Refused is a Swedish punk band which formed in early 1991 with Dennis Lyxzén, David Sandström, Pär Hansson, and Jonas Lindgren. They released their first demo, "Refused," the same year. With an already altered lineup the band released their first studio album, This Just Might Be the Truth, in 1994.
Refused's final line-up consisted of Dennis Lyxzén, David Sandström, Kristofer Steen, and Jon Brännström, who released everything from Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent to the definitive album The Shape of Punk to Come. The band never found a permanent bass player.
Refused broke up in late 1998. Some believe this happened as a result of a depletion of creative energy and band members wanting different things. There was also conflict between Dennis and the rest of the band. Band members stated that their first shows after the release of Shape of Punk to Come were emotionally devastating and that their final tour was an awful experience. The band eventually cancelled the tour and announced their breakup through a strongly-worded press release, described below. Their last performance of their United States tour was played in Harrisonburg, Virginia but was shut down by police.
Daniel P. Carter described in January 2012 how unfairly poor the reception that Refused used to receive was, and how they never had the chance to make an impact whilst together.
On January 9, 2012, it was announced that Refused would be performing for the 2012 Coachella Festival. The reunion was confirmed via Dennis Lyxzen's Facebook page. Later that day, it was announced that they would also be playing at Way Out West Festival in Gothenburg, Sweden. They will also headline one of the biggest punk festivals in the world, Groezrock in Belgium.
On February 29, Refused played a secret show in Umeå, their first live performance since 1998. Refused are also confirmed for the Rock for People festival in Czech Republic. They appeared for the first time on TV in America on the Jimmy Fallon show on July 18, 2012. On August 23 2012 Refused indicated by a facebook post that their reunion was for 2012 only and not a continuation of their career.
These are the manifestos that drove Refused to create the legacy they have left behind, and the future they intend to hold.