The Black And White Album
by The Hives
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 34 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 34
  3. Negative: 5 out of 34

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  1. NickC.
    Nov 26, 2007
    3
    Auto-tuned pro-tools synthetic garage rock. So many bands do it better than this silly group. If you want good ol fashioned rock listen to BRMC or The Red Bennies. This band will soon be forgotten.
  2. MichaelL.
    Nov 20, 2007
    8
    Somewhere in the universe, there's room for a band that actually sound like there having fun out there. If The Hives can't live in that space, who the hell can?
  3. AndreB.
    Nov 30, 2007
    9
    Excellent album. Once you have seen them live, you understand their sound and approciate it a lot more.
  4. Psy
    Nov 13, 2007
    2
    Omg, I used to like these boys.
  5. DavidÅ.
    Nov 20, 2007
    10
    Best album out of Hives so far!
  6. JakeG.
    Nov 13, 2007
    9
    The Hives are still proving themselves to be undoubtedly the most creative and forward thinking rock bands of the last decade. Throw in Pharell Williams on a couple tracks and you nearly have a masterpiece.
  7. MasT.
    Nov 13, 2007
    10
    This is by far the best album they have done to date, and they are one of the best bands around these days.
  8. DavidB.
    Nov 13, 2007
    10
    When you sing along to the choruses in the first listen of the album, you know you've got gold in your ears. The reigning regents of rock and roll are back.
  9. MislavF
    Nov 15, 2007
    8
    A great CD. It sounds different and much longer than their last two CDs, but the songs are longer and give this CD a different feel. Highly recommended.
  10. Denis
    Nov 15, 2007
    10
    The Hives have outdone themselves once again. To the hardcore Hives fanatic, tracks like "T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S." and "A Stroll Through Hive Manor Corridors" are new territory, but ultimately, as usual, territory that The Hives conquer and dominate.
  11. Jonatan
    Dec 14, 2007
    10
    The best rock album of the year. Excellent songs, like You Got It All Wrong, Hey Little World and Bigger Hole to Fill.
  12. JohnB.
    Dec 17, 2007
    9
    Great step forward for a band that should be topping charts in the US.
  13. ChrisU.
    Nov 12, 2007
    6
    Sputnikmusic's review is right on. Some songs are good (sticking to the very familiar but well constructed Hives' template), such as Try It Again, You Got It All Wrong, and Bigger Hole To Fill, while some songs aren't so good (trying too hard to stretch the scope of the band's sound), such as T H E H I V E S, etc. The latter are somewhat interesting simply because it Sputnikmusic's review is right on. Some songs are good (sticking to the very familiar but well constructed Hives' template), such as Try It Again, You Got It All Wrong, and Bigger Hole To Fill, while some songs aren't so good (trying too hard to stretch the scope of the band's sound), such as T H E H I V E S, etc. The latter are somewhat interesting simply because it is The Hives straying away from being The Hives, but aren't good enough or complete enough to keep you coming back. Still others fall somewhere inbetween. Almzvist's lyrics are the biggest dissappointment here, with most of the songs containing lines that either sound like a seventh grader wrote them or thoughts don't make much sense at all. I suppose that has always been The Hives' weakest point, though. Like the review stated, once you have spun this disc a few times to take all of it in, you realize what was fun to hear once, but can be left behind. Once those songs are eliminate, you are left with just over half of an album that is a fun romp through the familiar frenzy of Hiveland. Hence, the score of 6. I will say this, when they are on, they can rock it like no Swedes I have ever heard before. Dare I say they have slightly improved upon their usual formula, making the songs longer (with better construction) than the 2 minute rapid-fire assault of Veni Vidi Vicious. Okay, fine: 6 1/2. Well, no, wait: 6 1/4. Whatever.… Expand
  14. SilverMan
    Jun 12, 2012
    6
    Yeah, The Hives are not punk anymore...Their last albums have more fast, aggressive and catchy songs. It doesn't mean that TBAWA is slower and boring. "Tick Tick Boom" and "Hey Little World are great rock songs, but if you listen to songs like "Giddy Up! or "Puppet On A String", you'll rapidly think: This is no rock! It's a weak album, but The Hives still got one of the best liveYeah, The Hives are not punk anymore...Their last albums have more fast, aggressive and catchy songs. It doesn't mean that TBAWA is slower and boring. "Tick Tick Boom" and "Hey Little World are great rock songs, but if you listen to songs like "Giddy Up! or "Puppet On A String", you'll rapidly think: This is no rock! It's a weak album, but The Hives still got one of the best live perfomances on Earth.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. BBC collective
    90
    Throughout, monster riffs abound. Perhaps this monochrome-clad cartoon combo are as great as singer Howlin’ Pelle always said they were.
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  2. Blender
    60
    Most of the album, like the single 'Tick Tock Boom,' sticks to formula. [Nov 2007, p.150]
  3. Dot Music
    60
    The Black And White Album feels less like a fresh start than the end of something.
    Read full review
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