REFUSED "SHAPE OF PUNK TO COME"
1998, Burning Heart
Perhaps a more appropriate title would be "the shape of punk that never came". Though it seems lots of people are aware of Refused (mainly "New Noise") and lots of people seem to agree that this album is great, you still don't see it really mentioned in "greatest albums of all time" lists or whatever... it probably has something to do with it being all over the map.. mixing electronic explorations, straight-forward punk, jazz, post-hardcore, experimental rock, and ... other things ... Refused, I think, were onto some really interesting things. The only band and album I can think of doing similiar things was the excellent Ink and Dagger with their album "Fine Art of Original Sin".
Anyway, regardless if this album was an influential as it should be or whatever...... it's still a damn fine album, a perfect listen from beginning to end that I've loved for a good 7 years now. I put it on recently, and it's still a masterpiece to me. Great liner notes as well!