The Ongoing Concept

Cycles define life. Year after year, we live the same four seasons, but a little bit older and, hopefully, a lot wiser. The Ongoing Concept find themselves at the start of a new cycle in 2023. The group once again rally around an unpredictable and undeniable hybrid of metal, hardcore, prog, and alternative powered by the reinstated core of brothers Dawson Scholz [vocals, guitar], Kyle Scholz [vocals, keys, percussion], and Parker Scholz [drums] along with TJ Nichols [vocals, bass] and Andy Crateau [vocals, guitar]. Now, the band deliver their fourth full-length offering, Again [Solid State Records], taking stock of the journey so far and utilizing it as a springboard to vault ahead. “We wanted to go back to our roots,” states Dawson. “The goal was to pay homage to our earlier albums, while moving forward. We tapped into the old mindset and combined it with where we’re at now. If we were going to get back together, we knew it couldn’t be underwhelming. We needed to give the fans music that was on par with what we were doing a decade ago, but evolved.” They self-produced Again and took their time to curate an immersive vision. The Ongoing Concept integrated “lyrics and Easter Eggs” from previous albums into the record’s framework, embodying the title quite literally. “Thematically, the songs are continuations,” Dawson affirms. “Every single song has its own vibe even though some of the lyrics may be connected to older tunes.”