Late yesterday, rumor spread rapidly about the possibility of a reunion from Swedish punk/post-hardcore legends Refused, who broke up in 1998 following the release of the highly influential album, The Shape of Punk to Come. Where did the rumor come from? The Refused official website stated simply, “Refused, coming soon…” which many misinterpreted as being a subtle reunion announcement. Among the hopeful rumor catalysts was BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, who tweeted excitedly, “”This. Is. HUGE!!!!!, Refused have reformed.” Australian media outlet Triple J posted a story, as well as Punknews.org, citing an anonymous source.
As it turns out, the message on the band’s website simply refers to an upcoming reissue of The Shape of Punk to Come to be released this summer on the primarily pop-punk label Epitaph. Exclaim has the lowdown, having recently received emails from Epitaph and ex-frontman Dennis Lyxzén.
Like At the Drive-In who followed in Refused’s footsteps, the Swedish band will be content to remain defunct and remembered for their tremendous impact.
