Album Review Wire - Mind Hive

Not many bands can legitimately claim to have invented a genre, but back in the heady days of 1976 Wire managed to do just that, pioneering the post-punk sound even before punk had really started to get going.

Since their reformation in 1999 the group have continued their quest for the new, taking a deep dive into the dirge. Gone are the angular guitars of old, replaced with grinding psychedelia that drags the listener on a journey through music’s past and present. Mind Hive sees the group develop this sound further, adding elements of metal on opener ‘Be Like Them’ and skewed pop on ‘Off The Beach’ to push things forward. While the days of inventing genre may be long gone, with ‘Mind Hive’, Wire have proven that it’s possible to stretch possibilities through the introduction of outside influence. Youngsters take note, the past can be your friend.