As a 1980s hardcore kid, I never really sussed Refused; they ascended to relevance as a ’90s stock Victory label band into a group boasting they were “the shape of punk to come.” However, by 1998, had you been listening, their “shape” had come and gone, as they owed everything to acts like Fugazi, Helmet, and Rorschach. Still, they’re a top group for late hardcore 1990s/early aughties kids. Now, two decades after The Shape of Punk to Come, they’ve evolved into a good, contemporary, heavy, hook-filled rock band just like many ’80s-era hardcore bands did by ’87, and I’m inclined to reckon 2019’s War Music LP is their October File. by Mike Nipper