Belgian speednoise band RONKER today announce that their second album ‘Respect The Hustle, I Won’t Be Your Dog Forever’ will be released on 30th Jan 2026 via LABELMAN. They kick off this cycle of music with lead single ‘No Sweat’, out today. The track is a furious blend of post-punk, noise rock and hardcore, which is undeniably “pedal-to-the-metal” but is imbibed with a sense of melody and pulsating rhythm throughout, making it raucously catchy.
The band say “No Sweat was one of the first songs we wrote for the record. The mission statement was clear and simple: a visceral, bred-for-the-moshpit style track that doesn’t overstay its welcome. We’ve been roadtesting it throughout the summer and it’s been going down a storm. From the garage-like hardcore punk intro, through the Megadeth-infused verses, into the stop-start Wes Borland homage at the back of the song: No Sweat offers earcandy for heavy music lovers far and wide. And that is exactly what RONKER is all about.”
Watch RONKER get busy in the gym in the music video for ‘No Sweat’.
RONKER spit their frustration over modern overstimulation, chasing meaning in a world that never slows down. Think IDLES meets METZ on a caffeine rush, with a touch of Refused’s chaos and Voivod’s weirdness. ‘Respect The Hustle, I Won’t Be Your Dog Forever’ is a concept album about coping mechanisms and the antics of a rock&roll-lifestyle. The band is presenting a more layered and sophisticated sound than they did on its predecessor, with the result being a record that is equally shaped by the likes of David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars as it is by Refused or Slayer. Still as aggressive as before, but with a more old-school approach to songwriting implementing big choruses and even bigger riffage.
RONKER are not the first state-of-the-art speednoise band to ever exist, but they are the first ones to coin the term. Formed in 2020 in the heart of the swamplands of Belgium, the band started life naturally weathered and screaming bloody murder.
Since their inception RONKER have been mainly found on the road, carving out an audience in the most old-school fashion – by playing live. Always visceral, urgent and frantic, RONKER are a prime example of being staunchly committed to rock and roll athleticism – throwing shapes and taking names. RONKER’s debut album ‘Fear Is a Funny Thing, Now Smile Like a Big Boy’ was met with overwhelmingly positive reactions, with journalists praising the band’s cross-over antics, whilst also applauding RONKER for testing the limits of standard tuned guitars whilst retaining a hooky nature. The band was complimented on injecting a much-needed boost of speed into the Belgian music scene.
RONKER have already started confounding UK & European audiences with their intricate performances at such iconic festivals as HELLFEST, Pukkelpop and 2000trees, as well as supporting the likes of Sparta, Melvins and Brutus. They’ve got a clutch of shows lined up in Belgium and the Netherlands to celebrate the new release. Watch this space for UK dates in 2026. Bigger sound, same sweat-soaked energy — RONKER are ready for larger pits and even louder nights this time around.
RONKER ARE:
Jasper De Petter – vocals/guitar
Bram Delcourt – bass
Jens Van Den Borre – guitar
Matteo Beyney – drums
CONNECT WITH RONKER:
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