The year was 1998. April 13th to be exact. It was the day that my 14 year old self came to realize that everything I thought I knew and loved about music was completely ass backwards. The day Refused released The Shape of Punk to Come.
The year is now 2015 and as I reach back into my record collection, it’s not often that I can pull something out from 98′ and say “Man, this really withstands the test of time”. The Shape of Punk to Come is the only album that withstands the test of time all across the board from production to song writing while it still created genre that was never explored and has yet to be emulated.
Incase you didn’t know, that band unfortunately broke up in 99, but the point of this is to inform you that the band that had such an impact on my music career is able to get back together and release a full length 17 years later. The album titled Freedom is due out June 30th via Epitaph Records and according to the single “Elektra“, Refused is not fucking dead and in fact, still fucking got it!
Stream the Single for Elektra below:
The 10-track album, Freedom was produced by Nick Launay (Arcade Fire, Kate Bush, Nick Cave), with additional contributions from Shellback, a Swedish producer who’s written singles for the likes of Britney Spears and Taylor Swift. The album will be a limited edition CD release featuring a 28-page hardbound book with a poster and fold foil stamping on the cover which you can pre-order HERE See track listing below:
01 Elektra
02 Old Friends / New War
03 Dawkins Christ
04 Françafrique
05 Thought Is Blood
06 War on the Palaces
07 Destroy the Man
08 366
09 Servants of Death
10 Useless Europeans
Frontman Dennis Lyxzén states, “It’s not a reunion anymore,” he continues “This is one of the most radical things we’ve ever done, both musically and lyrically.”
Refused are supporting the release of Freedom with a summer tour. Some date will also include one of California’s rock and roll staples, Faith No More. See dates below:
05-02 Meerhout, Belgium – Groezrock
05-22 Hünxe, Germany – Ruhrpott Rodeo Open Air Festival
05-24 Las Vegas, NV – Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival
05-25 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
05-26 Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy Theatre
05-28 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
05-29 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
05-30 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
05-31 Chicago, IL – Double Door
06-01 Boston, MA – The Sinclair
06-03 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
06-04 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
06-05 Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel
06-20 Montebello, Quebec – Amnesia Rockfest
06-27 Seinäjoki, Finland – Provinssi
07-02 Gdynia, Poland – Open’er Festival
07-11 Collalbo, Italy – Rock im Ring
07-16 Viveiro, Spain – Resurrection Fest
07-17 Tønsberg, Norway – Slottsfjell
07-18 Tromso, Norway – Bukta Tromso Open Air Festival
07-30 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade Music Park *
08-01 Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center *
08-02 Columbia, MA – Merriweather Post Pavilion *
08-04 Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion *
08-05 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden *
08-07 Toronto, Ontario – Ricoh Coliseum *
08-28 Leeds, England – Leeds Festival
08-29 Gräfenhainichen, Germany – Pure & Crafted Festival
08-30 Reading, England – Reading Festival
* with Faith No More
“Nobody wanted us to fuck with the image of the band who makes a great album and splits up,” said drummer David Sandström. “Nobody wanted us to dilute it. That actually provoked us.”
Album art to Freedom revealed below:
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