4.5/5 stars
17 years ago, Refused changed the landscape of punk rock forever with the release of The Shape Of Punk To Come, an album that still stands to show what punk music is capable of – which is why the announcement of a comeback album left fans in a state of understandably sceptical excitement.
Any presumptions that Freedom would just be a rehash of Refused’s previous material are thrown out the window by the second song, ‘Old Friends’. What starts with heavy breathing and distorted voices explodes into vibrant acoustic guitars and wah bass. It takes the familiar comfort of lead single ‘Elektra’ and completely destroys it.
The hardcore influence out of which Refused were born has been stripped from this album, which will alienate a lot of fans. From children’s choirs and barbershop harmonies in ‘Françafrique’ to massive horns in ‘War On The Palaces’, Refused are trying to redefine how rock music does business. But while Freedom is an engaging and interesting record, it still won’t be remembered as Refused’s defining moment.
The worst thing that a band with such a strong history of not playing by the rules could have done would be to remake an old classic. Luckily for us, Freedom is unlike anything Refused have done before, or will ever do again.
