Review Summary: And now for something completely different.
Something I’ve realized about my taste is that I have a particular fondness for bands that mash genres together. There are plenty of drawbacks to this approach, as it is much easier to get the blend wrong, but I tend to gravitate towards bands that are trying to innovate rather than those sticking rigidly to the conventions of a single genre. That pull feels even stronger in a modern music landscape where nearly everything has already been attempted and true genre innovation grows rarer with each passing year. Enter Ronker, a band from Belgium who have coined the term “speednoise” to describe their sound, or perhaps more accurately, their brand of whatever they are. I suppose the label is not inaccurate, but it hardly tells the whole story.
You can’t put Ronker in a box or pin them down. You haven’t heard anything quite like them. The best way to describe their sound is as some ungodly concoction of post-hardcore, noise rock, post-punk, and dashes of crossover thrash, all happening at once in a free-flowing amalgamation of styles. The result is an idiosyncratic, singular experience filled with schizophrenic tempo changes that keep you on your feet. Soaring melodic leads puncture through layers of fuzzy, distorted, crushing riffs and pulsating basslines. The riffs may be huge, but the hooks are even larger. Beneath the jagged edges and unorthodox approach is a pop-oriented structure centered around larger-than-life choruses that are usually delivered as primal screams, cutting cleanly through the noise. That balance is further reinforced by the mix, which strikes a perfect blend of filthy, organic crunch and just the right amount of clarity. They play with such an unrestrained, manic energy that is oozing with personality and character, driven largely by frontman Jasper De Petter.
The vocal performance is without a doubt the star of the show. It’s rare to hear someone so instantly one-of-a-kind and full of intensity. De Petter is a charismatic showman, delivering his lines with a distinct, strained delivery and unconventional cadence. He is a man of a million sounds, using screams, shouts, piercing shrieks, yells, grunts, sung, and spoken vocals. He truly does it all. Much like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get from track to track. It’s never distracting or irritating; it feels natural and raw, full of the kind of imperfections you would expect from a live show. I can picture him sprinting across the stage, interacting with the crowd, perhaps screaming directly in some faces, and delivering a physical performance that matches the music’s frenzied ferocity. He brings an unmistakable magnetism, a quality all the best frontmen share, that will have you continuously returning to
Respect the Hustle, I Won’t Be Your Dog Forever.
Everything I have illustrated thus far is self-evident right from the opening track “Tall Stories”, which kicks off the album in style with an infectious riff and an unprocessed, natural scream that serves as nothing more than an appetizer for what’s to come. This leads into a back-and-forth pull between slower sections highlighting De Petter’s unhinged delivery and sudden explosive guitar crescendos along with an immense screamed chorus. “No Sweat” is a pure testosterone-fueled rager with the song’s namesake being abrasively screamed ad nauseam, while “Clear the Air” might be my favorite number on the album. Its driving basslines propel the song forward with staccato rhythms that slow to a crawl before an ending melodic finish; it’s a song that showcases everything Ronker excels at.
A sharp left turn is taken with “Snuff", the clear centerpiece and focal point of the album, and one of only two predominantly slow and cleanly sung tracks, perfectly placed to give you a breather from the relentless chaos that preceded. Dreamy, shimmering guitars build an intimate atmosphere and an emotionally vulnerable vocal performance delivered in only a way that De Petter can. The guitars slowly start to rise, a tasteful keyboard melody is introduced, the drumming picks up the pace before erupting into the emotional peak of the album with De Petter pouring his heart out with his cracking yelp being a fitting conclusion. A two-minute piano-led interlude that follows lets you get your bearings straight and is the ideal emotional comedown to such a powerful song.
After such a journey, it’s only fitting to get right back into three pummeling face-melters back-to-back-to-back launching into the back half with “House of Hunger” built around an absolutely killer riff that you might break your neck headbanging to as it dominates almost the entire song. “Limelighter” is another favorite of mine with some real off-kilter melodies, a section featuring choral backing vocals and an absolutely furious hook. The closing track “Using Eyes” has much in common with “Snuff”, featuring winding melodies, a fascinating slow, sing-talk vocal delivery that again builds into a finale punctuated by some truly ear piercing shrieks before the album cleanly fades to black.
I love when an album art so completely encapsulates what the music itself sounds like, and
Respect the Hustle, I Won’t Be Your Dog Forever is one of the best examples of that idea. It’s ugly on the surface but there is something so bizarre about it that is completely captivating. Much of the same can be applied to Ronker’s music. It’s abrasive, chaotic, messy but it’s also catchy, emotional and beautiful all at once. Their off-the-wall, eccentric style embodies everything I love about the endless subgenres of punk and hardcore. It captures that foundational punk spirit and ethos, but modernizes it for a new age. Ronker gives off the vibe of a band that, in a few years, will be a household name and one of the defining faces of new and exciting hardcore music. There’s a sense of untapped potential in their clear love for a wide range of genres, which will undoubtedly result in them pushing their sound to new heights. I could see them going heavier, I could see them going softer, I could see them doing something completely different, but above all, I simply can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
