Swedish hardcore trailblazers Refused — you know, the guys behind the revolutionary album The Shape of Punk to Come — have been at it since 1991, but with a decade-plus hiatus smack in the middle. Their live reunion in 2012 left them in a strange place when it came to new music. By the time the band released their somewhat-lackluster last full-length, Freedom, in 2015, they'd been riding high on the adrenaline of amped-up crowds ready to hear the classics for some time. Today, they call that LP "for the most part, a studio record" and state that with their new single "Blood Red" and forthcoming album War Music, they hoped to capture a more raucous, electrified sound.
An explosive mix of old and new elements from the rockers, "Blood Red" delivers the skronky, off-kilter bits so central to Refused's signature sound with a hard-hitting immediacy. "It was truly inspired by you, our live audience, the old and the new, who come out and help us turn every venue into a boiling hot mess," Refused said of the song in a joint statement. "This one's for you." War Music is due out October 18th via Spinefarm/Search & Destroy; you can pre-order a copy here.
