The Hives… on a creative hiatus… surely not? Yet, while it has been over ten years since the Swedish band’s last album, 2012’s Lex Hives, anyone fearing they have fallen into the ageing rock cliche of an act touring on past glories can rest easy. Yes, The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons is The Hives first full album in over a decade, but as its macabre title hints, the reason for the band’s absence from the studio has been uniquely and suitably The Hives. There was a problem… the increasingly long absence of The Hives’ founder, mentor and songwriter, the limelight-shunning Randy Fitzsimmons. Now, returning for their final act since his mysterious disappearance, the band have delivered a record that is not just worthy of their legacy, but one that adds fresh lustre to The Hives. The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons is a true renaissance.