Review Summary: A debut album doesn't get much better than this.
I love discovering new music. Something about hearing a band for the first time and instantly falling in love will always strike a chord with me. There are certain groups that just click immediately, and for me, Belgian noise rock/post-hardore/punk band Ronker is one of those groups. They're quirky, they're distorted and they just straight-up rule insanely hard. I just became familiar with them after the release of their brand new album,
Respect The Hustle, I Won’t Be Your Dog Forever, and I knew immediately that they would be a band to watch. It struck such a nerve for me personally that, after I became familiar with it, I had to go back and listen to their debut album,
Fear Is A Funny Thing, Now Smile Like A Big Boy. Debut albums can be a bit of a mixed bag at times, but for me, it's even better than the new one.
Right off the bat, I could tell that I was going to adore this particular record. The opener, ‘Professional Facebreaker’, immediately punches the listener in the mouth with boisterous riffage and distorted production. These guys are almost a hardcore punk band at heart, the intensity is there for sure, but they also add in elements of art and post-punk with some blues-esque riffs, melancholic atmospheres and rhythmic drumming. They almost remind me of the noise rock version of The Callous Daoboys in the way that you can tell that they're just having tons of fun making music that they enjoy. Their attitude is really not giving one single *** about what anyone thinks as long as they're having a good time and that vibe certainly comes out in the music and influences the listener to do exactly the same thing. The entire album is fuzzy yet abrasive with the reverb of the riffs and production washing over the listener like a warm blanket.
To be honest, the riffs are very special and catchy, but the vocals may be even better. The sheer versatility is impressive itself, but the execution is even better. They're semi-guttural at times, piercing your ears like a nail being driven into your skull. At other times, they're almost Nick Cave-influenced with deep, baritone howls, some Dani Filth-esque banshee squeals for good measure and ear-splitting, metalcore-inspired shouting. They fit the spastic nature of the music perfectly and the two elements compliment each other perfectly. You can hear the flexibility in his voice as soon as the album starts and it gives the listener multiple elements to be able to latch onto.
Fear Is A Funny Thing, Now Smile Like A Big Boy is such a versatile album that fans of multiple genres will find many things to enjoy about it. After multiple listens, all of those influences come right to the forefront and give you an idea just how talented this band really is. Like I said before, the pure attitude is enough to enjoy, but the tightness and execution of each element is just perfectly done. Ronker is a band that, hopefully, will be releasing music for all of us fans to enjoy for many years to come, and with that in mind, sit back, relax and have some fun. I personally can't wait to see how the band evolves and it seems as though they're just getting warmed up.
