Weekly Nostalgia: Refused
 

Aesthetically, no one wants to ever be told what to expect. If a sound is so far off course from the norm, sometimes we don't even retain what just hit us right away. Like any sort of genre-defying move, the ideas eventually get regurgitated and overly run into the ground, or the ideas stem from earlier ground that never surfaced and took notice on a major level first. Refused has written their history with their 1998 album, The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimercial Bombination in 12 Bursts. It was an album inspired by an inner circle of friends and musicians in Sweden who were constantly trying to out do each other creatively. Only two years before, the band released Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent. It was brash and influenced by 80's American hardcore and the "new school" hardcore of bands such as Gorilla Biscuits and Born Against. But it would be The Shape of Punk to Come that would change everything. Some punk traditionalists hated it, while others (across any sort of genre) embraced its ideas of combining jazz, classical, and punk into one delicious gumbo. Before it even had the chance to take off, the band up and called it quits, but the album and their legacy still lives on today. Rumors flew this week of a reunion, but it will be nothing more than a reissue of the now classic album that holds influence over so many. On the track "Tannhäuser /Derivè" vocalist Dennis Lyxzén screams out "So where do we go from here? Just about anywhere!" It's refreshing. That statement still resonates today. At least, I hope it does. Too bad Refused are fucking dead. Long live Refused.

The Shape of Punk to Come = one of the best albums ever.

These guys were so influential. The Shape of Punk to Come hands down could be consider one of the best punk or best albums of all time, especially in regards to creativity.

Refused may be fucking dead but I still listen to them religiously.

awesome pick Adam, touche.

In my opinion the greatest album ever made.

Never checked them out before, will listen

the shape of punk to come was a 1998 release, not 1997.

Great band.

I thought the title was so wrong when I heard the album. I loved it, but the title was a lie, IMO.

Turns out it was prophetic.

I was 6 when this album came out. Later on, I luckily discovered Refused through the other bands I listened to. The Shape of Punk to Come is one of my favorite albums ever.

Really? In any case, you'll never be the same after a spin.

:nod:

its amazing to hear what they were doing at that period in time and what eventually has evolved musically. they weren't fucking around

The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat! The new beat!... Thank you...

So good.

Refused are touring australia in september.
Excited =D

What is there to say that droves of listeners haven't said? This shit hits you like a hammer, and you keep coming back for more.

I've got a bone to pick and a few to break. <3

Can I Scream?!

I've got a bone to pick WITH CAPITALISM and a few to break.<3

for anyone who hasnt checked this band out, do it now.

We Ate The Horse You Came In On by Vanna is a rip off of Refused's Deadly Rhythm, from The Shape Of Punk To Come

Cool blurb, but tomorrow the AP.net headlines will cover NeverShoutNever's latest underwear, some A Day to Remember tour dates, or maybe a 3OH3 video.

rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in

I swear you guys have done Refused for the Weekly Nostalgia before, but I can't find it. I know you posted something about them, though, because it's what prompted me to download The Shape of Punk to Come.

Incredible band. Great pick for this feature.

... No they aren't.

So good.

Funny how an album that's 10 years old can sound so current...

cause I love all those bands...

- AJP

Good writeup, for sure. Glad to see Refused get some love.

Just sucks the real bands get so little on this site.

arguably the most influential hardcore record ever made. "songs to fan" is no joke either.

yeh they are, bombshellzine just announced it
http://twitter.com/bombshellzine/status/11365054635

im really hoping its true

I could have sworn to that, too. Apparently either I dreamed it up, or they deserved to be rememberedX2.

The Shape of Punk to Come was so far ahead of it's time. Incredible album.

I'm not falling for the Refused are back together spill again. Only so many times my heart can be let down.

TSOPTC is probably in my top 50 favorite albums ever. Shame I heard it for the first time in 2007.

i really want physical copies of their albums. so good.

I was 10 when this came out; however, listened to it a few years ago and been loving it ever since. Great stuff!

I got this album when I was 16 and I was trying to find out who influenced the bands I listened too (in this case underoath) and I found it used at an FYE....blew my mind...incredible album...incredible band

They're better than the people who were inspired by them years later. Shape is such a monumental album.

5 minutes in Photoshop.

As far as prophecies go, Refused has a better track record than Jesus.

As much as I love Refused, I think TSPOTC's title is a whole lot less prophetic than a lot of people claim it to be. If shit like ADTR, In Fear and Faith and Sky Eats Airplane are the "punk" and hardcore that Refused prophesied, I can safely say that Dennis Lyxzen would have wanted no part of it.

Regardless, good to see them get some love from AP.

They is no way that isn't fake. They're gone for good. Refused Are Fuckin' Dead.

Brilliant!

Eventhough I couldn't agree less with the bands' retarded political views, this album still makes me a little bit proud to be Swedish.

Clearly this has been one of the most influential releases within our "scene" of the last 20 years.

I doubt its true but I would take that grueling flight to Australia to see it.

I thought the same thing... like literally I think it was a month or two ago

ok it was a hoax that got my hopes up at 3am in the morning -_-

It was back in August, I think. According to iTunes, Refused was added to my library on 08/29/09.