Freedom

About

Almost two decades since Refused disbanded in the wake of 1998’s <i>The Shape of Punk to Come</i>, the Swedish quartet reappeared with 2015’s <i>Freedom</i>. The anticipation of a follow-up to a record that had since passed into legend was somewhat overshadowed by the collective shock that it could be happening at all. <i>The Shape of Punk to Come</i> was an explosive record made by an imploding band. In the months following its release, Refused fell spectacularly apart—the documentary of which, <i>Refused Are Fucking Dead</i>, makes Metallica’s <i>Some Kind of Monster</i> seem adorable by comparison. The band barely spoke until they reconvened in 2012 for a brief reunion tour, though the novelty of reconnection quickly frayed. By the time they were working on <i>Freedom</i>, long-serving guitarist Jon Brännström had been fired and not replaced, leaving Kristofer Steen to handle all the string. Having been through 12 bassists prior to their breakup, it was soothingly comical to see Magnus Flagge—who hadn’t played with the group since 1994’s <i>Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent</i>—welcomed as a full-time member. How any of this transpired remains a secret miracle. Vocalist Dennis Lyxzén simply recalled suddenly recording an album in Los Angeles with UK producer Nick Launay; a far cry from the last time they were in the studio scrappily recording to analog tape in their native Umeå—and a purposeful one. .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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