REVIEW: RONKER - Respect The Hustle, I Won't Be Your Dog Forever
- Jasmine Longhurst
- 24 minutes ago
- 3 min read
For those unaware of the Belgian heavy music scene, here’s a band worth your time that might help introduce you to some of what’s in store - RONKER play a brand of adrenaline-fuelled punk rock that they’ve labelled speed noise, a pretty apt descriptor for music that’s as fast as it is abrasive. RONKER’s sophomore effort comes in the form of the album Respect The Hustle, I Won’t Be Your Dog Forever, and it’s a great slice of everything both the band, and the Belgian punk scene, have to offer - so without any further ado, let’s dig into the LP.
The eleven tracks offered up to the public start off with Tall Stories, and the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing vocalist and guitarist JASPER DE PETTEN's voice is how rather similar it is to that of IDLES frontman JOE TALBOT's - if he had gargled a little more piss and vinegar before taking to the vocal booth. The musicianship hits a whole variety of markers, such as the walls of sound of THE CURE and MY BLOODY VALENTINE and the straight-shooting attitude of THE PRETTY VICIOUS, but with the grizzled edge and fearsome snarl of GALLOWS and EYES. Putting this all together makes for a potent brew that never slows down, and track two, all but the title track, Respect The Hustle pivots even further into the outright aggression the band has to offer, as if IDLES had ground up their first album with a barrel of nails.
This musical theme continues in some way or another across every song on the album; lead single No Sweat keeps up the punkish abrasion, although with ever so slightly more melodic focus, whilst Clear The Air shows the menace and unease that comes with RONKER letting some more space into their music, even whilst not letting up for one moment. Snuff is the most left-field track on the record, with the group becoming melancholic as brass and cymbals subtly add a haunting atmosphere to a much stripped sound, eventually building into a grand crescendo of gargantuan proportion that feels both imposing and ominous in nature - a fantastic take on their usual style, with plenty of scope for the band to take this direction (and others) available now.
Where The Dogs Sleep may appear, at first glance, to be no more than an interlude, but it splits the album perfectly in two and flows wonderfully from the previous track into House Of Hunger, another of their noisier and more abrasive tracks. This is one of those tracks that feels ready-made for circle pits and chaotic live shows, and will no doubt prove anyone right who dares catch RONKER in the flesh. Disco Dust and Deliver The Liver offer much of the same, before penultimate track Limelighter and finale Using Eyes breathe plenty of air into the formula once again, as the Belgian cohort open the valves of sinister tension once more for a finish that feels uncomfortable and intensely worthwhile.
A fantastic listen from front to back, RONKER have pushed themselves to a level above their previous effort and are within touching distance of becoming cult heroes already if they keep up this phenomenal output - this should be on any punk fan’s record player ASAP, and if they’re playing nearby you’d better pray there’s a ticket available.
Score: 9/10
Respect The Hustle, I Won't Be Your Dog Forever was released on 30th January via Labelman.
Words: Jasmine Longhurst
Photos: RONKER
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