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Rating: If you associate Sweden musically only with death metal bands like Dissection, In Flames, or Dark Tranquillity, this album will surely surprise you. Refused, hailing from Umeå, can be considered one of the most important European hardcore ensembles.
One of the group's merits has been its unwavering adherence to its ideals, including the Straight Edge lifestyle, animal rights activism, fighting capitalism aimed at overthrowing the system, and the belief that the general discontent of workers can be overcome.
This album, the last of their career, released in 1998, is undoubtedly their masterpiece. In the 12 songs that make it up, hardcore, techno music, and some jazz influences blend into a highly experimental sound, yet not overly elitist, offering beautiful sensations even to those who are new to hardcore (like me).
The album's title is a reference to the song "The Sound of Jazz to Come" by Nation of Ulysses, while the song "Refused Are Fuckin Dead" draws inspiration from "Born Against Are Fuckin Dead" by Born Against, two bands considered among Refused's most important inspirations.
The opener is "Worms of the Senses/Faculties of the Skull", which, after recorded traffic noises, makes a grand entrance with numerous tempo changes, slowdowns, electronic inserts, over which Dennis Lyxzén's screams stand out. The surprising finale features a radio DJ presenting a techno base in Italian (!), promoting it as the band's new single. Next is "Liberation Frequency", with radio-oriented verses and very violent choruses, in which the group urges listeners to reclaim radio frequencies. "The Deadly Rythm" is another extremely violent hardcore track; the lyrics revisit the theme of worker discontent ("Is it our duty to die for governments and for gods?/ Is it our privilege to slave for market and industry?"). More traditional and punk rock-oriented is "Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine", followed by the techno base and xylophone interlude "Bruitist Pome #5" and "New Noise", the masterpiece of the album. I'm very attached to this song because its video was the first I ever saw on the Rock TV channel. Based on an obsessive guitar riff, the 5 minutes of the song present many sections in typical hardcore style, contrasted with parts featuring sampled loops and electronic violins. The lyrics critique the various anarchic texts of other bands, explaining that they have become a trend and that thoughts should be expressed in other ways ("We lack the motion to move to the new beat").
After "Refused Party Program", it's the turn of "Protest Song '68", whose title alone should explain what it's about and even references the Italian anarchist Errico Malatesta; the song musically features a sweet acoustic passage amid the violent guitar riffs that open and close the track. "Refused Are Fucking Dead" and the title track revisit what has been heard so far but remain highly excellent tracks. The last 2 tracks differ from what has been heard: "Tannhauser/Derivé", in its 8 minutes, features an instrumental intro and outro that also uses the violin, while the screamed vocals alternate with an almost whispered female voice; finally, "The Apollo Program Was a Hoax" is a ballad for acoustic guitar, double bass, and accordion, which ends the career of this extraordinary group in a melancholic way.
SCORE = 8
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Worms of the Senses / Faculties of the Skull (07:07)
I got a bone to pick with capitalism and a few to break. Grab us by the throat and shake the life away. Human life is not commodity, figures, statistics or make believe. And yeah I like eating excrement and not getting paid for it. Play the guilt, play the fear and play the anxiety x2 Seduced by the opportunity and robbed of hope. Human suffering is not commodity, figures, statistics or make believe. Marginalise away the joy and sell us boredom. And yeah I like working doing nothing and not making anything. Blame the poor, blame the uneducated and blame the sick x2
I took the first bus out of Coca-Cola city cause it made me feel nauseous and shitty.I took the first bus out of Shell town cause they didn't want me hanging around. YEAH. YEAH. I took the first bus. Let's take the first bus out of here.
02 Liberation Frequency (04:08)
It's coming through the air
For all of us to hear
Could it be the sounds of liberation
Or just the image of detention
We want the airwaves back
We want the airwaves back
We don't just want airtime
We want all the time
All of the time
We want the airwaves back
We want the airwaves back
We don't just want transmission
We want
ow
What frequency are you getting
Is it noise or sweet sweet music
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency will liberation be
It's coming through the air
For all of us to hear
Could it be the sounds of liberation
Or just the image of detention
Control my flower
Business, news all ready to devour
Who's in charge and what does he say
Is he playing the alternative or does it sound the same old way
We want the airwaves back
We want the airwaves back
We want transmission for the people (by the people)
We mean
We wanted everything
We needed everything
We needed everything
What frequency are you getting
Is it noise or sweet sweet music
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency
What frequency
What frequency are you getting
Is it noise or sweet sweet sweet s-sweet
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency
What frequency
What frequency
We want the airwaves back
We want the airwaves back
We don't just want airtime
We want all the time
All of the time
What frequency are you getting
Is it noise or sweet sweet music
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency are you getting
Is it noise or sweet sweet sweet
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency
What frequency
03 The Deadly Rhythm (03:36)
["We got more coming, right now. There's more coming.
We're gonna get, gonna get a little sort of a session going here.
A bit of a session, a sessions that will feature the rhythm section."]
This union that made us powerless is talking over our heads
Claiming prosperity in a downward spiral plan
Stuck by the deadly rhythm of the production line
Stuck by the deadly rhythm of the production line
This power that made us unionless is taking out of our hands
Cheapest labour at our expensive cost, auctioned our lives away
Stuck by the deadly rhythm of the production line
Stuck by the deadly rhythm of the production line
We consume our lives like we are thankful
For what we are being forced into
Is it our duty to die for governments & for gods?
Is it our privilege to slave for market & for industry?
Is it our right to follow laws, set to scare and to oppress?
Is it a gift to stay in line and will it take away the blame?
Can no longer pay the price. We'll get organized!
We'll no longer believe working for you will set us free!
Can no longer pay the price. We'll get organized!
We'll no longer believe working for you will set us free!
04 Summerholidays vs. Punkroutine (04:03)
I'm tired of losing myself
To some stupid childhood dream of what I could have been
Money proves the point
And I'm stuck between summer holidays and punk routine
I shoot off a hundred things to remain more sorry than safe, you see
I only get this fucking chance once and I just can't let it be
And I'm still certain that what motivates me
Is more rewarding than any piece of paper could be
Well adjusted and corrupt
All those icons that stole our teenage lust
A scenario of simplicity
A scenario of you and me
A scenario of simplicity
A scenario of you and me
Rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in
We're all tired of dying
So sick of not trying
Scared that we might fail
We'll accomplish nothing
We're all tired of dying
So sick of not trying
Scared that we might fail
We'll accomplish nothing
Not even failure
Rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in
06 New Noise (05:10)
Can I scream?
We lack the motion to move to the new beat!
We lack the motion to move to the new beat!
It's here for us to admire if we can afford the beauty of it
If we can afford the luxury of turning our heads if we can
Adjust that 1000 dollar smile and behold the creation of man
Great words won't cover ugly actions
Good frames won't save bad paintings!
We lack the motion to move to the new beat!
We lack motion!
When the day is over the doors are locked on us
Cause money buys the access and we can't pay the cost
How can we expect anyone to listen if we are using the same old voice
We need new noise
New art for real people!
We dance to all the wrong songs
We enjoy all the wrong moves
We dance to all the wrong songs
We dance to all the wrong songs
We enjoy all the wrong moves
We dance to all the wrong songs
We're not
We're not
We're not
We're not
We're not
We're not
Leading!
We dance to all the wrong songs
We enjoy all the wrong moves
We dance to all the wrong songs
We dance to all the wrong songs
We enjoy all the wrong moves
We dance to all the wrong songs
Here we go!
We dance to all the wrong songs
We enjoy all the wrong moves
We dance to all the wrong songs
We're not leading
The new beat
The new beats
Thank you
08 Protest Song '68 (04:34)
To sing you must first open your mouth,
you must have a pair of lungs,
and a little knowledge of music
It's not necessary to have an accordion, or a guitar
The essential thing is that I want to sing
then this is a song, I'm singing
I breathe in and I create -
rewoke the spirit '68
Fresh meaning to torn ideas
let's bring life to old clich�s
Punch a hole in tradition
yeah, let's listen to the songs of discontent
to the chords and the movement,
to the chords and the movement
It could all be so simple,
we would all stand baffled by the precision and accuracy
Our jaws would hurt from dropping so hard, fast and unexpected
It would be the perfect metaphor
It would be the perfect song we'd be singing
I breathe out and I scream -
rewoke the Malatestas dream
Inspiration from the past
focus to the future at last
Fixed dogmas can't substitute
creative thought and action
We could be dangerous
art as a real threat
And all it is is words,
words said a million times before
And all it is is a song,
a song sung a million times before
I breathe in and I create -
rewoke the spirit '68
I breathe out and I scream -
rewoke the Malatestas dream
10 The Shape of Punk to Come (05:08)
Hey baby, you never felt this good
Freedom through the stereo and you wish you could
Take a bite, do a dance and get lost on a crusade
Jump on this soul train, destination unknown
We're all dressed up
We got nowhere to go
All dressed up with nowhere to go
I told you so
I told you so
We're all dressed up
We got nowhere to go
All dressed up
I told you so
I told you so
I told you so
Hey baby, never felt this free
A pair of new shoes and a punk rock show to see
Give acclaimation to these blue ribbon babies
And check the calendar for the expiration date
We've all been bitten
We've all been underground
We've all been beaten, battered, bruised
Told to get down
We've all been bitten
We've all been shut down
We've all been beaten, battered, bruised
Told to get down
We're all dressed up
We got nowhere to go
All dressed up with nowhere to go
I told you so
I told you so
We're all dressed up
We got nowhere to go
All dressed up
I told you so
I told you so
I told you so
Adolescent beats with a new thing to see
Smashed guitars just like you've seen on TV
With burning speakers and with flaming hair
We'll have a riot right here
We'll have a riot right here
11 Tannhäuser / Derivè (08:09)
So where do we go from here?
Just about anywhere
Disorientated but alive
Boredom won't get me tonight
Let's bring this city to life, to light - tonight
Let's bring this city to life, tonight - to light
There is no destination
But with a goal in mind
We can all be realistic
Demand the impossible
Let's bring this city to life - to light, tonight
Let's bring this city to life - tonight
Every street is an adventure and every road becomes a trip.
Every turn we take and every decision we don't make,
even the decision we don't make, will bring us into the secrets of their town.
Every corner we turn will lead us, every corner we turn will lead us down the labyrinths,
and every desire that we earn will guide us alive, living, loving & searching.
So where do we go from here?
Just about anywhere
Disorientated but alive
Boredom won't get me tonight
Boredom won't get me tonight
Boredom won't get me tonight
Boredom won't get me tonight
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By giuseppe 83
In a genre that has remained the same for centuries to the point of exhaustion, even a small 'strange' thing is enough to be considered a genius.
Some tracks rock, there’s no doubt about it, but it seems excessive to me to cry miracle like I’ve seen many do.
