Changeling – Changeling
Release Date: 25th April 2025
Label: Season of Mist
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Death Metal, Technical Death Metal.
FFO: Obscura, Devin Townsend, Steve Vai, Alkaloid, The Faceless, Obsidious.
Review By: Rick Farley
Changeling is the new band spearheaded by fretless guitar wizard Fountainhead, the musical alter ego of Berlin based musician Tom Geldschläger (ex- Obscura, Amogh Symphony). Well known for his expansive involvement in the music industry in nearly every capacity, (touring guitarist, orchestrator, producer, author) he’s been involved in some of the most creative, technical, mind-bending and bold musical endeavours that one could even fathom. Prepare yourself for a band that’s about to make you rethink everything you know about extreme metal.
Formed in early 2024, Fountainhead’s new project consists of some pretty heavy hitter’s musician wise from the likes of Fear factory, Alkaloid and Virvum to round out his core band. While an enormous list of guests included on the album that are represented in the press release reaches extreme diversity from all types of musical instruments and varying styles. Changeling the self-titled debut releasing via Season of Mist is a genre defying blend of progressive death metal, jazz/fusion, and world music that amplifies his visionary approach to musical creativity.
Changeling just in sheer scope and comprehension is an extraordinary accomplishment, the idea that an individual can take on so many levels including intricate composition, performance, production, and arranging of musicianship for something this elaborate is beyond comprehension. The different musical landscapes that you will visit includes more than just brutality, grandeur, and insane technicality, you will also experience the delicate balance of juxtaposition. I can’t even begin to explain the complexity of these songs, but I can tell you that despite the overly complicated nature and progressive dissonance, this is one of the smoothest tech death records to consume for even the most uninitiated listeners. That’s not to say this isn’t an ultra-challenging record because it surely is, but the fearlessness of the compositions is somehow relatable and approachable. It stimulates differing aspects of your emotions, psyche and spirituality, offering up onerous, extreme music as freshly accessible.
Additionally comprised of Mike Heller (drums), Arran McSporran (fretless bass) and Morean (vocals and lyrics), Tom is not alone in technical virtuosity. Each musical detail is captured by outstanding performances by the band and their guests. The vocals are predominantly demonic growls but still intelligible, that also includes soaring cleans, choirs, black metal screeches and spoken word. The diversity of the vocals is definitely a high point of the record. The skill of the bass and the drums are equally mind-blowing in potency, each taking dominance in some way or another in many of the songs.
Fallen in Circles is the most traditional sounding tech death song here, laying waste to nearly anything released in recent times. It’s catchy, enthusiastically energetic, and full of shredding guitars. Oppositely, the pure nightmare that is Abyss sounds like the literal annihilation of the universe. Disgustingly dark, heavy, and abysmal, this will have your eyes rolling into the back of your head in utter terror. Abdication is a fluttering passage of piano and orchestral elements that gets more mystifying and slightly darker with each passing moment until it becomes a colossal beast of unique heaviness. Spacey and virtuosic, it’s a traditionally progressive track that’s reminiscent of the trippiness that’s been an integral part of the prog genre since the early seventies. Album closer Anathema is a near seventeen-minute opus of cinematic, unhinged musical cacophony that brings an overbearing sense of epic accomplishment.
There’s not one second on Changeling’s sixty-minute runtime that’s not highly intriguing or infectious. The brilliance of this record lies in its ability to engage the listener so easily while utilizing outrageous structures and complex intricacies that are far more than just remarkable musicianship. Changeling may end up not being for every type of metalhead, but it’s putting the genre on notice. Easy recommend for adventurous listeners.
(4.5 / 5)
