Refused is composed of vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandström, and bassist Magnus Flagge.

In 1998, the band released The Shape of Punk to Come, which expanded their sound with jazz and electronic influences, but was initially poorly received commercially and critically.

Refused formed in early 1991[11] with Dennis Lyxzén (former frontman of the straight edge band Step Forward) on vocals,[12] David Sandström on drums, Pär Hansson on guitar, and Jonas Lindgren on bass.

Refused's final line-up consisted of Dennis Lyxzén, David Sandström, Kristofer Steen, and Jon Brännström, but the band never found a permanent bass player, switching up to 12 bassists until their original break-up.

[18] Their third album, 1998's The Shape of Punk to Come, incorporated diverse sounds outside of the strict hardcore realm, such as electronica, jazz, and ambient.

[6] They described these concerts as "emotionally devastating" and "an awful experience", which finally led to their break-up after a rough internal fight in Atlanta, Georgia.

[24][26] The new band website was later announced to be a promotional site for a reissue of Refused's final album, The Shape of Punk to Come.

[37][38] Lyxzén and Sandström chose to criticize Sweden's current government at the ceremony, instead thanking the efforts of popular education, in particular Workers' Educational Association (ABF) and youth centers (in Sweden associated with social democracy)[39] while Jon Brännström chose to not accept the prize on his behalf[40] later stating he wished they "[...] had said no to the prize and instead held a press conference about why we had turned it down".

[41] On 31 October 2014, Jon Brännström wrote on Refused's Facebook page that he was fired from the band and no longer considered them friends.

"[42] On 25 November 2014, the band announced that they would perform their first shows in three years at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, Groezrock and Amnesia Rockfest in the summer of 2015.

[51] The members of Refused provided music for a fictitious band in the in-game universe, punk rock group SAMURAI; which includes fictitious musician and terrorist Johnny Silverhand, portrayed and voiced by Keanu Reeves; while Lyxzén provided vocals on the music tracks for both Johnny and Kerry Eurodyne.

[citation needed] On their follow-up, Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent, the band had a heavier, more intricate style, which is generally attributed to their Slayer inspiration, and Lyxzén adopted screaming vocals rather than shouting.

[66] Lyxzén has also cited Ian Svenonius's projects (The Make-Up, The Nation of Ulysses and Cupid Car Club)[67] as personal influences, while Sandström has drawn from Snapcase.

[68] Refused profoundly affected the development of rock music at the turn of the twenty-first century, despite the fact that very few people supported them when they were active.

Club described The Shape of Punk to Come as "an undisputed classic that served as a rallying cry for bands longing to incorporate sounds from outside the walls of aggressive music.

"[8] Author Gabriel Kuhn states that Refused "became the flagship of a remarkably strong vegan straight edge movement that engulfed Sweden throughout the 1990s" with "witty manifestos" and "performances" that "challenged many of the scene's standards".

[69] Among the artists who cite Refused as an influence are Linkin Park,[70][71] Duff McKagan of Velvet Revolver and Guns N' Roses,[72][73] Sum 41,[74] Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus of Blink-182,[75][76] AFI,[77] Papa Roach,[78][79] Tim McIlrath of Rise Against,[80] Underoath,[3] Enter Shikari,[81] the Used,[82][83] Every Time I Die,[84][85] Norma Jean,[86] Showbread,[87] La Dispute,[88] Nick Hipa of As I Lay Dying,[4] Derek E. Miller of Poison the Well and Sleigh Bells,[89] Geoff Rickly of Thursday, United Nations and No Devotion,[89] Marcos Curiel of P.O.D.

and Daylight Division,[89] Jeremy Bolm of Hesitation Wounds and Touché Amoré,[89] Zachary Garren of Dance Gavin Dance and Strawberry Girls,[89] Chris Teti of the World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die,[89] the New Transit Direction,[89] the Bloody Beetroots,[89] Justin Beck of Glassjaw and Sons of Abraham,[89] Robin Staps of the Ocean,[90] the Bled,[91] Thomas Williams of Stray from the Path,[92] Brandon Kellum of American Standards,[93] and Jonathan Boulet.

's album Fake History is a "homage" to Refused because the band felt that they "didn't receive proper recognition until they were no longer active.

[99] Other artists have been quoted expressing admiration for their work are Anthrax,[5] Steve Aoki,[100] and Ben Weinman of the Dillinger Escape Plan.