If you’ve ever seen Andy Irons’ part in Poor Specimen’s 2001 film Momentum: Under the Influence, then you know Refused. And even if you haven’t (which is terrifying, go find it), you may be familiar with their 1998 album The Shape of Punk to Come: A tour de force album that never really got to spread it’s wings completely due to the bands break up shortly thereafter. Although, if you have it it, it’s done it’s damage. One of the best albums of my lifetime.

Momentum: Under The Influence from Koastal Media on Vimeo.

They’ve broken up twice. But now they’re back. Again. “Refused are fucking alive” in fact, according to their press release. And it’s this quote from drummer David Sandström that really got our attention: “Nobody wanted us to fuck with the image of the band who makes a great album and splits up,” he said. “Nobody wanted us to dilute it. That actually provoked us.”

And frontman Dennis Lyxzén says, “It’s not a reunion anymore. This is one of the most radical things we’ve ever done, both musically and lyrically.”

Their new album Freedom will be released June 30th on Epitaph.

Freedom tracklist: 

01 Elektra
02 Old Friends / New War
03 Dawkins Christ
04 Françafrique
05 Thought Is Blood
06 War on the Palaces
07 Destroy the Man
08 366
09 Servants of Death
10 Useless Europeans

Listen to the album’s opening track “Elektra” here: