The music of Refused, a post-hardcore quintet from Sweden, works with an ideological purity unattainable in these so-called United States. On the uncompromising Shape of Punk to Come, the lyrics, music, packaging, fashion and probably even the guitar picks carry the same message: f**k capitalism, let's see how socialism compliments these cool paramilitary outfits we're wearing. And as this frenetic and fantastic album makes clear, this isn't a glass-pipe dream &#8212 Refused truly aim for a permanent revolution. Or aimed &#8212 shortly after this release (and its poli-sci minor hit, "Liberation Frequency"), the band splintered into the mod-ish (International) Noise Conspiracy and the experimental Text, neither of whom can touch this album's naked sprawl, in which shrieking vocals pump fists with upright-bass bop, slowcore and hardcore swap pamphlets and everyone except the capitalist pigs gets laid. "Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine" is wonderfully skewed pop-punk, "New Noise" heartily delivers its title's promise, the title track gives Fugazi a metal edge and "Protest Song '68" imagines what Rage Against the Machine tried to do, minus the commercial aspirations. Refused clearly felt conflicted about their own, albeit minor, role in the capitalist system, and here that tension found stunning release.