Refused Release Limited Edition 'The Shape Of Punk To Come' 25th Anniversary Reissue

11-10-2024

(Epitaph) Swedish punk legends Refused are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their seminal 1998 record 'The Shape Of Punk To Come' with the first batch of its limited-edition vinyl re-issue out now via Epitaph Records. A second pressing on an exclusive opaque purple variant is expected to ship in March 2025. With only 2000 copies worldwide, you can still pre-order exclusively through the band's webstore.

In addition to the vinyl, a limited run of the re-issue is available on cassette tape starting today! Limited to just 1,000 copies, you can order exclusively via Tapehead City here.

Part of the physical release, the 12-song tribute album 'The Shape Of Punk To Come Obliterated' is also available to stream now via Epitaph. Following the request to "rearrange or deconstruct", Refused presents Touche Amore's sprawling rendition of "The Apollo Programme Was A Hoax".

Touche Amore comment: "There's only a handful of records that are so singular and unique that few ever attempt to replicate. 'The Shape of Punk to Come' is the highest echelon of what's being described. Over twenty years later this album stands alone, so, when Dennis approached us about covering a track, we knew we were up for the task. We chose the closing track because we heard elements of what TA could pull from to create a new song out of the foundation they had laid. Our instructions were to make it our own, and luckily with the song being so avant-garde and unique, we found it inviting. Thank you to Refused for the opportunity and to you for listening."

Artists On The Shape Of Punk To Come Obliterated
Walter Schreifels of Quicksand: "I'm honored that Quicksand was asked to be on this compilation. Liberation Frequency and The Shape Of Punk To Come are monuments to heavy music with a message and aesthetic that transcend the genre."

Anaiah Lei of Zulu: "I've always been a Refused fan and even had the chance to tour with them back in 2012 with my old band. This record was definitely top 10 in my list of favorite hardcore albums and it was an honor to get to play a song off it. Especially this one because I'm like, y'all made this in the mid 90s? Way ahead of its time!"

Snapcase: "We were super excited when Refused asked us to take part in this project and it was a quick decision to choose Summerholidays vs Punkroutine. It's collectively one of our favorite songs on the record and presented us with a unique challenge to get outside our comfort zone while mixing in elements of our own musical identity. Thanks for including us!"

Sami of Gel: "Refused was one of the first shows I went to and the first time I was up front. It was a charismatic performance and rowdy crowd and it definitely contributed to my love of heavier music and the live shows that demonstrate the energy of the music authentically."

As the band prepares to take their final bow, their North American farewell tour has quickly sold out in Vancouver, NYC, Toronto, Seattle, and Portland, with low ticket warnings throughout multiple other cities. A new date has now been added for Saturday, March 22nd in Buffalo, NY.

Refused also unearth the previously unseen music video for "The Deadly Rhythm"

The Shape Of Punk To Come Obliterated Tracklisting
1. Gel - Worms Of The Senses / Faculties Of The Skull
2. Quicksand - The Liberation Frequency
3. Brutus - The Deadly Rhythm
4. Snapcase - Summer Holidays Vs. Punkroutine
5. Idles - New Noise (remix)
6. Ho99o9 - New Noise
7. F***ed Up - Refused Party Program
8. Zulu - Protest Song '68
9. Cold Cave - Refused Are F***ing Dead
10. IGORR - The Shape Of Punk To Come
11. Cult Of Luna - Tannhäuser / Derive
12. Touche Amore - The Apollo Programme Was A Hoax