The New Noise Theology EP

Album review

EPs that fall into the "various odds and ends" category are rarely aimed at novices or casual listeners; die-hard fans are usually the target audience. And that is definitely the case with The New Noise Theology EP. Enjoyable but not essential, this four-song disc isn't meant to be an introduction to Refused -- those getting into the punk-minded alternative rockers for the first time would be better off starting with 1996's full-length album Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent. But confirmed Refused fans will enjoy this EP, which includes "New Noise" (previously heard on The Shape of Punk to Come), a remix of "Refused Are Fucking Dead," and two new songs -- "Blind Date" and "Poetry Written in Gasoline" -- which are equally abrasive and angry. The members of Refused were anarchists, and the songs on this CD reflect their rage. But one doesn't have to share the Swedish band's political views to find its songs exhilarating. Originally available on the Honey Bear label in 1998, The New Noise Theology EP was reissued by Epitaph two years later.

© Alex Henderson /TiVo