“Feeling foreign inside my bones, hoping to God I can make it back home.”
The Ongoing Concept is an enigma in the metalcore scene. Many might know them for their chaotic, banjo-led adventure, “Cover Girl“, with an equally hilarious music video to match. The group has employed a fascinating blend of styles to form their sound, pulling influences from metalcore, southern rock, post-hardcore, acoustic rock, and much more. Their albums have always had interesting concepts, from the Wild West-themed “Saloon” to “Handmade“, an album that saw them make all the instruments used from scratch. Through many lineup changes and a lengthy hiatus, we are brought to The Ongoing Concept’s current form, with the original members back and a recent addition, guitarist and vocalist Andy Crateau.
Fans of the band may realize that the track titles on Again are familiar. They are all past song titles from the band, with the word ‘again’ added to the end of each track. The band wanted to incorporate references to their old work and easter eggs while still creating new tracks that blend the past and present.
This is immediately apparent on first track “Amends Again”, with callbacks to the catchy hook of the original punctuated throughout the track. Their signature riffage kicks off the song, a bouncy groove that feels like the return of an old friend. The iconic, high-pitched and chaotic screeches of original screamer and keyboardist Kyle Scholz are most definitely welcome and bring the band’s sound to life.
On “Unwanted Again“, longtime vocalist Dawson Scholz and Andy Crateau‘s vocals take the forefront, creating a mellower rock song with indie stylings. The intricate clean-tone guitars and synths from Kyle create a groovy and vibey track that is a standout on the album, closing with a tasteful, classic rock-style solo.
Expanding on the comments expressed about the previous song, the variety on this album is both intriguing and impressive. In addition to tracks like “Unwanted Again“, the album also presents songs like “You Will Go Again” and “Melody Again“, which contain the electronic elements mentioned previously and a more chill vibe. Although these tracks take more aggressive directions at times, they overall comprise the more melodic side of the album.
The album also features its more intense moments on tracks like “Feel Again” and “Prisoner Again” both of which showcase the band’s metalcore and southern rock hybrid instrumentation. Although the album as a whole is calmer than I expected, the heavier moments are given space to shine. A personal highlight for me is “Saloon Again“, the original being one of my favorite tracks from the band. The track is almost as eclectic as its predecessor, with room-spinning punk beats and hardcore riffs that create one of the most fun tracks on the album. Interjected with clean jazzy breaks, “Saloon Again” has a satisfying swagger that hits in all the right places.
Perhaps a little confusingly, album closer “Falling Again” is a stripped back, vocals-focused track that does away with most of the unpredictable instrumentals present on the rest of the album. It is not a bad track by any means, presenting impressive vocal performances in a calm, yet cinematic manner. However, compared to its predecessor, which was a more involved track that builds up into a cathartic release, I would have maybe preferred such an approach for the end of this particular album. As it is, this closer, while not out of place, feels somewhat underwhelming.
Again is an album that has direction, and it is very much a welcome comeback for one of metalcore’s most unique-sounding bands. Although I was initially disappointed at the lack of explosively heavy moments present on previous records, I found myself appreciating the more subtle approach of this album with every passing listen. In retrospect, an overwhelming amount of heavy moments would have felt like a novelty, and I respect the band for taking the approach that they wanted — though it would have been nice if the banjo had made an appearance.
All in all, this is a record that is fun, creative and packed with detail. Although their sound is rather niche, an open-minded individual will be rewarded for taking the time to appreciate the craft of The Ongoing Concept.
8/10
Again will be released March 31st via Solid State Records, and you can pre-order it here.