The members of Refused have announced their plans to call it a career, but not without a farewell run of tour dates and a celebration of their most beloved album, The Shape of Punk to Come.

Drummer David Sandstrom revealed that the group had initially planned to announce their farewell run earlier, but singer Dennis Lyxzen suffered a heart attack earlier in the year that delayed their plans.

READ MORE: Refused Singer Dennis Lyxzen Suffers Heart Attack, Issues Statement

The band played their first show in 1992, split not long after their widely hailed third album The Shape of Punk to Come and reunited in 2012.

"We had made a decent splash in the '90s and the breakup had been very sudden and chaotic, there were feelings and they were not aired out and the whole thing had been such a shitshow that it was almost inevitable that we’d get back on the horse at some point. We wanted a do-over, to see what was still there, if anything, and what could be made of it," said Sandstrom.

"That was basically it. We gave it several shots between 2012 and 2024. We all have different takes on how it went and what the legacy of the reformed band will be, but personally I felt we couldn’t quite agree on what we were supposed to do musically, and we were still struggling with that when the pandemic hit. Kristofer felt that he’d done what he wanted to do and left the band in august of 2020 and although there was a delayed effect to the death blow, a death blow it was," he adds.

He concludes, "So on to the good news: Dennis is doing great. He’s one of the healthiest dudes I know, he can’t sit still, exercises a lot and it follows that his recuperation would be swift. He’s gotten excellent care and his doctor has run all the physical tests on him and they all indicate he’s making a full recovery."

"Needless to say, he’s itching to get back on tour to play shows and he even suggested we should keep preliminary dates set up for the late fall and winter, but we decided to postpone those shows and instead start up in the spring. So yeah, that’s where we’re at."

"We’re coming to the U.S. in March/April 2025 and we’re looking at what else we can do with the rest of the year, all we know is that we want to finish back home in Sweden at the end of the year. Let us know if there are songs you want us to play and we’ll give them a shot. Hope to see you out there."

Where Will Refused Be Playing on Their Farewell Tour?

The band has revealed the North American leg of dates for their farewell run. The trek will kick off March 21 in Brooklyn and will make 14 stops in total, finishing up April 10 in Sacramento. Quicksand will provide support on the run.

Tickets go on sale this Friday (Sept. 13) at 10AM local time through their website. See all the dates listed below.

Refused / Quicksand 2025 North American Tour Dates

March 21 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @  Brooklyn Paramount
March 23 – Toronto, Ontario @ HISTORY
March 25 – Chicago, Ill. @ Salt Shed
March 27 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Warfield
March 28 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Shrine Expo Hall
March 29 – Del Mar, Calif. @ The Sound
March 30 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Marquee Theatre
April 1 – Denver, Colo. @ Ogden Theatre
April 2 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Union Event Center
April 4 – Boise, Idaho @ Knitting Factory
April 5 – Seattle, Wash. @The Showbox
April 7 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Vogue Theatre
April 8 – Portland, Ore. @ Revolution Hall
April 10 – Sacramento, Calif. @ Ace Of Spades

More Refused Celebrations

Refused are definitely going out with a bang! In addition to the farewell tour, the band has announced that they'll be releasing a 25th anniversary limited collector's edition version of The Shape of Punk to Come. It's loaded with exclusives, including a 3-LP version of the album on colored vinyl, unreleased demos and rare alternative versions of songs. But the highlight of the package may be the 12-song tribute album titled The Shape of Punk to Come Obliterated.

The set features covers and remixes of songs from the original album done by Quicksand, Zulu, Gel, Idles, Touche Amore and others. The special release will be limited to just 2000 copies worldwide, so you'll want to jump on the pre-order.

The band adds, “Whatever the record means to everyone else, it represents a remarkable time in our lives when we were young and devil-may-care, we were taking risks, wanting to prove our mettle, and more than anything else we want to celebrate that: the madness, the wild combinations, the pure creativity of it all."

"So we asked a bunch of artists we love and respect to actually take liberties with the songs and either rearrange or deconstruct the material completely, to take the engine apart essentially and not be precious about it. And they weren't, and to us this is the only tribute to our record that matters: heroes of ours, young guns as well as old friends and peers complimenting our music by uncovering new possibilities and new meaning within it. These bands are all caviar for the general and we are honored they took time to be a part of this. Thank you all."

Walter Schreifels of Quicksand offered, “I’m honored that Quicksand was asked to be on this compilation. Liberation Frequency and The Shape Of Punk To Come are monuments to heavy music with a message and aesthetic that transcend the genre.”

Snapcase added, "We were super excited when Refused asked us to take part in this project and it was a quick decision to choose Summerholidays vs Punkroutine. It’s collectively one of our favorite songs on the record and presented us with a unique challenge to get outside our comfort zone while mixing in elements of our own musical identity. Thanks for including us!"

The Shape of Punk to Come Obliterated Artwork + Track Listing

refused, the shape of punk to come obliterated tribute album artwork
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Gel - Worms Of The Senses / Faculties Of The Skull
Quicksand - The Liberation Frequency
Brutus - The Deadly Rhythm
Snapcase - Summer Holidays Vs. Punkroutine
Idles - New Noise (remix)
Ho99o9 - New Noise
Fucked Up - Refused Party Program
Zulu - Protest Song '68
Cold Cave - Refused Are Fucking Dead
IGORR - The Shape Of Punk To Come<
Touche Amore - The Apollo Programme Was A Hoax

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