The Hives have returned with their sixth studio album, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons. Stream the record below.
Spanning 12 tracks and packing-in an impressive amount of Hives-esque angst, antics, and rock ‘n’ roll prowess, the album proves that just because the popularity of rock has waned in recent years doesn’t mean that one of the genre’s greatest purveyors has lost their touch. In fact, The Hives think there might even be a correlation: “I’m just saying that The Hives don’t release a record for 10 years, [and] rock becomes completely unpopular,” frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist told The New York Times. “Coincidence? We think not.”
Thankfully, The Hives weren’t alone in this endeavor. The making of The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons began like how all of their albums begin: with input from their fictional “mentor and songwriter,” Randy Fitzsimmons. This time, though, Fitzsimmons seems to have helped them from beyond the grave. “Following the recent discovery of a hidden-away obituary and cryptic poem… the band members were led to Fitzsimmons’ tombstone,” the album’s press release reads. “Upon digging the freshly interred ground, the band found not a body but instead several tapes, suits, and a piece of paper bearing the [album’s title].”
From there, the band teamed up with producer Patrik Berger (Charli XCX, Carly Rae Jepsen), hopped over to a studio belonging to ABBA’s Benny Andersson, and cut The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons. They announced the album in May, and preceded its release with some singles, like the high-energy “Bogus Operandi,” which got named Consequence’s Song of the Week.
The Hives are also in the midst of a massive tour. They just wrapped up a leg opening for Arctic Monkeys — who they described as the “only good really popular band” — and recently announced a new run of North American dates for the fall. Check out the full list of their upcoming dates, and grab your tickets here.
The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons Artwork:
The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons Tracklist:
01. Bogus Operandi
02. Trapdoor Solution
03. Countdown to Shutdown
04. Rigor Mortis Radio
05. Stick Up
06. Smoke & Mirrors
07. Crash Into the Weekend
08. Two Kinds of Trouble
09. The Way the Story Goes
10. The Bomb
11. What Did I Ever Do to You?
12. Step Out of the Way
