“If you want ‘epic’, we’ll give you epic!” Cult Of Luna share monumental cover of punk legends Refused’s Tannhäuser/Derive
· louderBy Matt Mills
( Metal Hammer )
published 1 October 2024
The track is the lead single of The Shape Of Punk To Come Obliterated, which reimagines the classic Refused album with covers by Idles, Brutus, Gel, Ho99o9 and more
Post-metal legends Cult Of Luna have covered Tannhäuser/Derive by punk revolutionaries Refused.
The cover, which you can listen to below, is the lead single of The Shape Of Punk To Come Obliterated, which reimagines the impactful 1998 Refused album with covers from the likes of Idles, Gel, Ho99o9 and Brutus. It’s released on November 8 by Epitaph Records.
Cult Of Luna singer/guitarist Johannes Persson comments: “I hate covers and I usually am very reluctant to spend any time listening to one band playing another band’s songs. However, I’m very excited by the opportunity to dive into another artist’s writing and see how I can contribute my own creative style. For me that’s the only way to justify making a cover, it needs to have the musical mark of the original artist. You need to take what is someone else’s and make it yours by adding, not merely copying.
He continues: “We felt very honoured when Refused asked us to cover one of their songs. Not only are they a band that we grew up listening and looking up to, but they also were the pinnacle of Umeå hardcore: the scene that was the birthplace of our band.
“After the recording of The Shape Of Punk To Come I remember Dennis [Lyxzén, vocalist] boasting about this six-minute epic song, their Tannhäuser. That’s the reason why I picked the song. If you want ‘epic’ Dennis, we’ll give you epic!!! And thanks for the trust.”
Refused, who were active from 1991 to 1998 and reformed in 2014, recently announced a farewell US tour for spring 2025. Dates are below.
In a statement, drummer David Sandström chalked the split up to musical differences. “We all have different takes on how [our reunion] went and what the legacy of the reformed band will be,” he said, “but personally I felt we couldn’t quite agree on what we were supposed to do musically, and we were still struggling with that when the pandemic hit. Kristofer [Steen, guitars] felt that he’d done what he wanted to do and left the band in August of 2020 and although there was a delayed effect to the death blow, a death blow it was.”
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The announcement of Refused’s farewell tour came just months after frontman Lyxzén suffered a “massive” heart attack in his hotel room ahead of a live show in Stockholm. Sandström’s statement about the band’s impending split said the singer “is doing great”. “He’s one of the healthiest dudes I know, he can’t sit still, exercises a lot and it follows that his recuperation would be swift,” the drummer said.
Cult Of Luna released their latest album, The Long Road North, to critical acclaim in 2022. Persson recently toured Europe as the guitarist and backing vocalist for noise/post-rock maverick Julie Christmas.
Cult of Luna - "Tannhäuser / Derive" - YouTube
The Shape Of Punk To Come Obliterated tracklisting:
01. Gel – Worms Of The Senses/Faculties Of The Skull
02. Quicksand – The Liberation Frequency
03. Brutus – The Deadly Rhythm
04. Snapcase – Summer Holidays Vs. Punkroutine
05. Idles – New Noise (remix)
06. Ho99o9 – New Noise
07. Fucked Up – Refused Party Program
08. Zulu – Protest Song ’68
09. Cold Cave – Refused Are Fucking Dead
10. Igorrr – The Shape Of Punk To Come
11. Cult Of Luna – Tannhäuser/Derive
12. Touche Amore – The Apollo Programme Was A Hoax
Refused 2025 North American tour dates:
Mar 21: Brooklyn Brooklyn Paramount, NY
Mar 23: Toronto History, Canada
Mar 25: Chicago Salt Shed, IL
Mar 27: San Francisco The Warfield, CA
Mar 28: Los Angeles Shrine Expo Hall, CA
Mar 29: Del Mar The Sound, CA
Mar 30: Phoenix Marquee Theatre, AZ
Apr 01: Denver Ogden Theatre, CO
Apr 02: Salt Lake City Union Event Center, UT
Apr 04: Boise Knitting Factory, ID
Apr 05: Seattle The Showbox, WA
Apr 07: Vancouver Vogue Theatre, Canada
Apr 08: Portland Revolution Hall, OR
Apr 10: Sacramento Ace of Spades, CA
Matt Mills
Contributing Editor, Metal Hammer
Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Prog and Metal Hammer, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Guitar and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.
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