The Shape Of Punk To Come // Refused
In 1997 Swedish hardcore-punk band, Refused, began crafting an album that simultaneously pushed the limits of what was considered punk music at the time, whilst also being rooted in quintessentially punk ideals. At a time when bands such as Green Day had become synonymous with punk music, the band came to the conclusion that whilst the punk scene continued to be incorporated into mainstream media, it ceased to be anti-establishment, and thus threw out the rulebook in terms of what it was to be ‘punk’.
Taking a variety of different sounds that were completely alien to the genre and mashing them together, the band created a Pandora’s Box of an album, one that’s teeming with raw energy and has surprises around every corner. Elements of drum and bass, techno, and jazz all find themselves in unfamiliar territory, sandwiched in between short interludes cut from political marches and the bands’ more natural sound of hardcore and punk.
Undoubtedly one of the elements so striking about The Shape of Punk to Come is the vision, ability, and the balls to pull off such a record in the late 90’s. If you look at the hardcore/punk scene today you can clearly see this albums influence in bands such as Letlive as well as in artists whose music has been able to seep into the mainstream like Enter Shikari. In truth you could well imagine such an album being recorded in 2015 and not looking at all out of place. But then again, maybe that’s the point.
Words by Briar Bradshaw