Can You Believe That The Shape Of Punk To Come Is Ten Years Old?

what were you listening to in 1998? well if you are around the same age as me and had even a passing interest in punk rock or hardcore you were probably blowing out your speakers with Refused's hardcore masterpiece, and one of the most underrated and influential records of all time, The Shape Of Punk To Come.

Jesus, has it really been 10 fucking years since this album landed in my life and helped change the entire underground punk scene (probably for the worse to be honest)?

yes it has.

released October 27th, 1998, The Shape Of Punk To Come officially became a decade old this week. granted most people discovered this record in 1999 or 2000 when MTV2 began regularly playing their video for "New Noise" but by then the group had already broken up and all we were left with was the music. it's impossible for me to explain what breath of fresh air that Shape was in the late 90s. fusing together elements of hardcore, electronica, jazz, Nation of Ulyssess style doctrine, and riffs that could chop down a fucking tree, Refused was able to create one of THE most important records of the last 20 years. to say that this album is as important to the punk/emo/hardcore scene that would end up dominating much of the 21st century mainstream modern rock music as Nevermind was to the early 90s would not be an exaggeration. Fall Out Boy and the rest of the horrible shit that passes itself off as emo or punk should be praying at the alter of Refused and thanking these Swedish hardcore kids for creating something so new that it was impossible to go back into the underground afterwards. hell the rise of the entire San Diego hardcore scene, At The Drive In, and underground music in general in some ways owes its success to this one album. hell Hot Topic should be paying Refused royalties for existing in every fucking mall in America.

i mean honestly, this video is the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" of the emo generation.

and i STILL have that haircut.

i'm not gonna attempt to write a review of this album because it's been so very long and i've listened to it so many times that the original impact is now completely gone and i'm not sure if i could accurately explain WHY it was SO fucking important to me, but it should be acknowledged that in the history of music this is a watershed record. so put on your tight black jeans, comb your hair into your eyes, grab your At The Drive In shirt, slip on your fake glasses, and bust out this record because it's 1998 all over again. CAN I SCREAMMMM?!!!