Swedish hardcore legends Refused have just unleashed the 25th anniversary deluxe edition of their seminal album The Shape of Punk to Come, complete with a bonus tribute LP featuring each of the 12 songs covered by a different artist.
The deluxe reissue and new disc of cover songs arrive ahead of Refused’s impending breakup and North American farewell tour, which kicks off in March (pick up tickets here).
The Shape of Punk to Come, released in 1998, is widely considered one of the greatest hardcore albums of all time. For the tribute disc, titled The Shape of Punk to Come Obliterated, the chosen bands were invited to “rearrange or deconstruct” each of the album’s tracks.
Among the acts who reimagined Refused songs are Touché Amoré, Ho99o9, Quicksand, Cult of Luna, Fucked Up, and Zulu, among other bands.
Touché Amoré were tasked with covering The Shape of Punk to Come‘s final track, “The Apollo Programme Was a Hoax.” When Heavy Consequence caught up with Touché Amoré singer Jeremy Bolm recently, he told us, “It goes without saying The Shape of Punk to Come … is one of the most incredible [albums]. It still seems futuristic. … There’s such a depth of creativity and originality on that album that is unreal.”
In addition to streaming The Shape of Punk to Come Obliterated, Refused have also unveiled a previously unseen music video for the song “The Deadly Rhythm.”
Stream The Shape of Punk to Come Obliterated and watch the video for “The Deadly Rhythm” below. Limited edition vinyl copies can be ordered here.