Refused - The Shape of Punk To Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts [REISSUE] (Epitaph)
5/5
By: Stephen Maughan
I don't know what you were doing back in 1998, the year Refused released The Shape of Punk To Come, widely considered one of the greatest and most influential hardcore albums of all time. But if you were rocking out to the political punk astro jams of Refused back then, you don't need me to tell you what a mind blowing album this is. Still, the prospect of a deluxe reissue containing a grippingly raw live album, and a fascinating DVD documentary about their final year (Refused broke up shortly after this album) this 3-cd box-set is a mouth-watering prospect for anyone with even a passing interest in punk, long time Refused fan or not.
You may remember the more commercial The (International) Noise Conspiracy who followed Refused, and led by Denis Lyxzen. Their anti globalisation hit single 'Smash It Up' was a popular punk-pop single at the turn of the century, and along with Refused, captured the essence and attitude of the growing anti globalisation movement. The music of Refused was part of the anti G8 gatherings of the late 90's and early 21st century, and in particular the 2001 G8 protests in Italy, which attracted around 200,000 demonstrations and mostly remembered now by police brutality, including the shooting and killing of one young protester, seems to be essence of what Denis Lyxzen is all about in whatever form (Refused, T(I)NC, or his new hardcore band AC4 who refuse to do interviews to “mainstream media” or take fanzine/website interviews from anyone over 18).
Ten years ago it seemed everyone under 25 had a Refused song featured on a mixtape made by their cooler older cousin – that, or a copy of Naomi Klein's anti globalisation book No Logo. Before the 11th September 2001 terrorist attacks changed the world forever, to some it really felt a “new world order” was within reach. And then everything changed, as Lyxzen admitted a few years back - “after 9/11 there was a huge backlash on all the political movements we were part of. It was hard to wake up one morning and be like 'oh the revolution didn't happen, what do we do now?'”. The quality of late T(I)NC records, and the recent Lyxzen folky and romantic solo efforts would suggest this is something the guy’s still having difficulties with.
But let's not forget it all started with Refused, a band whose three albums many critics believe Lyxzen has failed to top - few too would argue that any hardcore band of the last twenty years has topped The Shape of Punk To Come. It's intelligent, sensitive, stylish, hardcore punk which burns with a passion and energy not felt since the Bad Brains’ debut back in 1982. Yes, it really is that brilliant. If Bad Brains changed punk by brining in reggae into the mix, Refused did much the same with by adding a healthy dosage of the attitude of jazz and world music into hardcore. The Shape Of Punk To Come is also brilliant because it is so accessible and funky, unlike many hardcore albums that require patience to sit through, and this accessibility lies at the bottom of every classic record.
From the opening track, the bittersweet 'Worms of the Senses', you get the whole essence of Refused and Lyxzen - “I got a bone to pick with capitalism and a few to break, grab us by the throat and shake the life away, human life is not commodity, figures, statistics or make believe!“ he yells, before a celebration of working for pleasure and not money kicks in. No wonder this record gave the punk scene a much needed burst of energy and hope when it was becoming dominated by the “dumb rock” of Green Day, Limp Bizkit and Blink 182.
And now for the real joy - The Shape of Punk To Come sounds just as fresh, dominating, and brilliant today 12 years on. In fact, so sharp and crisp is the sound you could easily get away with disguising it as a new album from a new band without anybody being any the wiser. The energy is contagious, the politics well thought out and clearly defined. No matter where you stand on their anti-capitalism message, Refused always so passionately believed in what they sang about that it doesn't matter if you don't agree with their viewpoints. Indeed, anyone who has been lucky enough to interview Lyxgen knows his intelligence and compassion is a breath of fresh air when compared with other the singers of other heavy rock bands.
It’s true that he never captured his belief and idealism quite so perfectly ever again. In fact, so beautiful, toxic and delightful is this record that it’s an essential purchase for punk fans, hippies, conservatives, socialists... all of you, it’ll take your breath away.
Artists in this article: Refused
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