The Hives

The Hives
The Hives performing in July 2018; from left to right: Vigilante Carlstroem, The Johan and Only, Howlin' Pelle Almqvist, Chris Dangerous, Nicholaus Arson
Background information
Origin	Fagersta, Sweden
Genres	Garage rock revival garage punk
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Disques Hives Polydor A&M/Octone Interscope Columbia Universal Epitaph Burning Heart Third Man
Members	Howlin' Pelle Almqvist Nicholaus Arson Vigilante Carlstroem Chris Dangerous The Johan and Only
Past members	Dr. Matt Destruction
Website	thehives.com

The Hives are a Swedish rock band formed in Fagersta in 1993. After gaining traction in Sweden through the 1990s, they rose to worldwide prominence in the early 2000s during the garage rock revival. The band's line-up—consisting of Howlin' Pelle Almqvist (vocals), Nicholaus Arson (lead guitar, backing vocals), Vigilante Carlstroem (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Dr. Matt Destruction (bass), and Chris Dangerous (drums)—remained unchanged from 1993 until 2013, when Matt Destruction retired for health reasons and was replaced by The Johan and Only.

The Hives have released six studio albums: Barely Legal (1997), Veni Vidi Vicious (2000), Tyrannosaurus Hives (2004), The Black and White Album (2007), Lex Hives (2012), and The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons (2023). They have also released the compilation album Your New Favourite Band (2001), the live DVD Tussles in Brussels (2005), and the live album Live at Third Man Records (2020). Their mainstream success came with the release of Veni Vidi Vicious and its single "Hate to Say I Told You So", considered their signature song. They are known for always dressing in matching black-and-white tuxedos and for their energetic and eccentric live shows, with critics hailing them as one of the best live rock bands of the last two decades.^[1][2][3]