Refused Are ‘F—ing Alive,’ Announce New Album

Swedish hardcore veterans Refused have announced that they are "f---ing alive" and posted the brand-new track, "Elektra" -- you can check it out above.

Epitaph will release Freedom, the group's first album in 17 years, on June 30. Refused broke up after the release of their third album, 1998's seminal The Shape of Punk to Come, by declaring that "Refused are f---ing dead." They got back together in time for a 2012 Coachella appearance and, at the time, spoke about working on new music but broke up again before it ever had a chance to materialize.

After announcing that the band was back on track in November 2014, things seem to be falling into place rather quickly, with the new album ready to go and the confirmation of a week's worth of dates in July and August opening for Faith No More in North America. The band's own U.S. club tour begins in May.

In a statement issued today via Epitaph, drummer David Sandström said that people actually preferred that the band not get back together so as not to risk tarnishing its legacy:

Nobody wanted us to fuck with the image of the band who makes a great album and splits up. Nobody wanted us to dilute it. That actually provoked us.

On the chorus of "Elektra," vocalist Dennis Lyxzén growls that "nothing has changed." We'll see about that.

Freedom was produced by Nick Launey (who has worked with venerated post-punk acts like Gang of Four, Public Image Ltd. and Nick Cave, as well as Arcade Fire). Interestingly, tracks "Elektra" and "366" were produced and co-written by fellow Swede and longtime Refused fan Shellback, who has scored eight No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with artists such as Taylor Swift and Pink -- a rather unlikely pairing at face value, but one that hasn't diluted the band's attack, at least based on the invigorating sound of "Elektra."

Refused 2015 Tour
April 29: Copenhagen -- Pumpehuset
May 2: Grozerock, Meerhout, Belgium
May 22: Ruhrpott Roden Open Air Festival, Hünxe, Germany
May 24: Las Vegas, Nev. -- Punk Rock Bowling festival
May 25: Santa Ana, Calif. -- The Observatory
May 26: West Hollywood, Calif. -- The Roxy Theatre
May 28: San Francisco, Calif. -- Great American Music Hall
May 29: Portland, Ore. -- Doug Fir Lounge
May 30: Seattle, Wash. -- The Crocodile
May 31: Chicago, Ill. -- Double Door
June 1: Boston, Mass. -- The Sinclair
June 3: New York, N.Y. -- Bowery Ballroom
June 4: Brooklyn, N.Y. -- Music Hall of Williamsburg
June 5: Washington, D.C. -- Rock & Roll Hotel
June 20: Amnesia Rock Fest, Montebello, Canada
June 27: Provinssi, Seinäjoki, Finland
July 02: Gdynia, Poland, Opener Festival
July 11: Rock im Ring Festival, Collalbo, Italy
July 16: Resurrection Fest, Viveiro, Spain
July 17: Slottsfjell, Tonsberg, Norway
July 18: Bukta Tromso Open Air Festival, Tromso, Norway
July 30: Atlanta, Ga. -- Masquerade Music Park
July 31: Raleigh, N.C. -- Red Hat Amphitheater
Aug. 1: Philadelphia, Pa. -- Mann Center
Aug. 2: Columbia, Mass. -- Merriweather Post Pavilion
Aug. 4: Boston, Mass. -- Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
Aug. 5: New York, N.Y. -- Madison Square Garden
Aug. 7: Toronto -- Ricoh Coliseum
Aug. 28: Leeds Festival, U.K.
Aug. 29: Pure & Crafted Festival, Gräfenhainichen, Germany
Aug. 30: Reading Festival, U.K.