On April 10, GEEN TITEL will be released—the third album by Ploegendienst. The Best Band in the Netherlands is back. Not back from absence, because they’ve been here the whole time. After the previous album came a triumphant run through all the relevant venues and festivals that matter in Belgium and the Netherlands. The Pinkpop, Pukkelpop and Lowlands were proof enough: boiling mosh pits packed with fired-up fans from every corner of society. Exactly the way the band and frontman Ray Fuego like to see it. Still, it was also a long and intense period.
So they’re not exactly “back.” But they are returning with a new album—album number three. GEEN TITEL, all caps. Historically speaking, the third album is always a tough one. With the first they proved they existed; with the second the band confirmed themselves. After that, anything is possible. But how punk is “anything”?
The record was written and recorded amid its share of conflict. Ray had a fairly outspoken opinion about the direction the band should take. That didn’t always align with the views of the other band members. But in art, that doesn’t necessarily have to be a problem.
For GEEN TITEL, Ploegendienst entered the studio with producer Kabul $lim, a young producer from Amsterdam who also produced VLUGTLAAN (2025) by Dio. Fresh ears. Someone without a punk background—perfect for a band with an overwhelming amount of punk baggage. The result is a very fresh new record where anything could happen. No collaborations this time. But there are ballads, punk songs, post-punk—even grunge is back. And what could be more punk than that?
On album opener ASFALT, tension is more important than release, with its angular guitars and simmering sense of menace. On the first single SURINAAMSE BROODJES, Ray can be heard in top form, just like in the old days. What begins as a seemingly lighthearted lyrical concept quickly exposes the cold undercurrent of racism and narrow-mindedness in Dutch society within just a few lines.
LUIPAARDVACHT takes yet another direction. The hips are free to move, but the teeth remain bared: minimal riffs, a dragging groove, and an irresistible urge to keep moving. It was important not to speak too politically on behalf of the group, but no one should think the truth is hidden on Ploegendienst’s third album. It’s an album about horny sex and discrimination. About true love, death, and identity. A fever dream that deliberately pushes the boundaries of good taste.
A patchwork of emotions and styles for the entire Netherlands to wrap themselves in while they argue with each other. The Best Band in the Netherlands is back.