Having recently announced that they are to split up again following a farewell tour next year, Swedish hardcore legends Refused have also revealed a belated 25th anniversary tribute album for their classic 1998 record, The Shape Of Punk To Come.
Titled The Shape Of Punk To Come Obliterated, it features the songs reimagined and reconstructed by 12 bands hand-picked by Refused themselves, including Quicksand, GEL, Snapcase, ZULU and IDLES.
To lead the announcement, they've released fellow Swedes Cult Of Luna's vast take on Tannhäuser / Derive.
“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,” says Cult Of Luna mainman Johannes Persson. “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.
“We felt very honoured 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 [Lyxzén, Refused singer] boasting about this six-minute, epic song. That’s the reason why I picked the song. If you want ‘epic’ Dennis, we’ll give you epic! And thanks for the trust.”