by
The Hives
- Record Label: Warner Bros. / Burning Heart / Epitaph
- Release Date: Apr 30, 2002
- Critic score
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- By date
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The Hives explode where a hundred other punk bands are proud to rock.
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Veni Vidi Vicious literally explodes with frenetic guitar jangle and audacious hooks.
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Plenty of fuzzed, struttin', propulsive guitar work on this disc to assault your ears.
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Those dependable fuzz tones never get tired, so long as they're accompanied by a propulsive backbeat, maximum adrenaline and a modicum of melody, and Sweden's Hives have all of that.
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Vicious is a combination of punk's snottiness, Detroit rock's raw power and the stylized blues freak-outs of bands like Pussy Galore.
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While brevity alone isn't automatically a virtue, the songs here contain enough ample surprises, and hidden rewards, that there's nothing lacking even as the Hives smartly employ the logic of "always leave them wanting more."
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BlenderTheir propulsive intensity busts down garage doors, stumbling only with the wrongheaded ersatz cocktail ballad. [#8, p.117]
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Alternative PressThey came, they saw, they rocked viciously. [Jul. 2002, p.82]
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The Hives seem to have approached Vicious with one aim in mind: to rock hard -- for 27 minutes straight. Even more impressively, they actually pull it off.
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On Veni Vidi Vicious, the band plays like rascals on their way to jail, with the prospect of conjugal visits depending on the music's extroverted energy.
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Entertainment WeeklyThey almost vindicate the near-deafening hoopla that preceded this major-label debut. [10 May 2002, p.80]
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Instead of coming from noise and chaos, they're rooted in pastiche and show business-- especially on their one midtempo song, the 50s pop knockoff "Find Another Girl." Your parents might dig this album as much as you do.
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The Hives' brand of neo-garage leans heavy on punk and lacks nuance, but the unification of speed, volume, and shake generates a scalding steam.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 42 out of 44
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Mixed: 1 out of 44
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Negative: 1 out of 44
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Jun 12, 2012
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Apr 25, 2012
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EricSNov 22, 2007