Few albums have carried such a pretentious title and, at the same time, ended up delivering exactly what they promised. When Refused released “The Shape Of Punk To Come” in 1998, much of the hardcore scene still operated according to fairly well-defined rules. The Swedes decided to break all of them at once. The result was an album that divided opinion at the time and, over the years, has come to be recognized as one of the most influential works of recent decades.
Starting from the most explosive hardcore, the band brings in electronic music, jazz, spoken word, noise, post-rock and a distinctly experimental mindset that still surprises today. But what’s truly remarkable is that behind all that ambition are some huge songs. “New Noise”, “The Deadly Rhythm”, “Summerholidays vs. Punkroutine” and “Refused Are Fucking Dead” retain all the energy to break down any generational barrier.
Listening today, it’s easy to understand the enormous impact it had on such diverse bands as The Bronx, Enter Shikari, Gallows, IDLES and Turnstile. Many bands have tried to replicate the formula; very few have come close. Because beyond the innovation, what makes this album special is the sheer conviction with which it was performed. Refused sounded like a band convinced they could change the rules of the game. And, to many people’s surprise, they ended up doing just that.
One of those albums that only comes along once in a while. A modern classic that still sounds defiant, visionary and tremendously exciting almost three decades later.
Reissue that does NOT include the DVD!
