The Witzard

Since effectively re-forming and returning from the "f**king dead" seven years ago, Swedish Punk/Post-Hardcore band Refused were awarded The Special Prize for Music Exports by the Swedish Ministry of Trade in 2013, have released a new album, Freedom (2015,) an EP entitled Servants of Death , and most recently, "Chippin' In" as SAMURAI from upcoming video game, Cyberpunk 2077 . Last month, frontman Dennis Lyxzén (@dennislyxzen) hinted at new Refused material within an Instagram post: "Oh. In between recording @refused and @invsn records there's also this..." making reference to SAMURAI 's "Chippin' In." Now, Refused have returned with "Blood Red," the first proper single from their upcoming fifth studio album, WAR MUSIC . It was accompanied by a "Blood Red" -tinted music video directed by Daniel Gray with live footage filmed by Eric Richter , which features present-day Refused artfully juxtaposed ag...

Refused is a Swedish Hardcore Punk/Post-Hardcore band, which was, originally, active from 1991-98; during their brief 7-year initial run, Refused released three full-length albums, two compilations, and multiple EP's, culminating with their genre-shaping '98 album, The Shape of Punk to Come . Refused have been effectively re-formed since 2012 and their current line-up consists of frontman Dennis Lyxzén , drummer David Sandström , guitarist Kristofer Steen , and bassist Magnus "Flagge" Björklund . Refused 's members, during their two iterations, multiple hiatuses, and break-ups, have, also, functioned within a number of currently active and inactive solo projects, side-bands, etc. including, but not limited to: Abhinanda , AC4, Brainsquashed Puppies , David Sandström Overdrive, Final Exit , The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Instängd , INVSN/The Lost Patrol, and most recently, Fake Names with members of Minor Threat, Bad Religion, Embrace, SAVAK & Girls...

"It's not a reunion anymore. This is one of the most radical things we've ever done, both musically and lyrically," Refused frontman Dennis Lyxzén quipped upon the sporadic release of the Swedish Hardcore Punk band's first single in some 17 years, "Elektra." "Nobody wanted us to f*ck with the image of the band who makes a great album and splits up," drummer David Sandström added. "Nobody wanted us to dilute it. That actually provoked us." While it should have arguably been one of the formative Punk Rock records I 'cut my teeth' on as an angsty teenager along with Black Flag , The Misfits, and Minor Threat/Fugazi , for whatever reasons, I hate to admit, I only first heard Refused's genre-shaping magnum opus, The Shape of Punk to Come just a few years ago; upon a first listen, "Elektra" follows in line with what Rolling Stone sums up as a seamless "fusion of Hardcore, Techno, Jazz , and Hip-Hop ,...