The story behind the album title The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons is a bit of weird and macabre. The Hives are a Swedish rock band, whose founding member and songwriter Randy Fitzsimmons did not want to be in public (or never existed). Recently, an ad guided the map to an imaginary grave, in which the band found tapes with demos and the words The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons. Weird story from the Västmanland region or just good marketing? I don’t know – but I can at least judge on their music. The album with the spooky name has been released in 11th August 2023.
The Hives – About The Artists
The Hives have been founded in 1993 in Fagersta, Sweden. Apart from the mentor Fitzsimmons already mentioned, the band consisted of Howlin’ Pelle Amqvist (civil name: Per Almqvist, vocals), Nicholas Arson (Niklas Almqvist), Vigilante Carlstroem (Mikael Karlsson, both guitar), Chris Dangerous (Chrstian Grahn, drums and percussion) and Dr. Matt Destruction (Mattias Bernvall, bass). Only the bassist has been replaced in 2013 by The Johan and Only (Johan Gustafsson). While the band’s first two albums just had limited success, the 2004 Tyrannosaurus Hives did not only top the domestic charts, but sold well all over Europe, Australia and the United States. Also the following two albums were successful. However, the band went on a hiatus from releasing albums with the 2012 Lex Hives release. Thus, this album is the first one after more than eleven years.
The Hives – The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons – Track by Track
The twelve song album lasts 32 minutes.
1. Bogus Operandi
The opener, which has also been a single release, kicks off the album with a lot of energy. The song is powerful, but also cheeky and a bit of dirty. Just like a good rock should feel. The fade-out might have been stronger if they shortened it, though.
2. Trapdoor Solution
The second track just lasts 64 seconds. However, you just cannot see it as an interlude only. It is just a damn fast rock’n’roll track. Trapdoor Solution is doing rock music like doing a 100 meter sprint in track & field.
3. Countdown To Shutdown
Due to the short second track, it is a fast transition fro, the opener to the second single release. Countdown To Shutdown is having a great groove and is a fabulous showcase for The Johan and Only on the bass. Fun song, with has a lot of party and live show potential.
4. Rigor Mortis Radio
One characteristic of this album is that many songs are surprisingly short. Thus, there is a lot of variety and always something new happening. The next two tracks, for example, are both shorter than 2:30 minutes. Rigor Mortis Radio however does not leave too much of a mark. The pop-ish clapping rhythm is the song’s main feature.
5. Stick Up
Especially due to the very present backing choir and the brass-alike background, the short Stick Up is adding some new sounds and features to the album. Especially the stomping-marching hook of the song leads to a nice catch.
6. Smoke & Mirrors
Smoke & Mirrors is a catching, fancy rock song. Again, the choir-alike arrangement of the vocals lead to the desire to sing a long with the band. The melody is just that intuitive, it stays in your mind.
7. Crash Into The Weekend
After you sang to Smoke & Mirrors, you clap your hands to the very present rhythm of Crash Into The Weekend. That’s definitely the most present part of this song. I would love to tell more about it.
8. Two Kinds Of Trouble
Two Kinds Of Trouble reminds me a bit of the opener. It again comes with the cheeky and forceful style of Bogus Operandi, which leans towards punk rock. The song has a nice plot with quite some interesting elements towards its end as well.
9. The Way The Story Goes
The ninth track starts with some synth orgy and then turns into a snotty and dirty rocker. The Swedes rather sound like a really talented school band than a band with decades of experience. But they are masters of snottiness and thus I like The Way The Story Goes.
10. The Bomb
2:19 minutes of The Bomb – it is time for a sprint track again. The band is giving full speed and is not stopping until the song is over. The crowds will get mad when this song is performed on stage.
11. What Did I Ever Do To You?
After this quick listen, the second last song feels like a relaxing, slow one. On the melodic side, the song is majorly driven by synth lines. Not a bad song, but What Did I Ever Do To You? just does not work well in the context of the other songs.
12. Step Out Of The Way
The great finale makes it in just less than 100 seconds. You know what that means – especially Chris Dangerous has to work hard on the drum kit. However, it is again just a short effort – so let’s have a short and hard party with the last song of the first The Hives album after eleven years.
The Hives – The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons – Spotify
Here is The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons on Spotify:
The Hives – The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons – My View
I love when The Hives are rocking. It is cool to have the Swedish band back in the studio, back on a record. Overall, the album is really nice – but some songs just don’t work out or even feel a bit of disturbing. Nonetheless, it is quite amazing what kind of cultural heritage Swedish people find in graves – which likely don’t even exist at all. Overall, a nice experience.
Favorite Song: The Bomb
Swedish Music
Here are all my Music & Media postings related to Sweden.

Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 08 September 2023)


Marduk – Memento Mori



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 28 July 2023)


waterbaby – Foam EP



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 02 June 2023)



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 26 May 2023)



My Favorite Eurovision Song Contest Songs



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 05 May 2023)



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 28 April 2023)


Grand Design – Rawk



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 14 April 2023)


Tribulation – Hamartia EP



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 31 March 2023)



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 10 February 2023)



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 03 February 2023)



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 27 January 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 16 December 2022)


Shaam Larein – Stick En Kniv I Världen


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 18 November 2022)


Weird Al Yankovic is touring Europe 2023 – Tour Dates and Travel Hints


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 28 October 2022)


Fireside – Bin Juice


PG Roxette – Pop-Up Dynamo!


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 30 September 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 02 September 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 26 August 2022)


Lugnet – Tales From The Great Beyond


Thundermother – Black And Gold


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 12 August 2022)


Amon Amarth – The Great Heathen Army


H.E.A.T. – Force Majeure


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 29 July 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 08 July 2022)


Spotlight – Flyctory.com meets Tomas Rimeika (14th June 2022)


Johnossi (12th June 2022, Cologne)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 3 June 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 29 April 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 22 April 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 08 April 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 25 March 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 11 March 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 04 March 2022)


Emma Elisabeth – Some Kind of Paradise


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 25 Feb 2022)


The Search – Extras


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 11 Feb 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 21 Jan 2022)


Autumn’s Child – Zenith


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 31 Dec 2021)


Flyctory.com – My Favorite Songs 2021


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 17 Dec 2021)


Some Non-Country Christmas Songs 2021


Lisa Wanloo – Shadows


Roxette – Joyride (30th Anniversary Edition)


ABBA – Voyage


Hulkoff – Ragnarök


tAKiDA – Falling From Fame


Grizfolk – Grizfolk


De Arma – Strayed In Shadows


Black River Delta – Shakin’


Anders Enda Barnet – You Are The River


Barbarisms – Zugzwang


Heart Healer – The Metal Opera by Magnus Karlsson


The Paper Kites – Roses


Zara Larsson – Poster Girl


Songs Of My Life: Piero Umiliani – Mah Nah Mah Na


Flyctory.com – My Favorite Albums / EPs 2020


Majestica – A Christmas Carol


Per Gessle – Gammal kärlek rostar aldrig


Spotlight – Flyctory.com meet Sandra North (10th August 2020)


Thundermother – Heat Wave


Mando Diao – All The People EP


Maple & Rye – For Everything


A Choir of Ghosts – An Ounce of Gold


Hammerfall – Dominion
Flyctory.com about Germany 2023
Here are all my 2023-published posts related to Germany:


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 22 September 2023)


Ron Pope (23rd September 2023, Cologne)


Rising Wings – Reach


Car Rental Review – Europcar Stuttgart Main Station – Fiat 500X


Home Free (20th September 2023, Hamburg)


The Privilege of the Loo – On Bathroom Distribution in Airplanes


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 15 September 2023)


Rock of Ages – 2024 International Dates of the Musical


Flying with FLN Frisia-Luftverkehr from Harle (EDXP) to Wangerooge (AGE)



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 08 September 2023)


The Blackwhitecolorful – Brace for Impact


Bellucci Boi – Lost in Berlin EP


Food I Had Onboard X (July 2023 til early September 2023)


SkyTrain Dusseldorf Airport


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 01 September 2023)


Melanie Wiegmann & Carl Carlton – Glory of Love


ibis Kassel


Heart To Heart Event (29th August 2023, Düsseldorf)


Gregor McEwan – Going Solo


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 25 August 2023)


Philipp Artmann – Guten Morgen schönes Leben


RiKu Hotel Pfullendorf


Duisburg Harbor Cruise with Weisse Flotte


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 18 August 2023)


Sleazy – Back on Track


Madsen – Hollywood


Songs Of My Life: Doro – The Fortuneteller


Bergischer HC (Handball) at Uni-Halle Wuppertal


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 11 August 2023)


Mo-Torres – Heute war alles Besser


Heart to Heart – Semmel Concerts Introduces the Songwriters Round to Germany


Home is where the heart is – My Twelve Favorite Cities of the World


The FC St. Pauli Museum (Kiezbeben)


Pullman Cologne


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 04 August 2023)


Ludwig Wright – Turn of Tides or Where the Waves Come From


X-Perience – We Travel The World


Hanna Sikasa – Sequel


Air France / KLM Lounge Frankfurt Airport (FRA)


Mercure Hotel Severinshof Cologne City


#TrueAthletes Classics Leverkusen 2023 – Track Events



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 28 July 2023)


#TrueAthletes Classics Leverkusen 2023 – Field Events


Sasha – Toto und der Mann im Mond (music album)


Ben Zucker (28th July 2023, Monheim)


Santans – Koi Boi EP


Fury in the Slaughterhouse – Hope


Hampton by Hilton Dortmund Phoenix See


Mercure Cologne City Friesenstrasse


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 21 July 2023)


Cygnotic – Mortal Dreamers


Later Sons – Rise Up


Hamburg Coffee Museum Burg


nhow Frankfurt


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 14 July 2023)


Tom Astor – Wieder da!


German Athletics Nationals 2023 – Day 2 Track (9th July 2023)


German Athletics Nationals 2023 – Day 2 Field (9th July 2023)


German Athletics Nationals 2023 – Day 1 Field (8th July 2023)


German Athletics Nationals 2023 – Day 1 Track (8th July 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 07 July 2023)


Seepark Biker Days Pfullendorf 2023 – Atmosphere & Impressions


Seepark Biker Days Pfullendorf 2023 – Day 3 Concerts (2nd July)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 30 June 2023)


Seepark Biker Days Pfullendorf 2023 – Day 2 Concerts (1st July)


Seepark Biker Days Pfullendorf 2023 – Day 1 Concerts (30th June)


Crown of Things – Louder Love


Seepark Biker Days Pfullendorf 2023 – A Preview


There is a single Büchting Street in Germany – and I take you there


Food I Had Onboard IX (Mid-May 2023 til June 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 23 June 2023)


Mental Cruelty – Zwielicht


Pascal Blenke – Gedankenspiele


Hilton Dusseldorf


Rock of Ages UK Tour – A Personal Farewell and Thanks


Wuppertaler Schwebebahn (Wuppertal Suspension Railroad)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 16 June 2023)


Sea Life Munich


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 09 June 2023)


Rock of Ages (9th June 2023, Solingen)


Melia Berlin


The Deslondes (6th June 2023, Cologne)


Milky Chance – Living In A Haze


Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp Memorial



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 02 June 2023)


Silbermond – Auf Auf


Saturn Oil Open 2023: R. Ramanathan (IND) / N. Zimonjic (SRB) – D. Brown (JAM) / T. Sandkaulen (GER) 4-6 7-6(4) x-1(9-11))



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 26 May 2023)


Grenzenlos – AntiXtrem


Everette & Austin Jenckes (23rd May 2023, Cologne)


Sören Vogelsang – Optimismus Prime


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 19 May 2023)


Palila – Mind My Mind


Marathonmann – Maniac


Moor – Heavy Heart


Food I Had Onboard VIII (April 2023 til Mid-May 2023)


Kip Moore (14th May 2023, Cologne)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 12 May 2023)


Rahel – Blessed EP


Drielandenpunt Vaalserberg – Where Netherlands meet Belgium and Germany



My Favorite Eurovision Song Contest Songs


Adagio Hotel Bremen


Indecent Behavior – Therapy In Melody


Songs Of My Life: Guildo Horn – Guildo Hat Euch Lieb!



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 05 May 2023)


Andreas Diehlmann Band – Long Way To Go


Sebel – Der Boxer


Tino Z – Bluesman



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 28 April 2023)


Traveling on Iceland’s Ring Road (Day 1 – 29th April 2023) – Germany to Hella


Philip Bradatsch – Philip Bradatsch


Storm Seeker – Nautic Force


Spotlight – Flyctory.com meets Martina (27th April 2023)


Nature Museum (Naturmuseum) Dortmund


Travel all Germany for 49 EUR a Month? The New Deutschland Ticket


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 21 April 2023)


Kati von Schwerin – Welcome Back Home


The Longest Johns (21st April 2023, Cologne)


Riding the Heidelberg Funiculars



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 14 April 2023)


Musa Dagh – No Future


German Rail (Deutsche Bahn) Lounge Hamburg – Premium Area


IntercityHotel Hannover Hauptbahnhof Ost


North West – Hamburg


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 07 April 2023)


Zartbitter – Hier und Jetzt


Rock of Ages Opening Night – Red Carpet Impressions


Rock of Ages (German Tour Opening Night in Munich, 5th April 2023)


Zoo Zajac (Duisburg) – The World Largest Pet Store



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 31 March 2023)


Wolkenfrei – Hotel Tropicana


VIVA – Das ist die Wahrheit


Hampton by Hilton Frankfurt Airport


Food I Had Onboard VII (mid-February 2023 til March 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 24 March 2023)


SSF Dragons Bonn – Red Devils Wernigerode 5-4 (2-2, 0-2, 3-0)


Black Hawk – Soulkeeper


Matthias Reim (24th March 2023, Oberhausen)


Sophia – Niemals Allein


Leony – Somewhere in Between


Premier Inn Hamburg St. Pauli


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 17 March 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 10 March 2023)


Mael & Jonas – Rocket Science


Car Rental Review – Sixt Goslar – Audi A6 Quattro


H+ Hotel Köln Brühl


Weird Al Yankovic tours Europe 2023 – My Reprise


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 03 March 2023)


Wolfgang Petry – Stark wie wir


Lina – 24/1


Mitchell Tenpenny & Morgan Evans (3rd March 2023, Hamburg)


AnnenMayKantereit – Es ist Abend und wir sitzen bei mir


Helge Schneider – Torero


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 24 February 2023)


Endlevel – Weekend War


Antonia Kubas – Liebe und Musik EP


Five Years of Flyctory.com – My 20 Most Popular Travel Posts (so far…)


OH FYO! – Level 3: Discovery


Tanzwut – Silberne Hochzeit


Jim “Kimo” West is playing the very first German Weird Al Show tonight – he is back with “Nacht der Gitarren” in Fall


Food I Had Onboard VI (December 2022 til mid-February 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 17 February 2023)


Julian Taylor (15th February 2023, Cologne)


Malte Vief und Malte Viefs Kammer – Kammer III



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 10 February 2023)


The Legendary – Warlord


Hilton Munich City



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 03 February 2023)


Donots – Heut ist ein guter Tag


The Rehats – Heart & Mind


Premier Inn Saarbruecken City Centre


Robert Forster – The Candle and the Flame


Bitburger Brewery World


ISTAF Indoor Duesseldorf (29th January 2023)



Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 27 January 2023)


IUMA – Genug EP


Umme Block – State Of Limbo


Kane Brown (27th January 2023, Cologne)


German Rail (Deutsche Bahn) Premium Lounge Berlin Main Station


Mono Inc. – Ravenblack


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 20 January 2023)


Alexander Liebe – Spielautomat


Keimzeit Akustik Quintett – Schon gar nicht Proust


Sonic Wildhearts – Get It On


Regiohotel Schanzenhaus Wernigerode


Wellnest Private Spa Essen


All German States (and the Eleven Biggest Cities) on one Rail Ticket – Part 2


All German States (and the eleven biggest Cities) on one Rail Ticket – Part 1


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 13 January 2023)


Ski Holiday – Ski Holadiy


Groenalund – #lovestorm


Hambach Surface Mining – The Largest Man-Made Hole in the World


Red Devils Wernigerode – Berlin Rockets 8-11 (1-2, 2-6, 5-3)


Red Devils Wernigerode – UHC Weissenfels 6-5 (2-3, 3-1, 1-1)


Hotel Fürst Bismarck (Hamburg)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 06 January 2023)


Singapore Airlines A380 Premium Economy


Wasserturm Hotel Cologne (Curio Collection by Hilton)


Frankfurt Airport (Fraport) Visitors’ Center

