Changeling dive into the infinite on ‘Falling in Circles’

Prepare to be mesmerized as CHANGELING, the audacious brainchild of musical maverick Tom “Fountainhead” Geldschläger, unveils the latest single Falling in Circles from the highly anticipated self-titled album, set for release on April 25th through Season of Mist. With all rhythm guitar & bass parts recorded on fretless instruments, Falling in Circles pushes for innovation while staying rooted in the fierce technicality and aggression of the genre.

The track’s recurring arpeggio motif, a deliberate nod to Tom‘s past as a writer & performer in the tech-death genre, specifically the title track of Obscura‘s billboard-chart entering “Akroasis” album, seamlessly weaving nostalgia into its complex & forward-thinking tapestry.

Furthermore, the band juxtaposes heroic fretted guitar solos with the ethereal timbre of fretless guitars, creating a soundscape that is both rooted in the past of the genre as well as looking into the future – just like the “Changeling” album itself is a conceptual juggernaut, evolving from lovingly embracing expectations and paying tribute to the greats of the genre in its first act (a fact hammered home by guest appearances by members of legendary act Death, Cynic & I Am Morbid) into daring and exciting new realms of compositional mastery & death-defying performances.

Morean, Arran, and Mike‘s contributions are nothing short of extraordinary. Each note they play, each rhythm they conjure, is imbued with their individual artistic touch, ensuring that Falling in Circles stands as a unique entity within Changeling‘s conceptual debut album. Their collective virtuosity elevates the track, making it a cornerstone of the album’s narrative & lyrical journey through the psychedelic experience.

With the song itself sitting comfortably between the aggression of death metal and the melodic sensibilities of modern progressive metal, the middle section of Falling in Circles breaks away from genre-conventions altogether, introducing a string section that evokes the orchestral grandeur of Weltseele, a track which was also written by Tom. Ally Storch (Subway To Sally) wields her violin, viola, and cello with a virtuosity that amplifies the track’s emotional depth and textural richness. The collaboration extends further with Alex Kerski (Vianova) on backing vocals, adding layers of harmonic brilliance to the composition.

Watch the music video, created by Chris Hesse / Strangeworks_ on the Season of Mist YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/7TZ8yXv8TMA.

Fountainhead, the musical alter-ego of Berlin-based musician Tom Geldschläger, is a celebrated figure across diverse music landscapes. Known for his expansive involvement in the music industry, Tom has contributed to over a hundred releases in capacities ranging from guitarist to orchestrator, producer to mixing/mastering engineer, and occasionally even as an oud-player. He has worked with globally recognized artists such as Obscura, Belphegor, Marco Minnemann, Defeated Sanity, Amogh Symphony, Hannes Grossmann, Voodoogods, Christian Münzner, Nader Sadek and more. Featured in numerous international music magazines, authored several books of non-fiction and musical notation, Tom has also been instrumental in integrating the fretless guitar into extreme metal genres.

Acclaimed as a “modern-day guitar legend,” Tom’s signature playing style and adventurous genre-defying compositions highlight his fearless approach to music. His endorsements include prestigious brands like Aristides Guitars, Elixir Strings, and Bare Knuckle Pickups. Additionally, Tom is a sought-after clinician and speaker, focusing on creativity, music production, and musician’s mental health, as well as being at the forefront of spatial audio and 360-degree audio production.

In a significant development in early 2024, Fountainhead, now branded under the name CHANGELING for his new project and album, signed with the label Season of Mist. This venture marks a new chapter in Tom’s career, amplifying his visionary approach to music. Accompanied by an all-star band featuring members from Fear Factory, Alkaloid, and Virvum, the project CHANGELING showcases a 60-minute concept album that takes all aspects of Tom’s artistry to new heights.

The album, sharing its name with the project, blends progressive metal, death metal, jazz/fusion, and world music, enriched with complex orchestrations by a 50-piece ensemble of guest musicians. It includes the eagerly anticipated “Part 2” to his renowned composition “Weltseele,” an orchestral metal epic from Obscura’s billboard-chart-entering “Akroasis” album, which broadly introduced Fountainhead to the metal community in 2016.

Changeling is out April 25th via Season of Mist.

➤ Pre-order & Pre-save here: https://orcd.co/changelingchangeling

Tracklist:
1. Introject (1:56)
2. Instant Results (4:33)
3. Falling in Circles (3:47) [WATCH]
4. World? What World? (6:43)
5. Metanoia Interlude (00:57)
6. Changeling (6:57)
7. Abyss (8:06) [WATCH]
8. Cathexis Interlude (1:19)
9. Abdication (9:05)
10. Anathema (16:51)
Full runtime: 1:00:16

Core Lineup:
Tom Fountainhead (ex-Obscura, Amogh Symphony, Belphegor, Defeated Sanity) – Fretted & fretless electric & acoustic guitars, oud, keyboards, composition and arrangements.
Mike Heller (ex-Fear Factory, Malignancy, Raven) – Drums.
Arran McSporran (Vipassi, Virvum) –  Fretless bass.
Morean (Alkaloid, Dark Fortress) – Lead vocals & lyrics.

Guest Musicians:
Bill Hudson (Trans-siberian Orchestra, Doro, I am Morbid) – Guest guitar solo
Jason Gobel (ex-Cynic, ex-Monstrosity)- Guest guitar solo
Andy Laroque (ex-Death, King Diamond) – Guest guitar solo
Yatziv Caspi (ex-Orphaned Land) – Tabla, hangdrum, dabouka, riq & shakers
Ally Storch (Subway To Sally)- Violins, viola & cello
James Dorton (The Faceless, NeObliviscaris, Black Crown Initate) – Spoken words
Alexander Kerski (Vianova)- Backing & harmony vocals
Matthias Alexander Preisinger – Piano and glockenspiel, violins & viola
Martin Matiasovic – Horns & Wagnerian Tube
Jan Ferdinand – Vibraphone & marimba
Chris Rützel – Flutes
Ivar Ludvig Nitzler – Cello
Shiho Murano – Tuba
Juliane Erding – Wagnerian tube & horn
Eduard Cortez – Wagnerian tube & horn
Tillmann Schulz  – Wagnerian tube & horn
Ava Bonam – Female vocals
Moran Magal – Piano
Cydney McQuillan-Grace, Lauren Gill, Shannon Bedford, Sara Robalo; Tenor and Bari – Ben Francis, John Schaffer,  Alice Williams, Cyd McQuillan-Grace; Alto – Lauren Gill, Sara Robalo; Tenor and Bass – James Schouten & John Schaffer – Choir vocals
Krassimir Jossifov – Trumpet
Brandt Attema – Trombones & bass trombones
Kristian Petkov – Bassoon
Stefan Prost – Church organ
Seonghyeon Park – Clarinet
Arnfried Falk – Oboe
Rouven Haliti – Upright bass
Dalai Cellai – Cello