Heavy Fuzz presents

Net als het leven anno 2022 slaat RONKER droog op uw bakkes. Omdat het leven al complex genoeg is, gaat RONKER als band op zoek naar de zwaarte in simpliciteit. Met één been diep geworteld in het gitaargeweld uit de nineties en het andere verstrengeld in de galm van de jaren 80, balanceert de band bewust op de rand van uitersten. Blackened post-punkgaze voor Nine Inch Nails fans, of gewoon indie metal?   RONKER is vooral een band die je live moet zien; waar de waas van feedback over het geweld raast. Weinig zever, veel zweet.   Eind 2021 nam RONKER een EP op in Hightime Studio, waar Thomas Valkiers (CRACKUPS, Double Veterans) als Vlaams equivalent van Steve Albini de plak zwaait. Daarbovenop werd de EP gemixt door niemand minder dan de living legend Tim De Gieter (Amenra, Doodseskader). De EP verschijnt later dit jaar, maar omdat de band zich daar zo thuis voelde, besloten ze hier ook een live-sessie op te nemen.

RONKER is not the first state-of-the-art speednoise band to ever exist, but they are the first to coin the term. Formed in the Belgian swamplands in 2020, the band arrived screaming bloody murder and is now hailed as one of the fastest-rising acts in the heavy music scene.

Their 2024 debut, ‘Fear Is a Funny Thing, Now Smile Like a Big Boy’, was a critical hit, praised for testing the limits of standard-tuned guitars while remaining hooky. It launched the band to festivals like Hellfest, 2000Trees, and Pukkelpop, and secured support slots for Show Me The Body, The Melvins, Sparta, and Brutus.

RONKER doesn’t believe in the “difficult second album.” They strike while the iron is hot. On sophomore LP ‘Respect The Hustle, I Won’t Be Your Dog Forever’, the band sounds more ambitious than ever. Recorded live at Number Nine Studios in Ghent, Belgium, the record is a concept album about the frustrations of “hustle culture.” The sound is a sophisticated melting pot: equal parts David Bowie and Slayer, retaining the aggression but adding big choruses and old-school songwriting.

Lead single ‘No Sweat’ exemplifies their energy. Metal Hammer UK praised it as one of the top tracks of the week: “Pure rage… there’s an air of early IDLES, but with an added heft and fury that is pure joy to behold.”

While ‘Limelighter’ showcases a maximalist approach with choirs and death metal riffs, the title track dives into “circus-metal” territory, echoing At The Drive-In and Helmet. Conversely, ‘Snuff’ reveals a bleak, sober side with pianos and brass. “It details how loneliness smothers you in nihilism,” the band explains. “This is the realest we have ever been.”

The album’s emotional arc culminates in a realization of the grind’s futility – a theme perfectly captured by Philip Bosmans’ artwork of a gagged, dog-masked figure.

RONKER is gearing up for a massive 2026, kicking off with a SOLD-OUT release show at Ancienne Belgique and a European tour hitting Alcatraz, Dynamo, and Das Fest.

The dog is off the leash. RONKER is coming.

“What do you get if you put Queens of the Stone Age and The Guru Guru in a blender… Muse on coke?” Those were the words of Thomas Michiels, moments before he aired ‘King Ludo’ on Belgium’s second biggest radio station, Studio Brussel.

L’itch (that’s ‘itch’ with an ‘L’ in front) is a Belgian four-piece shaking up the Flemish guitar music scene. Their debut album, Urges, was literally written in an abandoned hospital, making waves with a blend of alternative and heavy rock, spiced with grunge and British influences.

And their reputation preceded itself when they released their second record, A Numbers Game. With multiple Spotify editorial playlist features, glowing reviews from Humo and Luminous Dash, and a packed venue at their release show, it was only a matter of time before the band evolved into an explosive live act.

Sander Blok (drums), Jeroen De Vos (bass), Kobe Walleghem (guitar), and Sander Rom (vocals, guitar) channel a unfiltered energy into their music. L’itch thrives on intensity, crafting songs that hit hard but linger with a strange, almost hypnotic comfort. Their sound is a collision of chaos and precision, where every riff, beat, and lyric feels deliberate yet wild. It’s this balance that gives their music its edge.

It’s post-punk, power-pop, noise-pop, grime—a potent mix you simply have to experience live.