Ursula K Le Guin said it best, “We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable–but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings”. Refused is taking Le Guin’s battlecry and carefully observed the chaos and destruction in the world in which we claim to be our habitat, and said, “if you’re just going to stand idly by, it’s time for us to make some noise one more time”. This past Friday, the punk/post-hardcore band Refused out of Sweden released the masterpiece entitled “War Music” via Spinefarm Records.
We’ve seen what crony capitalism has done to our Mother Earth and to the inhabitants of it. We’ve stood idly by and watched powerful lobbyists and corporations sell our politicians down the river by influencing and making the law, effectively stripping that power from the people to make laws that benefit the greater good. Refused took all this righteous anger and frustration, bottled it up, shook up the contents of the bottle, and watched the contents spontaneously combust onto the canvas in “War Music”.
This record shows the anger, and the art that Refused has trademarked. You hear chilling, hollow cry of the woman proclaiming “One more revolution my love/One more time through the fire/One more revolution/Once more we’ll walk/Into enemy fire”, then Refused combusts with the track “Rev001”. This track sets the pace perfectly in their thematic album “War Music”. “Rev001” serves as a battlecry for the voiceless and the disenfranchised as Refused carries the banner demanding that we deserve better for ourselves and for our children.
Tracks such as “Violent Reaction”, “I Wanna Watch The World Burn”, and “Turn The Cross”, showcases intense social commentary by Refused ranging from corruption in the modern evangelical church, anger towards the establishment, and how their decisions have left us with no choice but to revolt. The lyrics are poignant and the arrangements are carefully crafted to carry on the eloquent, intelligent messages that Refused wants to talk to us about.
“Malfire” sounds like a sequel to “New Noise”. Something about the lyric “It’s a different type of war, when the wolves are at the door”, can be a battlecry for the right and left to unite and come together to fight the evil in this corrupt government. The way the song builds up is nothing short of remarkable.
At the 11th hour, Refused has came to the rescue to awaken our slumber with eloquent lyrics and intense arrangements in an effort to bring about meaningful discussions once again in our country. Refused doesn’t need us, we need this band to be our battlecry towards the corruption in our government, business, and society. This is the most important record of the year as it awakens sleeping giants. Madness To Creation gives this the 100% seal of approval as record of the year finalist. “If you hear this, you’re a weapon”.
Here is the track listing:
- REV001
- Violent Reaction
- I Wanna Watch The World Burn
- Blood Red
- Malfire
- Turn The Cross
- Damaged III
- Death In Vannas
- The Infamous Left
- Economy of Death
Check out Refused on tour in United Kingdom and Europe in 2019 and North America in 2020 with special guests Youth Code:
Sat. 10/26- O2 Academy in Birmingham, United Kingdom
Sun. 10/27- Barrowlands in Glasgow, United Kingdom
Tue. 10/29- O2 Academy in Bristol, United Kingdom
Wed. 10/30- O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, United Kingdom
Thu. 10/31- Club Academy in Manchester, United Kingdom
Fri. 11/1- Rock City in Nottingham, United Kingdom
Sun. 11/3- Melkweg in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mon. 11/4- Carlswerk Victoria in Koln, Germany
Tue. 11/5- Grosse Freiheit 36 in Hamburg, Germany
Thu. 11/7- Ancienne Belgique in Bruxelles, Belgium
Fri. 11/8- Elysee Montmartre in Paris, France
Sun. 11/10- Alcatraz in Milano, Italy
Mon. 11/11- TonHalle in Munchen, Germany
Tue. 11/12- Huxley’s Neue Welt in Berlin, Germany
Wed. 12/11- VEGA in Kobenhavn V., Denmark
Thu. 12/12- Mejeriet in Lund, Sweden
Fri. 12/13- Pustervik in Goteborg, Sweden
Sat. 12/14- Berns in Stockholm, Sweden
Sun. 12/15- Vulkan Arena in Oslo, Norway
Tue. 12/17- The Circus in Helsinki, Finland
For tickets and further information on Refused’s U.K./European tour, click here.
2020 North American Tour:
Fri. 2/21- 9:30 Club in Washington D.C.
Sat. 2/22- Brooklyn Steel in Kings County, New York
Mon. 2/24- Mtelus in Montreal, Canada
Tue. 2/25- Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, Canada
Wed. 2/26- The Intersection in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Thu. 2/27- St. Andrews Hall in Detroit, Michigan
Fri. 2/28- The Rave/Eagles Club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sat. 2/29- Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Tue. 3/3- Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon
Wed. 3/4- Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, Canada
Thu. 3/5- The Showbox in Seattle, Washington
Sat. 3/7- The UC Theatre in Berkeley, California
Sun. 3/8- Ace of Spades in Sacramento, California
Mon. 3/9- 1720 in Los Angeles, California
For tickets and further information, click here.
Fans can find REFUSED at the following locations:
