Last month, Swedish punk band Refused announced their final victory lap with the news of their farewell tour and plans to release a special 25th anniversary edition of their gamechanging album, The Shape of Punk To Come.

In addition to the run of final live dates, Refused would celebrate the milestone with the release of The Shape Of Punk To Come Obliterated which features covers, remixes and reimagined versions of the album's vital tracks from bands like Quicksand, Zulu, Gel, IDLES, Touche Amore and more. 

For the first offering from the ambitious endeavor, Refused have teamed with fellow Swedes in post metal powerhouse Cult of Luna for a sprawling 10-minute rendition of the track, “Tannhäuser / Derive” - originally featured on The Shape of Punk to Come. The reconstructed version of the song serves as a towering interpretation, one that showcases Cult of Luna's massive sound and commanding performance. 

Cult Of Luna guitarist and vocalist Johannes Persson spoke candidly about being asked to participate in the project, “I hate covers and I usually am very reluctant to spend any time listening to one band playing another band's songs. However, I’m very excited by the opportunity to dive into another artist’s writing and see how I can contribute my own creative style. For me that’s the only way to justify making a cover, it needs to have the musical mark of the original artist. You need to take what is someone else’s and make it yours by adding, not merely copying."

Persson also shared how Refused was especially influential in the Swedish music scene. "We felt very honored when Refused asked us to cover one of their songs. Not only are they a band that we grew up listening and looking up to but they also were the pinnacle of Umeå hardcore.  The scene that was the birthplace of our band. After the recording of 'The Shape Of Punk To Come' I remember Dennis boasting about this 6 min epic song, their 'Tannhäuser'.   That’s the reason why I picked the song. If you want 'epic' Dennis, we’ll give you epic!

And thanks for the trust."

The formative tenure of Refused can be split into two formative stretches. From 1991 to 1998, the band delivered influential releases including This Just Might be... The Truth, Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent and the seminal, The Shape of Punk to Come. The band would go on an extended hiatus, reuniting in 2012 to release two more entries in Freedom in 2015 and War Music in 2019. 

The band that helped usher in a new era of hardcore punk is calling it a career with the confirmation of their farewell tour. Set to kick of March 21st, 2025, Refused will embark on a focused trek that includes select cities in North America to close what has been a historic run. The tour will include support from Quicksand and will mark the band's final live performances. 

The special limited edition of vinyl reissue of The Shape of Punk to Come were limited to just 2000 physical copies. Quickly selling out, Refused are launching a second pressing of the limited-edition ‘TSOPTC’ vinyl on opaque purple to meet the overwhelming demand. Fans can pre-order the release - HERE

The compilation The Shape of Punk to Come Obliterated is set to land November 8th via Epitaph Records. See the complete tracklisting below. A list of dates for Refused's farewell tour can also be found below. Tickets are available - HERE