Tuesday: Refused - Destroy the Man

     I know I've asked you this before, but how's the new Refused album sitting with you? Was Freedom worth the wait? If you were expecting The Shape of Punk to Come 2.0, then probably not. But if you were just anxious to hear some new Refused material, whatever shape it might take, then I think it's safe to assume you weren't disappointed.

     I'm definitely in the latter camp; I didn't know what to expect out of new Refused, so I didn't expect anything, and was therefore pleasantly surprised with Freedom. I don't think it's an instant classic, but it will certainly grow on you if you give it a couple of listens. And give it a couple of listens you should.

     But maybe you need some encouragement, so your belated Tuesday song for this week (we're going to get caught up, I swear!!) is "Destroy the Man". See if it tickles your fancy at all, and thengo out and give the rest of Freedom a go.

Sunday: Refused - Dawkins Christ

     OK class, show of hands: who's been jamming the new Refused record Freedom over the past week or so? And what does everybody think? Are you one of those people who's a bit butt-hurt because Freedom isn't exactly what they expected and/or hoped for? Or are you, like me, pleasantly surprised with this grower-not-a-shower of an album?

     Fans expecting The Shape of Punk to Come 2.0 might be disappointed that the rest of Freedom doesn't hit as hard as "Elektra", but as usual, the open-minded listener is rewarded here with something interesting and different. Refused have come a ways in the last fifteen or twenty years, but if you don't go into Freedom with a particular set of expectations all built up and ready to be disappointed, I think you'll find that there's a lot of good stuff to be had.

     Case in point: "Dawkins Christ", which oscillates between simmering menace and bursting punk energy. Like many of the tracks on Freedom, it's not especially heavy, or fast, or technical, but it is just enough of all of those things to hook a listener like me. Maybe it'll hook a listener like you, maybe not, but if you're at all into Refused, it deserves at least a look. The shape of punk that's come might not be what you thought it would be, but that doesn't mean it isn't cool.

Album of the Week: Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come

     Last week's epic Song of the Day slide managed not only to take entirely to long to get under control but also to bump last week's Album of the Week entirely off my radar. But fear not, faithful reader, I'm back on track this week (more or less...) and I've got you album-length listening needs covered.

     This week I'm going with another one of those "putting your money where my mouth is" kind of posts, by which I mean that I'm going to recommend you spend the next week with a record that's already been the source of several Songs of the Day, and one that I've often espoused in the past, just never in this format. The more cynical among you might read this as a cop-out, especially considering the fact that I just did a Refused song a few days ago, but I firmly believe that The Shape of Punk to Come has had such a large impact on the shape of so much of the heavy music that came after it that it deserves to be revisited.

     So if you already know this chimerical bombination in 12 bursts, why not take this opportunity to reacquaint yourself with a classic? And if somehow you don't know Refused, or don't know The Shape of Punk to Come, for fuck's sake stop what you're doing and discover one of the most influential records of the last fifteen years or so. Refused are fucking dead -- long live Refused.

Refused - Protest Song '68

     Sometimes -- not often, but sometimes -- it feels like the universe is speaking to me in strange ways. Just this morning, on my way home from work, the shuffle gods that govern my mp3 player deigned to give me some of Swedish legends Refused for my commute. Then, not an hour after getting home, I read the rumour that Refused are working on a new album.

     Sure, the "evidence" that work on a new record is indeed happening is somewhat scant, limited largely to some online whispers of vocal tracking progress and the late October "firing" of guitarist Jon Brannstrom (which at least suggests that the band might be looking to tour or record again). But, like their fellow Swedes At the Gates, Refused have the kind of following and legacy that a new record from them could be a pretty big deal.

     Or it could suck, shattering the rose-tinted image of Refused we've built up in our memories. Maybe there's no living up to the expectations that will surely precede any follow-up to the band's seminal The Shape of Punk to Come. Maybe Refused should just be a Refused cover band forever more, playing tracks like "Protest Song '68" to packed clubs of nostalgic devotees like some badass post-hardcore version of Kiss. I guess we'll all just have to jam some old stuff, like the aforementioned "Protest Song", while we get our collective hopes up.

Song of the Day (Mar22): Refused - Summerholidays vs. Punkroutine

     As part of my role as an educator I like to do a little history lesson here at Loud Noises every once in a while. Today's band have been the subject of such lessons before, but how will new generations of Loud Noises readers learn if they don't get the same instruction as those who've gone before them? Exactly.

Today's Song: Refused - Refused Are Fuckin' Dead

     For today's (quick) song, we're going to visit a band not dissimilar from yesterday's band Numbers, in that they're both a little hard to pin down, genre-wise, and also in that I've written about both before.

Song of the Day: Refused - New Noise

     I've talked about today's band and their importance to modern heavy music before before in a Song of the Day, but I feel like there's probably some among you out there who still don't know how much the music you like probably owes them. So today you get another song from the classic final album by Swedish punk pioneers Refused.

Song of the Day: Refused - The Deadly Rhythm

     Are you now or were you ever into emo, screamo, post-hardcore, metalcore...anything with "core" appended to the end of it, really? Basically, have you been into any heavy music in the last ten to fifteen years? Then you owe at least a little something to Swedish band Refused, and in particular to their 1998 classic The Shape of Punk to Come. So classic is this album that I can think of at least a half a dozen songs, off the top of my head, without even looking at a track list, that could be songs of the day. I picked this one.

     Your song for today is "The Deadly Rhythm" by Refused. Like I said, I could have chosen others, but this one came up on my shuffle the other day and stuck with me for a bit, so why not it? Are Refused fucking dead? You be the judge.