Refused
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| Refused | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Umeå, Sweden |
| Genre(s) | Hardcore punk Post-hardcore Experimental rock |
| Years active | 1991–1998 |
| Label(s) | Burning Heart |
| Associated acts | Afro Jetz The (International) Noise Conspiracy |
| Website | Official website |
| Former members | |
| Dennis Lyxzén David Sandström Kristofer Steen Jon Brännström |
|
Refused was a hardcore band originating from Umeå, Sweden. They formed in early 1991 with Dennis Lyxzén, David Sandström, Pär Hansson and Jonas Lidgren and released their first demo, Refused, the same year. The band went on to release one more demo, five EPs and three albums (not including The Demo Compilation or The EP Compilation) before breaking up in 1998. Refused's final line-up consisted of the members Dennis Lyxzén, David Sandström, Kristofer Steen and Jon Brännström who released everything from Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent (1996) to the definitive album The Shape of Punk to Come. In this album, Refused drew heavily on the influence of the Washington, D.C. hardcore band Nation of Ulysses, New York hardcore band Born Against, as well as the writings of Karl Marx, anarchist Errico Malatesta, and the Situationist International. The band were already well known for their vegan and straight edge stances. Refused broke up the same year as a result of expending all their creative energy and wanting different things. Lead singer Dennis Lyxzén went on to form The (International) Noise Conspiracy, and 93 Million Miles From The Sun while the other members, as well as venturing into their own projects, formed the group TEXT. Dennis Lyxzén and David Sandström also got together with other friends in 2004 to make the self titled The Lost Patrol Band album. Kristofer Steen is now a director and made a documentary on the band's last year in existence called Refused Are Fucking Dead (a reference to a song titled "Born Against Are Fucking Dead" by the New York Hardcore band Born Against). As of May, 2008, Dennis Lyxzén and David Sandström have formed a new straight-forward harcore band under the name AC4.
Contents |
[edit] Members
- Dennis Lyxzén - vocals
- David Sandström - drums, guitar, melodica
- Kristofer Steen - guitar, drums, bass guitar
- Jon Brännström - vocals, guitar, samplers/electronics
[edit] Past members
- Magnus Björklund - bass guitar (1992–1995) (also played on The Shape of Punk to Come)
- Jonas Eriksson - bass guitar
- Pär Hansson - guitar (1991–1994)
- Magnus Höggren - bass guitar (1996–1997)
- Henrik Jansson - guitar (1992–?)
- Anders Johansson - bass guitar (whenever needed)
- Jonas Lindgren - bass guitar (1991)
- Ulf Nyberg - bass guitar (1997–1998)
- Jesper Sundberg - bass guitar (1994)
[edit] Final show
After releasing The Shape of Punk To Come, Refused decided to do one final tour in the United States. With tension in the band running high, everything finally collided only a few shows into the tour. The band decided to call it quits after a show in Atlanta, Georgia. Flights were booked back to Sweden, and the band set out towards the Reagan International Airport. Fred Ziomek, guitarist for tourmates Darkest Hour, had attended James Madison University, in nearby Harrisonburg, Virginia. He convinced the band to play one last show in his basement en route to National Airport. They agreed, and even though there were only around twelve hours to promote the show, there were still around four-hundred people in attendance.
The line-up was: Union of the Snake (Cornbread's joke glam-metal band), Darkest Hour, Frodus, and Refused.
The police kept coming by all night, and Tony Weinbender, who had been put in charge of organizing everything, kept them at bay for a while. They then returned, during Frodus' set, and said "If we get another complaint and have to come back here, we're taking you to jail." Weinbender said he would shut the show down, but did not. A few songs into Refused's set, police entered the house and plowed through the throng of people to get to the basement. The band began playing what would be their final song, "Rather Be Dead", as the police forced their way through the crowd. The song reached the crescendo where Dennis would have screamed, "rather be alive", as the plug was pulled (literally), and the band stopped playing. The audience continued chanting the final verses of the song, "rather be alive!"
[edit] Final communique
After Refused split up, they released one final, fiery open letter titled "Refused Are Fucking Dead". It can be read in full on their label Burning Heart's website [1].
Among other things, they said that they "will not give interviews to stupid reporters" and demanded "that every newspaper burn all their photos of Refused".
[edit] References in media
- The song New Noise has been featured in the movie Crank, as well as Friday Night Lights. New Noise was also featured on an episode of 24 (Season 1), in the game Tony Hawk's Underground and in the Swedish movie Jalla! Jalla! The song itself has been chosen frequently by Rage guest programmers. In addition, it is the entrance theme for UFC fighter Clay Guida.
- Rock bands, The Used and Crazy Town, have covered Refused's "New Noise" on numerous occasions live.
- Sonic Boom Six named one of their song "The Rape of Punk To Come" in reference to "The Shape of Punk To Come".
- The band Paramore used the line "we want the airwaves back" from Refused's "Liberation Frequency" in their own song "Born For This" on their second release, Riot!.
- The Montreal punk band, The Sainte Catherines have a song entitled The shape of drunks to come in their release Dancing for decadance
- The UK magazine Rock Sound gave their album The Shape of Punk to Come number one spot in the magazines list of 100 albums that most influenced the music that Rock Sound is about itself.
- The band Bomb the Music Industry! have a song called "Bomb the Music Industry! (and Action Action) (and Refused) (and Born Against) Are Fucking Dead" on their 2005 album To Leave or Die in Long Island
- The Los Angeles grunge band Phathom covered Refused's "Liberation Frequency" acoustically for their Tunnel Vision EP.
- On the Thrice DVD If We Could Only See Us Now, guitarist Teppei Teranishi can be seen pretending to scream along to "Worms of the Senses/Faculties of the Skull" off of The Shape of Punk To Come.
- A short clip from The Real is featured near the end of the Green Team video on the comedy website Funny or Die.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- This Just Might Be the Truth (1994)
- Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent (1996)
- The E.P. Compilation (1997)
- The Demo Compilation (1997)
- The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombation in 12 Bursts (1998)
[edit] EPs/MCDs
ordered by release date. (first to last)
- First Demo: Refused (1992)
- Re-fused / Another one / Enough is enough / Fusible front / Reach out / Fudge / Blind / Back in black
- Second Demo: Operation Headfirst (1992)
- The new deal / I Wish / Where is equality? / Who died? / Burn / Racial liberation / Hate breeds hate
- This Is the New Deal (1993)
- Hate breeds hate / Break / Where's equality? / Soft / I wish
- Pump the Brakes (1994)
- Pump the brakes / Strength / Preception / Who died?
- Everlasting (1995)
- Burn it / Symbols / Sunflower princess / I am not me / Everlasting / The real / Pretty face
- Refused Loves Randy (1995)
- Tv freak / Pump the brakes / Humanalogy / Re-fused
- Rather Be Dead E.P. (1996)
- Rather be dead / Jag äter inte mina vänner / Circle pit / Lick it clean / Voodoo people
- The New Noise Theology E.P. (1998)
- New noise / Blind-date / Poetry written in gasoline / Refused are fuckin' dead (Bomba Je Remix, Long Version)
[edit] DVDs
- The Shape of Punk to Come DVD-Audio version (2004)
- Refused Are Fucking Dead (2006)
[edit] Compilations
- Really Fast Vol.8 (1993) - LP (Really Fast)
- I Wish (Taken from This Is The New Deal)
- Northcore: The Polar Scene Compilation (1994) - CD (Burning Heart)
- The New Deal (Previously Unreleased Version)
- Guilty (Previously Unreleased)
- Hardcore For The Masses Vol.2 (1994) - CD (Burning Heart)
- The Real (Previously Unreleased Version)
- Cheap Shots - CD (1994) (Burning Heart)
- Hate Breeds Hate (Taken from This Is The New Deal)
- Adrenalin (1994) - CD (Luger)
- Pump The Brakes (Taken from This Just Might Be...The Truth)
- Strength (Taken from This Just Might Be...The Truth)
- Straight Edge As Fuck (1994) - MCD (Desperate Fight)
- Everlasting (Previously Unreleased Version)
- Straight Edge As Fuck Vol.2 (1995) - CD (Desperate Fight)
- Cheap... (Previously Unreleased)
- Purple Pain (1995) - CD (Dolores)
- Let's Go Crazy (Previously unreleased / Written by Prince)
- Best Alternative (1996) - CD (Arcade)
- Return To The Closet (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Kittenish Vol.4 (1996) - CD (Border)
- Coup D'état (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Still From The Heart 199? - CD (We Bite)
- Rather Be Dead (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Equal Vision Records Sampler 199? - CD (Equal Vision)
- Sunflower Princess (Taken from Everlasting)
- Defenders Of The Oppressed Breed 199? - CD (Veggie Music)
- Jag Äter Inte Mina Vänner (Taken from Rather Be Dead E.P)
- Victory Promo 02 (1996) - CD (Victory)
- Coup D'état (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Children In Heat (1996) - CD (Hellbound Heart)
- Bullet (Previously Unreleased / Written by The Misfits)
- Victory Style Vol.2 (1997) - CD (Victory)
- It's Not O.K... (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Popstad Umeå (1997) - CD (Nons)
- Rather Be Dead (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Straight Edge As Fuck Vol.3 (1997) - CD (Desperate Fight)
- New Noise (Previously Unreleased Version)
- Cheap Shots Vol.3 (1998) - CD (Burning Heart)
- Rather Be Dead (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- The Shape Of Punk To Come (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Sweden Deluxe (1998) - CD (Moondog)
- New Noise (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Still Screaming (1998) - CD/LP (Burning Heart)
- The Deadly Rhythm (taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Peek-A-Boo (Previously Unreleased)
- Better Living Through Reckless Experimentation 199? - CD (Barcode)
- The Deadly Rhythm (taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Punk mob 199? - CD (???)
- New Noise (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Punk-O-Rama Vol.4 (1999) - CD (Epitaph)
- Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Can't Stop This Train (1999) - CD (Join The Team Player)
- Nothing New Again (Previously Unreleased)
- Rock 'N' Snow 199?/200? - CD (???)
- New Noise (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Metroschifter: Encapsulated (Tribute) (2001) - CD (Doghouse)
- L-182 (Previously Unreleased / Written by Metroschifter)
- 100% Adrenalin (2000) - CD (MRN)
- Coup d'etad (Unreleased live-version)
- Cheap Shots Vol.4 (2000) - CD (Burning Heart)
- New Noise (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Burning Heart Records: Smash It Up! (2000) - CD (Burning Heart)
- Summerholiday vs. Punkroutine (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- For Those Who Stand (2001) - CD (Tear It Down)
- The Deadly Rhythm (taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Cheap Shots Vol.5 (2001) - CD (Burning Heart)
- Rather Be Dead (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Punk-O-Rama Vol.5 (2001) - CD (Epitaph)
- Refused Are Fucking Dead - Remix (Taken from The New Noise Theology E.P)
- Punk-O-Rama Vol.8 (2003) - 2xCD (Epitaph)
- Coup D'état (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Startracks (2003) - CD (Startracks)
- Pump The Brakes (Taken from This Just Might Be...The Truth)
- Punk-O-Rama Vol.9 (2004) - CD+DVD (Epitaph)
- Liberation Frequency (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Victory Video Sampler 199? - VHS (Victory)
- Rather Be Dead (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Flame Still Burns (1999) - VHS (Burning Heart)
- New Noise (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Rather Be Dead (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Hang the VJ (2001) - DVD (Burning Heart)
- New Noise (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
- Rather Be Dead (Taken from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent)
- Pump The Brakes (Taken from This Just Might Be The Truth)
- Hate Breeds Hate (Taken from This Is The New Deal)
- Punk-O-Rama Vol.1 (2003) - DVD (Epitaph)
- New Noise (Taken from The Shape Of Punk To Come)
[edit] Bootlegs
- Split with Abhinanda
- Guilty / Let's go crazy / Spiritual game / Revolution
- Year: 199?
- Format: 7"
- Their last concert in Europe
- Recorded: 1998
- Release Year:199?-200?
- Format: CD-R
- The shape of punk to come / The Refused party program / Circle pit / Hook, line and sinker / Refused are fuckin dead / Rather be dead / Burn it / The deadly rhythm / Pretty face / New noise / Tannhäuser/Derivé
information obtained from http://page.to/come
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Burning Heart's Refused page - Official Refused site (biographical details obtained here)
- Refused Profile on Punknews.org with reviews, related bands, news
- [2] - Refused feature on Rockmidgets.com
- [3] - Interview with Kristofer Steen, discussing the DVD and reasons behind the breakup.
