Respect the Hustle, I Won’t Be Your Dog Forever by Ronker

For fans of Uniform, Viagra Boys, Knocked Loose, 90s experimental post hardcore, and the unique and indescribable stresses of our moment in time, Respect the Hustle, I Won’t Be Your Dog Forever by Ronker immerses us in a personal diary painted into radiant color by a technically varied and emotionally intense take on punk rock. A wide cast of instrumental characters unites behind enormous dynamic swells which cap out at these dramatic, distorted choruses, all backed by vocals audibly fraying as they reach the limits of human vocal cords. These songs track a journey through the momentary victories afforded by the post-everything age, fleeting escapes which always crash down into some of the most misunderstood and ignored suffering imaginable. As we descend into these lows, layers of distorted guitar and explosive drumming peel back to reveal the subtle swells of piano and horns, blistering intensity replaced by melancholic nostalgia as every previous moment increasingly feels like the good old days. We’ve all taken different paths, but here we all stand together in this deepening pit of violent chaos.