Hardcore punk band Those Left Standing come out from Almere swinging.
The press release for the new album says, “Coming from Almere, they face prejudice and feel like outcasts, but they are resolute in representing the Almere City hardcore reality, embracing their role as outcasts among outcasts.”
The place must have some reputation.
Almere is a planned city in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. It’s not even 50 years old. But the Amsterdam of today began over 850 years ago on a continent where people have been loving and fighting and holding grudges for a few thousand years.
But in 2024, Those Left Standing voice a new grudge in volume and attitude on “Almere City Hardcore.”
The album sounds solid as the band switches between hardcore punk and 90s-influenced metal. Super-tight drumming competes with incessant in-your-face-asshole vocals.
So what’s the story with Almere? Rebel Noise asked vocalist Dennis Jansen, aka DeeJay, about the city and how these outcasts make new sounds in an old world.
Rebel Noise: I enjoyed listening to the new album, “Almere City Hardcore.” This is my first exposure to Those Left Standing and Almere. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.
DeeJay: Thank you for interviewing us, and good to hear that you enjoyed the album—we’re really proud of it!
Rebel Noise: When I listen to the album, I think of NYC hardcore band Biohazard. Who influences Those Left Standing, and what is the band listening to now?
DeeJay: First of all, very cool that you’re thinking of Biohazard. I remember getting that orange CD tray version of the “State of the World Address” album for my birthday back in the day. I played it right away ‘coz I thought Biohazard was awesome. It still is, by the way. NYC Hardcore like Madball and Biohazard are definitely a major influence on our sound. So that’s a real compliment for us right there. Backfire! is an important one as well.
On the question—well, we listen to quite a diverse range of bands and styles.
For me, I gotta confess that my CD collection and playlists contain a lot of 90s, early 00s hip-hop and hardcore.
As for the other guys: our bass player Jeff is really into grindcore like Napalm Death and more extreme metal stuff; drummer G listens to, for example, Kublai Khan TX but also Devin Townsend and more punk-oriented bands; guitar player Laurens has a slightly more metallic background in taste—DevilDriver, Lamb Of God, Gojira—but also hardcore bands like Hatebreed and Terror.
Rebel Noise: Your hardcore sound is traditional. What role does tradition and influence play when you write and record a song?
DeeJay: We don’t necessarily think about these things when we’re writing our songs. We play hardcore ‘coz we love the style, the intensity, the rawness of it. And, yeah, we grew up with and listen to a lot of bands, which I guess tends to rub off on you—ha! But it’s not by design. We really just write and play whatever we think sounds awesome enough.
For recording the album, we obviously used modern recording techniques, but everything you hear was played by ourselves. Our first demo we recorded playing live together in different rooms, which was a lot of fun.
But for the album we wanted a more controlled process. So we recorded drums in the studio first with WD (DoubleYouD Productions), then all the guitars and bass at home. Then we did vocals at our friend Dick’s (Rausbaum) house; he has a home studio. Finally, we re-amped all the guitars at the studio and let WD work his magic in the mix.
It was a long process, but, to be honest, we’re really happy with the sound of the album. Turned out great! So, not really traditional, but still man-made, I would say.
Rebel Noise: A lot of hardcore punk bands express pride in where they’re from, like they want to represent it. Those Left Standing sounds like it has a complicated relationship with Almere. Describe Almere and what it means to you. And please describe what it means to title the album after Almere.
DeeJay: Almere is a relatively young city. Which we saw grow from nothing as we grew up here ourselves. A place where people say there is no history or culture yet. But that’s not true. It’s here ‘coz we are making that history and culture ourselves. But, yeah, there are growing pains you have to endure. And it’s not always easy, I’ll give you that.
As a band, if we made R&B instead of hardcore, we might be more well known. But that’s not what we are about.
And through the years, we’ve had the support of a diehard group here that sticks tight and is proud of Almere and its alternative band scene. As are we. And that’s what we want to show with “Almere City Hardcore.”
To our A-town people, but also to the rest of The Netherlands, that we got something going on here! Something we are proud to reprezent.
Rebel Noise: What’s important to you politically, socially, or personally?
DeeJay: Personally, wow, I guess that we get out of life what we can. And that is a challenge on its own. Life can be unforgiving, unfair, and overwhelming. You gotta find a way to keep going, find a good place, pick your battles, let yourself be heard, and enjoy the small victories.
Our triumphs, as they—even for that one moment—make it worthwhile.
And for what it’s worth, I think that we should start respecting each other more. There is so much division nowadays. As we point out in the song “Split” on the album. And it’s all amplified by the sides involved who are just out there yelling crap at each other and rallying anybody they can find for ... for what, really?
Come on people, don’t fuck this up.
