THE SPOTLIGHT: THE ONGOING CONCEPT

Apr 6, 2016

Hey guys, welcome to another exclusive episode of “The Spotlight”. Like I said in the last post (if you missed it, you should check it out here when you’re done), this is simply a forum where I get to tell you about artists & bands that I love and why you should be listening to them.

In this episode, I’m going to continue in the ‘spirit’ of the last post with a band that I believe deserve a lot more credit than they’re currently getting for their amazing work.

The Spotlight…is ON!!!!

BAND: The Ongoing Concept

GENRE: Post- Hardcore/Metalcore

A band that began in 2010 with three brothers and a childhood friend, The Ongoing Concept have released two independent Eps (What Is My Destiny & Arrows before Bullets) and two albums through their label Solid State Records (Saloon & Handmade).

Now for those of you familiar with Solid State Records, you’ll agree that they have an impressive line-up of Metal bands. Bands like Norma Jean, Fit for a King, Demon Hunter to mention a few who have made their mark in the genre and continue to amaze with every new release.

So I guess the big question on your mind is, “Why should I listen to The Ongoing Concept?”

Let’s jump right into that shall we?

BILLY’S FOUR REASONS WHY THE ONGOING CONCEPT ARE A MUST LISTEN

Musical Versatility: Categorizing the band’s sound simply as Post-Hardcore/Metalcore is like giving a bad review to a really good movie. Listening to the band’s works, particularly the two albums, it is quite clear that the band draws influences from other sub-genres of rock and music in general. Drawing influences from classic rock, art rock, southern rock and even folk music, it’s quite clear that the band has very deep musical roots.

Organic Sounds: This is more of a reference to the “Handmade” album (which I think everyone reading this should listen to). In this day and age where technology seems to be at its peak, bands hardly make music from scratch anymore; they usually just go for samplers and replace the organic sounds with synthetic ones. This isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes I tend to miss the organic feel and edginess that comes with the original sounds. If you’re like me, then you’re going to absolutely love this band and the wonderful soundscapes that they create.

They are weird, very weird! I think I’ve already established this with my first two points but I don’t think I’ve been clear enough. These guys aren’t trying to be weird or to be different, they just are. Choosing not to adhere to the typical Metalcore stereotypes, The Ongoing Concept is probably the only band in the genre that records an album with a horns section. They are also the only band who decides to record an album with handmade instruments. It’s quite clear that creativity is one of the biggest selling points of the band and they are not afraid to be different.

Lyrical Content: With honest, thought-provoking and quite frankly often misunderstood lyrics, The Ongoing Concept never fails to get listeners out of their comfort zones. “Soul,” one of the songs on the last album (Handmade), is a prime example of this with the lyrics “I Sold My Soul to the Devil” making most people uncomfortable. No need to fear though, the song was satirical as were some other songs on the album.

Anyways, there you have it. With all these perks listed above I think the real question you should be asking yourselves is, “Why haven’t I listened to The Ongoing Concept?”

Till next time guys.

Keep listening and God bless.

Read the JesusWired review of Handmade here.

Buy Handmade:
iTunes | Amazon | Google | Solid State Store

Connect With The Ongoing Concept:
Facebook | Twitter | YouTube