Changeling – Changeling

Written by on 26-04-2025 at 16:30.

Just to give you an insight into the “range” of our editorial team: when I indicated in the promo distribution chat that I had my eye/ear on the new Changeling, one of my colleagues (the older one) rightly responded with “that’s Tom Geldschläger, right?” Another (the younger one) said, adding a few smileys: “I was mainly thinking of Tinkling!”. Okay Hoogkamer, that may be mildly amusing, but what else should we do with that? You’re right. I’m actually just postponing, because how on earth/hell (take your pick) am I going to put into words what the aforementioned Tom brings here with and on Changeling? Let me start with some factual information. That might be the safest option.

Okay, so Tom Geldschläger. A German prog/death guitar virtuoso who – whether or not using the name Fountainhead – has made many a jaw hit the floor in the past with virtuoso (fretless) guitar tricks and beautiful compositions. You may know him, just like my one colleague, from a band like Obscura and contributions to work by Belphegor and Hannes Grossmann. Or he has passed you by of course, but then Changeling is a more than good reason to change that. If only for the effort he has made to make this album a masterpiece. Tom has put years of his labor, inspiration and virtuosity into it. But there is more (please read in a TellSell voice of course). In order to bring the orchestrations in his head to life for the outside world, he has put together an ensemble of no less than fifty musicians. And then we have not even mentioned the core of the band. Morean (Alkaloid, ex-Dark Fortress) takes care of the lyrics and vocals, Mike Heller (with Fear Factory until 2023) punches and kicks the drums and Arran McSporran of the severely underrated Virvum (where is that new record guys?) touches the thick strings. All in support of Tom of course, but Morean still leaves a strong mark on the sound with his characteristic vocals.

Okay, paperwork out of the way. Now for the dive into the immeasurable depths of the music. My attention was first drawn (in February) by the advanced post Abyss. What a massive, inhumanly heavy track that is. Very impressive with all that bass. Heavy (string) attack after heavy attack, creates in the mind’s eye an image of a dystopian world in which Morean with his deepest grunt rules over the defenseless, who are blown away by lashing auditory storms. Nice that Tom can still find it in him to salve the wounded with some sensitive solos before the whole thing is unstoppably dragged further into the depths. it would be quite interesting to find out why Tom and Morean chose to put forward this particular track, because it doesn’t seem to be very representative for the rest of the album. As far as possible off course with an album that shoots off in so many directions of course.

This is immediately clear from the intro Introject, which mainly features frivolous and nimble guitar work, as if to get it out of the way that Tom can play very well. The real work starts with Instant Results, initially a Morbid Angel-like speed monster with a large sound. After a short bridge consisting of a few warm bass runs, there is suddenly a chorus full of grandeur that is sung (almost) clean: “Let’s pick up the pace, get something done”. Morean already announced on social media that he has stretched his vocal boundaries for this album. That might take some getting used to, but it does lift the album to a higher level. At the same time, it gives the album a broader sound than just tech death, although the singer is not averse to repeating the vocal line in a ultralow death grunt. Nice build-up to a higher gear in which the fingers of various guitarists – Jason Göbel (ex-Cynic) also contributes – go very quickly over the strings (and probably not over frets) to throw a number of flowing solos at your feet. A lot is happening, you fear? That’s right, but by letting the main theme return it remains manageable and with each listening there will be more space in your head to notice, process and store the many nuances. A growing record “if ever there was one”.

Falling In Circles is somewhat in the same venomous (and sometimes somewhat unruly) vein and with that the question arises as to where Tom has hidden all those violinists and horn players. We will probably have to wait a while for that. No complaints though, because with World? What World? time is more than perfectly passable. Here the band seeks out the low end a bit more, while a beautiful, almost Eastern theme rears its head again and again, sometimes nice and thick and sometimes secretly hidden between and under rapid noise. Just like on the rest of the album, the bass is given all the space to do its beautiful thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if the separate tracks of all instruments can be listened to individually as a full-fledged piece of music. Towards the end of the track the grandeur increases and we hear the power of the classical musicians a few times. It is noticeable that this is very well incorporated into the music. We hear no hard death metal that stops to give the orchestra space, but classical music that mainly serves the metal and gives it an extra layer.

It will come as no surprise that in Metanoia Interlude the gruesome guitars and pounding basses are temporarily replaced by the piano. A deep breath before the next pounding comes along. The name of this potential ultra brutal song: Changeling. The title song, in which heavy pounding parts alternate with fast, tickling guitar lines that sound as if an artist is entrusting some beautiful sketches to the canvas. It must have taken a lot more effort than that, but it sounds wonderfully free. “God, what a mess”. No, not my description, but the last line of the song in which Morean once again lets the storyteller in him run free. Because of that and the change in atmospheres and voices, the track is somewhat reminiscent of Crimson by Edge Of Sanity. As far as I’m concerned, there are worse references.

Abdication is a beautifully orchestrated song in which baroque classical music and modern loops seem to live in the same period. Over repetitive notes and warm bass lines, Morean once again searches the boundaries of his clean singing, before the wild one in him and the rest of the band takes over. However artful, the highlight of the album is yet to come. We find that in the almost seventeen-minute closing song, Anathema, which is an epic in itself, both musically and lyrically. First the beautiful “flow” draws you into the song, after which you discover more and more. A quiet intro with throat-singing vocals? Certainly. Spoken word? Of course: “Theology I can bring myself to study no more”. This quote from the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach, who had set himself the goal of “bringing man back to earth” (thank you Wikipedia), turns out to be the basis for a story of doubt and a journey that visits various corners of the musical spectrum with sardonic pleasure. The warm bass lines and robot voice are reminiscent of Cynic at the time of Focus, but that band didn’t even think of building such a long song. Long sustained notes and atmospheres, brutally breaking passages and sometimes flowing, then again abrasive guitar lines pass by and it all sounds equally logical and complementary. Up to the ridiculously clever guitar work at the end.

And so epic has a new name and that name is Changeling and suddenly April is not too early to start talking about year lists.

Score:

90/100

Label:

Season Of Mist, 2025

Tracklisting:

  1. Introject
  2. Instant Results
  3. Falling in Circles
  4. World? What World?
  5. Metanoia Interlude
  6. Changeling
  7. Abyss
  8. Cathexis Interlude
  9. Abdication
  10. Anathema

Line-up:

  • Tom Fountainhead – Guitar, oud, keyboard
  • Arran McSporran – Bass guitar
  • Morean – Vocals
  • Mike Heller – Drums

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