninety-second opener "Abra Cadaver" ("they tried to stick a dead body inside of me") is a fusillade of guitar, setting up the "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" intro to this boneyard's teeth-rattling best cut, "Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones," an overwound time bomb of a track. Tattoo needle "A Little More for Little You" clubs Rancid with the Swingin' Medallions, while burp gun "B Is for Brutus" shakes like a Senate assassination. Side one is perfect, a six-carrot nugget as casually cruel as ? & the Mysterians' "96 Tears" cranked to 78 rpm. The flip side ain't, yet "See Through Head" butts skulls with the short-circuiting "Love in Plaster," and "Dead Quote Olympics" nets gold on title alone. Leather jackets and jeans no more mark vintage garage rock than matching suits and spats, but the maniacal conviction with which the Hives tear nonsensical pop songs to shreds on Tyrannosaurus is no shuck 'n' jive. Spin it, Syl.
