• Voto:
Se associate la Svezia dal punto di vista musicale solo a gruppi death metal tipo Dissection, In Flames o Dark Tranquillity, quest'album sicuramente vi stupirà. I Refused, originari di Umeå, possono essere considerati uno dei più importanti ensamble di hardcore europeo.
Uno dei meriti del gruppo è stato quello di essere stati sempre fedeli ai propri ideali, tra i quali lo stile di vita Straight Edge, il combattimento per i diritti degli animali, la lotta contro il capitalismo mirato alla soppressione del sistema e la convinzione di poter superare le repressioni del malcontento generale dei lavoratori.
Quest'album, l'ultimo della loro carriera, pubblicato nel 1998, è sicuramente il loro capolavoro. Nelle 12 canzoni che lo compongono l'hardcore, la musica techno e alcune influenze jazz si fondono in un suono altamente sperimentale, ma non per questo troppo elitario, regalando sensazioni bellissime anche a chi di hardcore è ancora alle prime armi (come il sottoscritto).
Il titolo dell'album è un riferimento alla canzone "The Sound of Jazz to Come" dei Nation of Ulysses, mentre la canzone "Refused Are Fuckin Dead" prende spunto da "Born Against Are Fuckin Dead" dei Born Against, due gruppi che sono ritenuti tra i più importanti ispiratori dei Refused.
L'opener è "Worms of the Senses/Faculties of the Skull", che, dopo rumori registrati nel traffico, si presenta alla grande, con tanti cambi di tempo, rallentamenti, inserti elettronici, su cui si stagliano le urla del cantante Dennis Lyxzén. Sorprendente il finale, in cui un dj radiofonico presenta in italiano (!) una base techno, spacciandola per il nuovo singolo della band. Segue "Liberation Frequency", tra strofe radio-oriented e ritornelli violentissimi, in cui il gruppo incita a riappropiarsi delle frequenze radiofoniche. "The Deadly Rythm" è un'altra violentissima scheggia hardcore; nel testo ritorna il tema del malcontento dei lavoratori ("Is it our duty to die for governments and for gods?/ Is it our privilege to slave for market and industry?). Più canonica e orientata sul punk rock è "Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine" a cui seguono l'intermezzo per base techno e xilofono "Bruitist Pome #5" e "New Noise", capolavoro dell'abum. Sono molto legato a questa canzone perchè il relativo video è stato il primo in assoluto che vidi sul canale Rock TV. Basata su un ossessivo riff di chitarra, i 5 minuti della canzone presentano molte sezioni in tipico stile hardcore, a cui si contrappongono parti con loop campionati e violini elettronici. Il testo critica i vari testi anarchici degli altri gruppi, spiegando che sono diventati una moda e che bisogna esprimere il propio pensiero in altri modi (" We lack the motion to move to the new beat").
Dopo "Refused Party Program", è il turno di "Protest Song '68", il cui titolo dovrebbe da solo spiegare di che si tratta e che cita nel testo anche l'anarchico italiano Errico Malatesta; il brano musicalmente presenta un dolce passaggio acustico in mezzo ai violenti riff di chitarra che aprono e chiudono il brano. "Refused Are Fucking Dead" e la title-track ripropongono quanto sentito fin'ora, ma rimangono comunque dei validissimi brani. Le ultime 2 track si discostano da quanto sentito: "Tannhauser/Derivè", nei suoi 8 minuti, presenta un'intro e una coda strumentale che si avvale anche del violino, mentre il cantato urlato è alternato a una voce femminile quasi sussurrata; infine "The Apollo Program Was a Hoax" è una ballata per chitarra acustica, contrabbasso e fisarmonica, che chiude in modo malinconico la carriera di questo straordinario gruppo.
VOTO = 8
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Worms of the Senses / Faculties of the Skull (07:07)
I got a bone to pick with capitalism and a few to break. Grab us by the throat and shake the life away. Human life is not commodity, figures, statistics or make believe. And yeah I like eating excrement and not getting paid for it. Play the guilt, play the fear and play the anxiety x2 Seduced by the opportunity and robbed of hope. Human suffering is not commodity, figures, statistics or make believe. Marginalise away the joy and sell us boredom. And yeah I like working doing nothing and not making anything. Blame the poor, blame the uneducated and blame the sick x2
I took the first bus out of Coca-Cola city cause it made me feel nauseous and shitty.I took the first bus out of Shell town cause they didn't want me hanging around. YEAH. YEAH. I took the first bus. Let's take the first bus out of here.
02 Liberation Frequency (04:08)
It's coming through the air
For all of us to hear
Could it be the sounds of liberation
Or just the image of detention
We want the airwaves back
We want the airwaves back
We don't just want airtime
We want all the time
All of the time
We want the airwaves back
We want the airwaves back
We don't just want transmission
We want
ow
What frequency are you getting
Is it noise or sweet sweet music
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency will liberation be
It's coming through the air
For all of us to hear
Could it be the sounds of liberation
Or just the image of detention
Control my flower
Business, news all ready to devour
Who's in charge and what does he say
Is he playing the alternative or does it sound the same old way
We want the airwaves back
We want the airwaves back
We want transmission for the people (by the people)
We mean
We wanted everything
We needed everything
We needed everything
What frequency are you getting
Is it noise or sweet sweet music
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency
What frequency
What frequency are you getting
Is it noise or sweet sweet sweet s-sweet
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency
What frequency
What frequency
We want the airwaves back
We want the airwaves back
We don't just want airtime
We want all the time
All of the time
What frequency are you getting
Is it noise or sweet sweet music
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency are you getting
Is it noise or sweet sweet sweet
What frequency will liberation be
What frequency
What frequency
03 The Deadly Rhythm (03:36)
["We got more coming, right now. There's more coming.
We're gonna get, gonna get a little sort of a session going here.
A bit of a session, a sessions that will feature the rhythm section."]
This union that made us powerless is talking over our heads
Claiming prosperity in a downward spiral plan
Stuck by the deadly rhythm of the production line
Stuck by the deadly rhythm of the production line
This power that made us unionless is taking out of our hands
Cheapest labour at our expensive cost, auctioned our lives away
Stuck by the deadly rhythm of the production line
Stuck by the deadly rhythm of the production line
We consume our lives like we are thankful
For what we are being forced into
Is it our duty to die for governments & for gods?
Is it our privilege to slave for market & for industry?
Is it our right to follow laws, set to scare and to oppress?
Is it a gift to stay in line and will it take away the blame?
Can no longer pay the price. We'll get organized!
We'll no longer believe working for you will set us free!
Can no longer pay the price. We'll get organized!
We'll no longer believe working for you will set us free!
04 Summerholidays vs. Punkroutine (04:03)
I'm tired of losing myself
To some stupid childhood dream of what I could have been
Money proves the point
And I'm stuck between summer holidays and punk routine
I shoot off a hundred things to remain more sorry than safe, you see
I only get this fucking chance once and I just can't let it be
And I'm still certain that what motivates me
Is more rewarding than any piece of paper could be
Well adjusted and corrupt
All those icons that stole our teenage lust
A scenario of simplicity
A scenario of you and me
A scenario of simplicity
A scenario of you and me
Rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in
We're all tired of dying
So sick of not trying
Scared that we might fail
We'll accomplish nothing
We're all tired of dying
So sick of not trying
Scared that we might fail
We'll accomplish nothing
Not even failure
Rather be forgotten than remembered for giving in
06 New Noise (05:10)
Can I scream?
We lack the motion to move to the new beat!
We lack the motion to move to the new beat!
It's here for us to admire if we can afford the beauty of it
If we can afford the luxury of turning our heads if we can
Adjust that 1000 dollar smile and behold the creation of man
Great words won't cover ugly actions
Good frames won't save bad paintings!
We lack the motion to move to the new beat!
We lack motion!
When the day is over the doors are locked on us
Cause money buys the access and we can't pay the cost
How can we expect anyone to listen if we are using the same old voice
We need new noise
New art for real people!
We dance to all the wrong songs
We enjoy all the wrong moves
We dance to all the wrong songs
We dance to all the wrong songs
We enjoy all the wrong moves
We dance to all the wrong songs
We're not
We're not
We're not
We're not
We're not
We're not
Leading!
We dance to all the wrong songs
We enjoy all the wrong moves
We dance to all the wrong songs
We dance to all the wrong songs
We enjoy all the wrong moves
We dance to all the wrong songs
Here we go!
We dance to all the wrong songs
We enjoy all the wrong moves
We dance to all the wrong songs
We're not leading
The new beat
The new beats
Thank you
08 Protest Song '68 (04:34)
To sing you must first open your mouth,
you must have a pair of lungs,
and a little knowledge of music
It's not necessary to have an accordion, or a guitar
The essential thing is that I want to sing
then this is a song, I'm singing
I breathe in and I create -
rewoke the spirit '68
Fresh meaning to torn ideas
let's bring life to old clich�s
Punch a hole in tradition
yeah, let's listen to the songs of discontent
to the chords and the movement,
to the chords and the movement
It could all be so simple,
we would all stand baffled by the precision and accuracy
Our jaws would hurt from dropping so hard, fast and unexpected
It would be the perfect metaphor
It would be the perfect song we'd be singing
I breathe out and I scream -
rewoke the Malatestas dream
Inspiration from the past
focus to the future at last
Fixed dogmas can't substitute
creative thought and action
We could be dangerous
art as a real threat
And all it is is words,
words said a million times before
And all it is is a song,
a song sung a million times before
I breathe in and I create -
rewoke the spirit '68
I breathe out and I scream -
rewoke the Malatestas dream
10 The Shape of Punk to Come (05:08)
Hey baby, you never felt this good
Freedom through the stereo and you wish you could
Take a bite, do a dance and get lost on a crusade
Jump on this soul train, destination unknown
We're all dressed up
We got nowhere to go
All dressed up with nowhere to go
I told you so
I told you so
We're all dressed up
We got nowhere to go
All dressed up
I told you so
I told you so
I told you so
Hey baby, never felt this free
A pair of new shoes and a punk rock show to see
Give acclaimation to these blue ribbon babies
And check the calendar for the expiration date
We've all been bitten
We've all been underground
We've all been beaten, battered, bruised
Told to get down
We've all been bitten
We've all been shut down
We've all been beaten, battered, bruised
Told to get down
We're all dressed up
We got nowhere to go
All dressed up with nowhere to go
I told you so
I told you so
We're all dressed up
We got nowhere to go
All dressed up
I told you so
I told you so
I told you so
Adolescent beats with a new thing to see
Smashed guitars just like you've seen on TV
With burning speakers and with flaming hair
We'll have a riot right here
We'll have a riot right here
11 Tannhäuser / Derivè (08:09)
So where do we go from here?
Just about anywhere
Disorientated but alive
Boredom won't get me tonight
Let's bring this city to life, to light - tonight
Let's bring this city to life, tonight - to light
There is no destination
But with a goal in mind
We can all be realistic
Demand the impossible
Let's bring this city to life - to light, tonight
Let's bring this city to life - tonight
Every street is an adventure and every road becomes a trip.
Every turn we take and every decision we don't make,
even the decision we don't make, will bring us into the secrets of their town.
Every corner we turn will lead us, every corner we turn will lead us down the labyrinths,
and every desire that we earn will guide us alive, living, loving & searching.
So where do we go from here?
Just about anywhere
Disorientated but alive
Boredom won't get me tonight
Boredom won't get me tonight
Boredom won't get me tonight
Boredom won't get me tonight
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Altre recensioni
Di giuseppe 83
In un genere sempre uguale da secoli basta una minima cosa "strana" per passare per geni assoluti.
Dopo di loro l'unico cambiamento nella scena è stato nel look.
