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Refused (also known as the Refused) is a Swedish
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
band originating from
Umeå Umeå ( , , , locally ; ; ; ; ) is a city in northeast Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County. Situated on the Ume River, Umeå is the largest Urban areas in Sweden, locality in Norrland and the t ...
and formed in 1991. Refused is composed of vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist
Kristofer Steen Kristofer Steen (born June 26, 1974) is a Swedish musician, who was the guitarist for hardcore punk band Refused. He directed '' Refused Are Fucking Dead'', a 2006 documentary charting the demise of Refused in 1998. After Refused's demise, Stee ...
, drummer
David Sandström David Sandström (born 2 January 1975) is a Swedish musician best known as the drummer for the hardcore punk group Refused. After Refused first broke up in 1998, he and the other members worked on a project entitled TEXT and released one album. ...
, and bassist Magnus Flagge. Guitarist Jon Brännström was a member from 1994, through reunions, until he was fired in late-2014. Their lyrics are often of a non-conformist and politically
far-left Far-left politics, also known as extreme left politics or left-wing extremism, are politics further to the left on the left–right political spectrum than the standard political left. The term does not have a single, coherent definition; some ...
nature and were for a time associated with the straight edge subculture. The band released their debut album '' This Just Might Be... the Truth'' in 1994. They followed this up with ''
Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent ''Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent'' is the second full-length album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused. It was released in 1996 through Victory Records, Startrec and We Bite on CD, tape and 12" vinyl; and reissued by Burning Heart Recor ...
'' (1996) and five EPs. In 1998, the band released ''
The Shape of Punk to Come ''The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts'', often shortened to ''The Shape of Punk to Come'', is the third album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, released on 27 October 1998 through Burning Heart Records. The alb ...
'', which expanded their sound with
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...
influences, but was initially poorly received commercially and critically. The group shortly after disbanded during their subsequent tour. Despite limited contemporary success, Refused were influential on the development of rock music in subsequent decades. In 2012, the band reformed and commenced a reunion tour, and later released further albums ''
Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...
'' (2015) and ''War Music'' (2019).


History


Early years (1991–1997)

Refused formed in early 1991 with Dennis Lyxzén (former frontman of the
straight edge Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated as sXe or signified by XXX or simply X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs in reaction to the punk subculture's excesses. Some ...
band Step Forward) on vocals,
David Sandström David Sandström (born 2 January 1975) is a Swedish musician best known as the drummer for the hardcore punk group Refused. After Refused first broke up in 1998, he and the other members worked on a project entitled TEXT and released one album. ...
on drums, Pär Hansson on guitar, and Jonas Lindgren on bass. They formed with the aim of playing outside of their hometown and releasing a 7" record (the latter which never happened). They released their first demo, ''Refused'', the same year. With an already altered lineup (including
Kristofer Steen Kristofer Steen (born June 26, 1974) is a Swedish musician, who was the guitarist for hardcore punk band Refused. He directed '' Refused Are Fucking Dead'', a 2006 documentary charting the demise of Refused in 1998. After Refused's demise, Stee ...
joining from local band Abhinanda with Pär Hansson going the other way) the band released their first
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, '' This Just Might Be... the Truth'', in 1994. A month later, they released the '' Everlasting'' EP. Refused's final line-up consisted of Dennis Lyxzén, David Sandström, Kristofer Steen, and Jon Brännström, but the band never found a permanent
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
player, switching up to 12 bassists until their original break-up. In June 1996, they released ''
Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent ''Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent'' is the second full-length album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused. It was released in 1996 through Victory Records, Startrec and We Bite on CD, tape and 12" vinyl; and reissued by Burning Heart Recor ...
'' through
Victory Records Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several record labels. It has featured many prominent artists including Thu ...
. The album had a style that steered towards the
metallic hardcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...
genre and included a
fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...
explaining their political ideas. For this record, they toured with
Snapcase Snapcase is an American hardcore punk band from Buffalo, New York. Their records were released on the Chicago record label Victory Records. During the course of the band's initial run of fourteen years, they released six studio albums before d ...
. Later on, they did it in support of Millencolin in the United States and with Mindjive in Europe.


''The Shape of Punk to Come'' and disbandment (1998)

Their third album, 1998's ''
The Shape of Punk to Come ''The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts'', often shortened to ''The Shape of Punk to Come'', is the third album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, released on 27 October 1998 through Burning Heart Records. The alb ...
'', incorporated diverse sounds outside of the strict hardcore realm, such as
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, and
ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...
. Initially, the album was both a commercial and critical failure, with little media coverage and mixed reception from fans and critics alike; some even refused to rate it because of its stylistic divergence. The United States tour to support the album was cancelled halfway. They were joined by Washington, D.C.'s Frodus and only completed eight shows in half-empty basements and coffeehouses, finishing in a chaotic performance in a basement of
Harrisonburg, Virginia Harrisonburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham Cou ...
that, after four songs, was shut down by
police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
. They described these concerts as "emotionally devastating" and "an awful experience", which finally led to their break-up after a rough internal fight in Atlanta, Georgia. Other factors to their disbandment were a depletion of creative energy and band members wanting different things. There was also conflict between Dennis and the rest of the band. Refused announced their demise through a strongly worded open letter titled "Refused Are Fucking Dead" on their label Burning Heart's website.


After breakup (1999–2009)

The story of Refused's last show soon became popular, as well as ''The Shape of Punk to Come''. A year after its release, the album shot up from 1,400 to 21,000 units sold in the United States. In 2000, it went up to 28,000. From then on, many notable artists started to praise the band and newcomers cited them as an influence. Lead singer Dennis Lyxzén went on to form
The (International) Noise Conspiracy The (International) Noise Conspiracy (abbreviated T(I)NC) was a Swedish rock band formed in late 1998. The lineup consisted of Dennis Lyxzén (vocals), Inge Johansson (bass), Lars Strömberg (guitar), and Ludwig Dahlberg (drums). The band was ...
soon thereafter, while the other members, as well as venturing into their own projects, formed the group
TEXT Text may refer to: Written word * Text (literary theory) In literary theory, a text is any object that can be "read", whether this object is a work of literature, a street sign, an arrangement of buildings on a city block, or styles of clothi ...
. In 2007 Lyxzén and Sandström briefly reformed their Refused side project, Final Exit, which existed in the mid-late 1990s and originally consisted of members of Refused and Abhinanda, with each member taking a different role to that which they had in their main bands (e.g., David on vocals and Dennis on bass guitar). As of May 2008, Dennis Lyxzén and David Sandström formed a new straightforward hardcore band under the name AC4. Kristofer Steen moved to
Orange County, California Orange County (officially the County of Orange; often initialized O.C.) is a county (United States), county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population ...
and attended film school there. He made a documentary on the band's last year in existence called '' Refused Are Fucking Dead'', which was released in 2006. Then, he began working on operas in Sweden.


Rumours (2010–2011)

In March 2010, Epitaph Records put up the old Refused website online with the words "Coming Soon." Rumours spread across the Internet about what the new website could indicate, including speculation of a reunion. Citing an anonymous source "close to the situation," ''Punknews.org'' unofficially announced that the band would perform at European music festivals in 2010. Dennis Lyxzén denied claims of a Refused reformation as he and David Sandström were busy with AC4. The new band website was later announced to be a promotional site for a reissue of Refused's final album, ''
The Shape of Punk to Come ''The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts'', often shortened to ''The Shape of Punk to Come'', is the third album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, released on 27 October 1998 through Burning Heart Records. The alb ...
''. The reissue, released on 8 June 2010, is a three-disc set with an unreleased live album recorded in 1998 and the '' Refused Are Fucking Dead'' DVD documentary in addition to the full original album. In November 2011, multiple posters said to be for the upcoming 2012
Coachella Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorad ...
appeared on several Internet sites, and the line-ups included Refused. This started new rumours of a long-awaited reunion.


Reunions, Brännström's firing and ''Freedom'' (2012–2017)

During
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
's "Punk Show" on 2 January 2012, Mike Davies stated that Refused, along with
At the Drive-In At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (drums ...
would be reforming in 2012. On 9 January 2012, Refused announced a reunion to perform at the 2012
Coachella Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorad ...
. This was controversial because of the band's original explicit declaration to never reunite. On 29 February, Refused played a secret show in Umeå, their first live performance since 1998. Refused played numerous European festivals on the Reunion Tour, including Way Out West in
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
,
Primavera Sound Primavera Sound (commonly referred to as Primavera) is an annual music festival held at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain, during late May and early June. It was founded in 2001 by Pablo Soler as "a showcase for Spanish Noise rock, noise ban ...
in
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
and
Download Festival Download Festival is a rock festival created by Andy Copping, held annually at the Donington Park motorsport circuit in Leicestershire, England (since 2003); in Paris, France (since 2016); at Parramatta Park, Sydney (since 2019); Flemington ...
in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. They appeared for the first time on TV in America on ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of the '' Late Night'' franchise. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon,
'' on 18 July 2012 and toured Australia for the first time in November. Refused ended their reunion on 15 December 2012 with a hometown show in Umeå. On 22 February 2013, Refused were awarded the "Special Prize for Music Exports" by the Swedish Minister of Trade. Lyxzén and Sandström chose to criticize Sweden's current government at the ceremony, instead thanking the efforts of
popular education Popular education is a concept grounded in notions of class, political struggle, critical theory and social transformation. The term is a translation from the Spanish or the Portuguese . The term 'popular' in this case means 'of the people'. ...
, in particular Workers' Educational Association (ABF) and youth centers (in Sweden associated with
social democracy Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achi ...
) while Jon Brännström chose to not accept the prize on his behalf later stating he wished they " ..had said no to the prize and instead held a press conference about why we had turned it down". On 31 October 2014, Jon Brännström wrote on Refused's Facebook page that he was fired from the band and no longer considered them friends. The band responded by stating that they fired him in 2013 "because he did not share our passion for the band." On 25 November 2014, the band announced that they would perform their first shows in three years at the
Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
,
Groezrock Groezrock was an annual music festival that took place in Meerhout, Belgium. It started as a small rock music, rock and pop music, pop festival with one stage and a few hundred people attending, but evolved into a large punk rock/hardcore punk fe ...
and Amnesia Rockfest in the summer of 2015. They also headlined Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas in May 2015. Around the same time, rumours surfaced of a new album being recorded for release in 2015 after ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead's Autrey Fulbright II posted a photo on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
claiming that Lyxzén had been in the studio recording vocals for the album. On 27 April 2015, Refused announced their fourth studio album, ''
Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...
'', to be released in June 2015 via
Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. A large portion of the record label, known as Hellcat Records, is owned by Tim Armstrong, frontman of the punk rock band Rancid. Several ...
. The album was produced primarily by
Nick Launay Nicolas Launay (born 5 March 1960) is an English record producer, composer and recording engineer, currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. He is one of the most sought after record producers in the world due to his success with recent albums b ...
and featured two songs produced by Shellback. The opening track "Elektra" was released as the lead single. On 20 November 2017, members of Refused revealed on social media that the band has been in the studio working on their next album.


''Servants of Death'', ''Cyberpunk 2077'' and ''War Music'' (2018-present)

In May 2018, the band released the ''Servants of Death'' EP which contained a new song, a b-side and four live songs. It was originally released on vinyl in 2016 as part of Record Store Day. On 2 July 2019, it was announced that Refused would be partnering with video game developer
CD Projekt Red CD Projekt S.A. () is a Polish video game company based in Warsaw, founded in May 1994 by Marcin Iwiński and Michał Kiciński. Iwiński and Kiciński were video game retailers before they founded the company, which initially acted as ...
, creating and recording original music for then-upcoming video game ''
Cyberpunk 2077 ''Cyberpunk 2077'' is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by CD Projekt Red and published by CD Projekt. Based on Mike Pondsmith's ''Cyberpunk (role-playing game), Cyberpunk'' tabletop game series, the plot is set in the fictional metrop ...
''. The members of Refused provided music for a fictitious band in the in-game universe, punk rock group SAMURAI; which includes fictitious musician and terrorist Johnny Silverhand, portrayed and voiced by
Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor and musician. The recipient of numerous accolades in a career on screen spanning four decades, he is known for his leading roles in action films, his amiable public imag ...
; while Lyxzén provided vocals on the music tracks for both Johnny and Kerry Eurodyne. The announcement was made alongside the release of ''Chippin' In'' on streaming services, the first single to be revealed for the project. On 23 August 2019, a new song called ''Never Fade Away'' came out. On 2 August 2019, the band released "Blood Red" from their forthcoming album ''War Music''. The album was released on October 18 of that year, followed by a UK tour alongside Thrice and Gouge Away. A five-track EP ''The Malignant Fire'' was released on 20 November 2020. It featured single "Born on the Outs", three other new songs, as well as "Malfire" from ''War Music''. In March 2024, Refused announced their first show in four years, at the Rosendal Garden Party in Stockholm. It was advertised as "their last festival performance in Sweden. Ever". However, it was cancelled the day before because frontman Dennis Lyxzén suffered a massive heart attack. On 10 September 2024, the band announced US dates for a 2025 farewell tour alongside a tribute album for ''The Shape of Punk to Come''. In May 2025, the band defended their decision to perform at festivals owned by
Superstruct Entertainment Superstruct Entertainment is a British live entertainment company and one of the world's largest festival promoters. As of March 2023, the company had acquired over 85 festivals in Australia and Europe, making it the second-largest festival prom ...
, following many artists cancelling their festival appearances due to the company being owned by the investment firm
KKR KKR may refer to: * KKR & Co., a global investment firm *Kolkata Knight Riders, an Indian Premier League franchise * Rheinsberg Nuclear Power Plant (), first nuclear power plant in the former East Germany * Kalkara, Malta, postal code KKR *Kir-Bala ...
.


Musical style, lyrics, and influences

Refused started as a "fresh-faced
positive hardcore Positive hardcore (sometimes shortened to posicore or posi-core) is a branch of the hardcore punk music scene, that is socially aware, or focuses on values, such as being inclusive, community-oriented, and anti-violent. The genre was created as a ...
band" and their music became increasingly progressive and radical, as did their lyrics. The record '' This Just Might Be... the Truth'' was characterized for its "massive hardcore sound", mostly influenced by various bands from the
New York hardcore New York hardcore (also known as NYHC) is both the hardcore punk music created in New York City and the subculture and lifestyle (sociology), lifestyle associated with that music. The scene established many aspects that are fixtures of hardcore ...
scene (such as
Earth Crisis Earth Crisis is an American metallic hardcore band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Since 1993, the band's longest-tenured members include vocalist Karl Buechner, lead guitarist Scott Crouse, bassist Ia ...
). On their follow-up,''
Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent ''Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent'' is the second full-length album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused. It was released in 1996 through Victory Records, Startrec and We Bite on CD, tape and 12" vinyl; and reissued by Burning Heart Recor ...
'', the band had a heavier, more intricate style, which is generally attributed to their
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
inspiration, and Lyxzén adopted
screaming A scream is a loud/hard speech production, vocalization in which air is passed through the vocal cords with greater force than is used in regular or close-distance vocalisation. This can be performed by any creature possessing lungs, including h ...
vocals rather than shouting. With the third album, ''
The Shape of Punk to Come ''The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts'', often shortened to ''The Shape of Punk to Come'', is the third album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, released on 27 October 1998 through Burning Heart Records. The alb ...
'', "came the leap into the unknown" as the band mixed their previous style with unorthodox chord progressions, sampling, "ambient textures,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
breakdowns",
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
and monologues, and other deviations from the hardcore punk music. Refused's lyrics focus on
far-left politics Far-left politics, also known as extreme left politics or left-wing extremism, are politics further to the left on the left–right political spectrum than the standard political left. The term does not have a single, coherent definition; some ...
, drawing on
anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
,
socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
, among other ideologies. By the time of their first album, the band already had a strong
anti-establishment An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958 by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...
profile. The group's members were all
vegan straight edge Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated as sXe or signified by XXX or simply X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs in reaction to the punk subculture's excesses. Some ...
until their last show in 1998 and a couple of their songs dealt with these topics. Today, some of them no longer follow these lifestyles. In their live performances, vocalist Lyxzén usually delivers political speeches between songs. Before the Umeå hardcore phenomenon went into full bloom, the band was seen as part of the scene centered around youth-oriented venue Galaxen, along with the punk-rock scene as well as metal bands such as
Meshuggah Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1987. Since 2004, the band's lineup consists of founding members Jens Kidman (lead vocals) and Fredrik Thordendal (lead guitar), alongside rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, drumm ...
. Refused have cited bands and artists as inflluences, including
Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...
,
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
, Born Against, and ManLiftingBanner. Lyxzén has also cited Ian Svenonius's projects ( The Make-Up, The Nation of Ulysses and Cupid Car Club) as personal influences, while Sandström has drawn from
Snapcase Snapcase is an American hardcore punk band from Buffalo, New York. Their records were released on the Chicago record label Victory Records. During the course of the band's initial run of fourteen years, they released six studio albums before d ...
.


Legacy

Refused profoundly affected the development of rock music at the turn of the twenty-first century, despite the fact that very few people supported them when they were active. According to ''Vice'', they "stood at the nexus of modern punk, incorporating all of its subgenres into one scattered but neat package", putting "the risk back into punk and hardcore by making it unexpected again." David Anthony of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' described ''The Shape of Punk to Come'' as "an undisputed classic that served as a rallying cry for bands longing to incorporate sounds from outside the walls of aggressive music." Author Gabriel Kuhn states that Refused "became the flagship of a remarkably strong vegan straight edge movement that engulfed Sweden throughout the 1990s" with "witty manifestos" and "performances" that "challenged many of the scene's standards". Among the artists who cite Refused as an influence are
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...
,
Duff McKagan Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan (born February 5, 1964) is an American musician. He was the bassist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses for twelve years, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McKagan rejoined the b ...
of
Velvet Revolver Velvet Revolver was an American hard rock supergroup consisting of Guns N' Roses members Slash (lead guitar), Duff McKagan (bass, backing vocals) and Matt Sorum (drums, backing vocals), alongside Dave Kushner (rhythm guitar) formerly of pu ...
and
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
,
Sum 41 Sum 41 was a Canadian rock band formed in Ajax, Ontario, in 1996. The band's final lineup consisted of Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), Dave Baksh (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason McCaslin (bass, backing vocals), Tom T ...
, Tom DeLonge and
Mark Hoppus Mark Allan Hoppus (born March 15, 1972) is an American musician and record producer. He is the co-lead vocalist, co-founder, and bassist for the rock band Blink-182 and the only member to appear on every album. Hoppus became interested in ska ...
of
Blink-182 Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...
, AFI,
Papa Roach Papa Roach is an American Rock music, rock band from Vacaville, California, formed in 1993. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix, drummer Dave Buckner, guitarist Jerry Horton, bassist Will James, and trombonist Ben Luth ...
,
Tim McIlrath Timothy James McIlrath (born November 3, 1978) is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of the punk rock band Rise Against. He is vegetarian and straight edge. Early and personal life Mc ...
of
Rise Against Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rise Against's mu ...
,
Underoath Underoath (styled as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton in 1997 in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional members were from Tamp ...
,
Enter Shikari Enter Shikari are a British Rock music, rock band formed in St Albans in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drummer Rob Rolfe. In 2003, guitarist Rory Clewlow joined the band to complete its current li ...
,
the Used The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah, formed in 2000. The group consists of vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, drummer Dan Whitesides, and guitarist Joey Bradford. Former members include Quinn Allman, Branden Steinec ...
,
Every Time I Die Every Time I Die was an American metalcore band from Buffalo, New York, formed in 1998. For most of the band's career, the line-up was centred on brothers Keith (vocals) and Jordan Buckley (guitar), as well as rhythm guitarist Andy Williams, ...
, Norma Jean,
Showbread Showbread (), in the King James Version shewbread, in a Biblical or Jewish context, refers to the cakes or loaves of bread which were always present, on a specially-dedicated table, in the Temple in Jerusalem as an offering to God. An alternativ ...
, La Dispute,
Nick Hipa Samuel Nicholas Hipa (born November 30, 1982) is an American musician. He is the current lead guitarist of Mire, lead guitarist of Wovenwar, and was the longtime former lead guitarist of As I Lay Dying (band), As I Lay Dying. He has also been to ...
of
As I Lay Dying ''As I Lay Dying'' is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of the 20th century.The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to World Lit ...
, Derek E. Miller of Poison the Well and Sleigh Bells,
Geoff Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of rock band Thursday. Rickly is also a member of hardcore punk band United Nations, and the ...
of
Thursday Thursday is the day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fifth day of the week. Name Th ...
,
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
and
No Devotion No Devotion are a Welsh rock band formed in Pontypridd and Cardiff in 2014. The group is currently composed of American vocalist Geoff Rickly of the band Thursday, along with Stu Richardson and Lee Gaze, former members of the Welsh band Lostp ...
, Marcos Curiel of P.O.D. and Daylight Division,
Jeremy Bolm Jeremy X. Bolm is an American vocalist, record label owner, music producer and writer. In his music career, he is most known for being the full-time vocalist of the post-hardcore band Touché Amoré. He has also performed with the part-time bands ...
of Hesitation Wounds and
Touché Amoré Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. Since 2010, the band has consisted of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Ba ...
, Zachary Garren of
Dance Gavin Dance Dance Gavin Dance is an American Rock music, rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 2005. It consists of lead guitarist Will Swan (musician), Will Swan, drummer Matthew Mingus, harsh vocalist Jon Mess, and lead vocalist and rhythm gui ...
and
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, Chris Teti of
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, the New Transit Direction,
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Glassjaw Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. It was formed in 1993 by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck. The band is known for their intense live shows, as well as their frequent line-up changes. Despite ...
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the Bled The Bled is an American post-hardcore/metalcore band from Tucson, Arizona, formed in 2001. They released four albums ('' Pass the Flask'', '' Found in the Flood'', '' Silent Treatment'' and '' Heat Fetish'') before disbanding in 2012. History ...
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Stray from the Path Stray from the Path is an American hardcore punk band formed in 2001 in Long Island, New York. They have released eleven full-length albums. Their first three records were independently released – ''People Over Profit'' in 2002, ''Audio Prozac ...
, Brandon Kellum of American Standards, and Jonathan Boulet. The song "H. Ledger" from letlive.'s album ''
Fake History ''Fake History'' is the second studio album by American rock band Letlive and the first written and recorded with Jason Aalon Butler (vocals), Jean Nascimento (guitar), Jeff Sahyoun (guitar), Ryan Jay Johnson (bass guitar) and Anthony Rivera (dru ...
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were inspired by the song "Liberation Frequency" and quoted a line of it on their 2007 song " Born for This". Other artists have been quoted expressing admiration for their work are
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.


Members

;Current members * Dennis Lyxzén — lead vocals (1991–1998, 2012, 2014–present) *
David Sandström David Sandström (born 2 January 1975) is a Swedish musician best known as the drummer for the hardcore punk group Refused. After Refused first broke up in 1998, he and the other members worked on a project entitled TEXT and released one album. ...
— drums (1991–1998, 2012, 2014–present) *Magnus Flagge (formerly Björklund) — bass (1992–1995, 1997, 2012, 2014–present), *
Mattias Bärjed Tore Mattias Bärjed (born 21 May 1973) is a Swedish musician, songwriter and music composer. Between 1997–2012 he was a guitarist for The Soundtrack of Our Lives, co-writing many of their songs, such as "Sister Surround", "Bigtime" and "Sec ...
— guitar (2019–present; touring member 2015–2019) ;Former members * Jonas Lidgren — bass (1991–1992) * Pär Hansson — guitars (1991–1994) * Henrik Jansson — guitars (1992–1995) * Jon Brännström — guitars, samples, synthesizer, backing vocals (1995–1998, 2012) * Magnus Höggren — bass (1995–1997; died 2023) * Ulf Nybérg — bass (1997–1998) *
Kristofer Steen Kristofer Steen (born June 26, 1974) is a Swedish musician, who was the guitarist for hardcore punk band Refused. He directed '' Refused Are Fucking Dead'', a 2006 documentary charting the demise of Refused in 1998. After Refused's demise, Stee ...
— guitars (1994–1998, 2012, 2014–2020); bass (1994–1998, in studio) ;Session bassists * Jesper Sundberg (1994) * Anders Johansson (1994–1995, whenever needed) * Jonas "Babyface" Eriksson (1996–1997, also took part in the pre-production of ''
The Shape of Punk to Come ''The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts'', often shortened to ''The Shape of Punk to Come'', is the third album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, released on 27 October 1998 through Burning Heart Records. The alb ...
'')
* Håkan-Håkan Strandhag (1997; needed once) * Inge Johansson (1997; needed once) * Andreas Nilsson (1997; needed once) *
Don Devore Donald Willard Devore Jr. is an American artist and curator, known as Don Devore, who has been a member of the bands Ink & Dagger, Frail, Rain on the Parade, The Icarus Line, Lilys, Amazing Baby, Historics, Vague Angels, and Souls She Said, among ...
(1998; US tour)


Timeline


Discography


Studio albums

* '' This Just Might Be... the Truth'' (1994) * ''
Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent ''Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent'' is the second full-length album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused. It was released in 1996 through Victory Records, Startrec and We Bite on CD, tape and 12" vinyl; and reissued by Burning Heart Recor ...
'' (1996) * ''
The Shape of Punk to Come ''The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts'', often shortened to ''The Shape of Punk to Come'', is the third album by Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, released on 27 October 1998 through Burning Heart Records. The alb ...
'' (1998) * ''
Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...
'' (2015) * '' War Music'' (2019)


See also

*
Animal rights and punk subculture Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, have myocytes and are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and grow from a hol ...


References


Bibliography

*


External links

* * * * {{Authority control Swedish hardcore punk groups Swedish political music groups Post-hardcore groups Straight edge groups Equal Vision Records artists Burning Heart Records artists Victory Records artists 1991 establishments in Sweden Musical groups established in 1991 Musical groups disestablished in 1998 Musical groups reestablished in 2012 Musical groups disestablished in 2012 Musical groups reestablished in 2014 Musical groups from Umeå