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TESTicular Salute to the Best of '98

REFUSED
The Shape of Punk To Come (A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts)

One good thing about this apocalyptic vocalage I'm talking about here in terms of Swedes or guys from other countries trying to cross over to the flavor of the month in the USA.

Refused can get away with it, because their riffing kicks ass, and Dennis' vocal has a melody to it, until he kicks into the apoco-voke, and then it acts as a dynamic, as opposed to carrying any melody.

Liberation Frequency starts out as a poppy tune, with Dennis actually singing, and the band evoking a samba like aroma, until they bust into le hardcore bjork madness and Dennis sings in a menacing roar of the apocalypse.

"Refused are fucking dead" has one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time that segues into another amazing riffage of LedZep/Page like-coolness, taking it down for some Swedespeak, back into the verses and bridges to and then bombasts into a monstrous bass riff and a final chorus ending that is anthemic and gigantic"we express ourselves in loud and fashionable ways"

the title track evokes some early Ian Mackaye ala Minor Fugazi-esque chorus of "being all dressed up with somewhere to go" but the Refused Riffage factor is just too amazing to make any judgements about where they're coming from.

The album as a whole is recorded great and every instrument is clear and biting, especially the drums and guitar sounds, and when that music opens up, that bass is tight and happening as can be.

"great words won't cover ugly action and good frames won't save bad paintings"

REFUSED Epitaph Bio

"If a band ever finds that it is not giving their best effort and playing at the edge of their abilities at all times, then they are not playing the kind of music that they should be playing."
- Patrick T. Daly, Oxford, UK (taken from the liner notes of "The Shape of Punk to Come")

This philosophy, placed in the context of hardcore music, is what makes Refused so unique. Complex rhythms, hardcore rage, political activism and a dose of experimental sonic confusion all smashed together to create a seamless ball of energy.

Refused have set themselves apart by fuelling their collective creativity with the tension that is inherent in the band environment. With five creative forces using the whole to satisfy each of their own creative desires, there is potential for failure here. Fortunately, there is enough unity in the vision to turn tension into energy.

Lyrically speaking, Refused delves heavily into the political arena. Their Anarchist stance becomes clear in "The Deadly Rhythm", when they ask, "Is it our duty to die for governments and for gods? / Is it our privilege to slave for market and industry? / Is it our right to follow laws set to scare and oppress? / Is it our gift to stay in line and will it take away the blame? / We can no longer pay the price / We'll get organized / We will no longer believe that working for you will set us free."

Stretching beyond the political arena and into the area of personal motivation, they attempt to light a fire under your ass in "Summer Holidays vs. Punk Routine" by saying, "We're all tired of dying / So sick of not trying / Scared that we might fail / We'll accomplish nothing / Not even failure."

On this, their third full-length, "The Shape of Punk to Come" is the next messiah of punk!

"I got a bone to pick with capitalism and a few to break," the opening verbage from The Shape of Punk To Come, the final album from Sweden's greatest hardcore band, who intended on breaking up as they were recording this brilliant album. there's a bunch of dudes with Swedish Bjork-like names playing various instruments of orchestral maneuvering, but basically this album rocks the fuck out of anything I've heard all of '98, and the originality quotient is so high, I was astounded how the band switches from weird snippets of pre-recorded non-sequitors,jazzy excursions, or strange electroid ambience, that segues into killer riffs
	One good thing about this apocalyptic vocalage I'm talking about here in terms of Swedes or guys from other countries trying to cross over to the flavor of the month in the USA. Refused can get away with it, because their riffing kicks ass, and Dennis' vocal has a melody to it, until he kicks into the apoco-voke, and then it acts as a dynamic, as opposed to carrying any melody.
Liberation Frequency starts out as a poppy tune, with Dennis actually singing, and the band evoking a samba like aroma, until they bust into le hardcore bjork madness and Dennis sings in a menacing roar of the apocalypse. "Refused are fucking dead" has one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time that segues into another amazing riffage of LedZep/Page like-coolness, taking it down for some Swedespeak, back into the verses and bridges to and then bombasts into a monstrous bass riff and a final chorus ending that is anthemic and gigantic"we express ourselves in loud and fashionable ways" the title track evokes some early Ian Mackaye ala Minor Fugazi-esque chorus of "being all dressed up with somewhere to go" but the Refused Riffage factor is just too amazing to make any judgements about where they're coming from. The album as a whole is recorded great and every instrument is clear and biting, especially the drums and guitar sounds, and when that music opens up, that bass is tight and happening as can be. "great words won't cover ugly action and good frames won't save bad paintings"	They remind me of Fugazi in terms of being able to swing with a hard rockin' beat, take it somewhere else, swing back up beyond to something even harder, yet adding some way cool melody on top, with the guitars and the great vocals. ala "Summer Holidays Vs. Punkroutine", the song "New noise" starts out with a monster riffs, then shifts into anothe realm until they BUST back into the riff, and Dennis screams: "Can I Scream?" and he gives a little Michael Jackson "Woooo!" , that for me, just makes the song perfect. That "Wooo!" was a source of contention in the Radical office, as Eric bet Dan that there's more than one "Wooo!" in the song (there's two Wooo!'s) At one point the song busts into a riff with a live audience screaming behind it, and you'd swear you were there.
REFUSED Epitaph Bio "If a band ever finds that it is not giving their best effort and playing at the edge of their abilities at all times, then they are not playing the kind of music that they should be playing." - Patrick T. Daly, Oxford, UK (taken from the liner notes of "The Shape of Punk to Come") This philosophy, placed in the context of hardcore music, is what makes Refused so unique. Complex rhythms, hardcore rage, political activism and a dose of experimental sonic confusion all smashed together to create a seamless ball of energy. Refused have set themselves apart by fuelling their collective creativity with the tension that is inherent in the band environment. With five creative forces using the whole to satisfy each of their own creative desires, there is potential for failure here. Fortunately, there is enough unity in the vision to turn tension into energy.	Lyrically speaking, Refused delves heavily into the political arena. Their Anarchist stance becomes clear in "The Deadly Rhythm", when they ask, "Is it our duty to die for governments and for gods? / Is it our privilege to slave for market and industry? / Is it our right to follow laws set to scare and oppress? / Is it our gift to stay in line and will it take away the blame? / We can no longer pay the price / We'll get organized / We will no longer believe that working for you will set us free." Stretching beyond the political arena and into the area of personal motivation, they attempt to light a fire under your ass in "Summer Holidays vs. Punk Routine" by saying, "We're all tired of dying / So sick of not trying / Scared that we might fail / We'll accomplish nothing / Not even failure." On this, their third full-length, "The Shape of Punk to Come" is the next messiah of punk!