Every genre has a pantheon of albums that are both 1.) Nigh-objective classics & 2.) Required listening for fans of the genre and/or serious music listeners in general. If this list were to be written out for post-hardcore, there is not a single person who should exclude Refused‘s 1998 masterpiece The Shape of Punk to Come. As (comparably) influential as the Ornette Coleman record to which it alludes, the Swedish punks’ third album was an absurdly regal swansong; a record that both exemplified all of post-hardcore’s greatest qualities while pushing its boundaries into extraordinary territories. Yet, as of today, it appears the record is a swansong no longer, as the band have announced the summer release of Freedom, their first album in seventeen years. Head past the jump to see more details about the album and preview its lead single, “Elektra”:
“Elektra” is the definition of a return to form; Dennis Lyxzén is still shredding his vocal chords and Kristofer Steen’s guitar work is as equally catchy and invigorating as always. There may not be anything truly “new” happening on this track, but considering how solid their established style is, hearing Refused play true to their sound is still far more enjoyable than offerings from most of their peers and understudies.
Here is the remainder of the Freedom‘s track listing:
1.) Elektra
2.) Old Friends / New War
3.) Dawkins Christ
4.) Françafrique
5.) Thought Is Blood
6.) War on the Palaces
7.) Destroy the Man
8.) 366
9.) Servants of Death
10.) Useless Europeans
Freedom will be released through Epitaph on June 30th, and may be pre-ordered in a variety of formats/bundles here.
Also, be sure to catch Refused on their upcoming summer world tour, with the band opening for Faith No More on select dates.
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)
-SM