CHANGELING, the progressive death metal band led by guitarist Tom “Fountainhead” Geldschläger (ex-Obscura), is releasing a blindfolded guitar playthrough of “World? What World?”. Shot in studio and taken from the band’s debut album, Changeling, the playthrough turns the song into a single uninterrupted performance, with Fountainhead navigating its shifting time signatures and tremolo-picked runs entirely by feel.
Watch the blindfolded guitar playthrough of “World? What World?” on FountainheadTV:
Changeling is out now on Season of Mist. Order & Stream: https://orcd.co/changelingchangeling
“World? What World?” is one of the most punishing songs on Changeling. Built on 260 bpm blast beats and a brass arrangement scored for an ensemble of Wagnerian tubas, it stages a confrontation with fear and the unconscious mind, Losing the visual reference point of the fretboard turns the new guitar playthrough into a demonstration of muscle memory as much as musicianship, a fitting angle for a song built around the collapse of perceptual certainty.
Changeling moves through four distinct chapters. The album opens in tech-death vocabulary, rooted in Fountainhead’s work on Obscura’s album Akroasis. It closes with “Anathema”, the 16-minute successor to his own “Weltseele.”
Catch Changeling on the band’s first European headline tour this November with Obsidian Tide.
CHANGELING 2026 European Headline TOUR? WHAT TOUR? with Obsidian Tide
Get tickets: linktr.ee/changeling_tour
November 12 – Hamburg, Germany @ Bambi Galore (+ Soulsplitter)
November 13 – Cologne, Germany @ MTC (+ 46 Forty Six Band)
November 14 – Arnhem, Netherlands @ Willemeen (+ Demichron)
November 15 – Den Haag, Netherlands @ Musicon (+ Hyla)
November 17 – Charleroi, Belgium @ MCP Apache (+ Laucean)
November 19 – Kaiserslautern, Germany @ Irish House ( + Magefa)
November 20 – Stuttgart, Germany @ Club Zentral
November 21 – Innsbruck, Austria @ Livestage (+ Virial)
November 22 – Vienna, Austria @ Escape Metalcorner (+ Pater Tenebrarum)
November 24 – Landshut, Germany @ Rocketclub
November 25 – Prague, Czech Republic @ Black Pes (+ Poppy Seed Grinder)
November 26 – Ostrava, Czech Republic @ Rock Hill (+ TBA)
November 27 – Warsaw, Poland @ Potok (+ TBA)
November 29 – Berlin, Germany @ Kulturhaus Insel
Tracklist:
1. Introject (1:56)
2. Instant Results (4:33)
3. Falling in Circles (3:47)
4. World? What World? (6:43)
5. Metanoia Interlude (00:57)
6. Changeling (6:57)
7. Abyss (8:06)
8. Cathexis Interlude (1:19)
9. Abdication (9:05)
10. Anathema (16:51)
Full runtime: 1:00:16
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 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, remaining at the forefront of spatial 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 65-minute concept album that elevates Tom’s artistry.
The album, sharing its name with the project, blends progressive metal, death metal, jazz/fusion, and world music, enriched with complex orchestrations by a 40-piece ensemble of guest musicians. It includes the eagerly anticipated “Part 2” of 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.
This year also sees Tom headlining his first-ever solo tour in India, featuring music from CHANGELING and his diverse discography, promising an unparalleled sonic journey for his fans and new listeners alike.
Core Lineup:
Tom Fountainhead (ex-Obscura, Amogh Symphony, Belphegor, Defeated Sanity) – Fretted & fretless electric & acoustic guitars, oud, keyboards, composition and arrangements
Mike Heller (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
Recording Studio:
FountainheadHQ, Hellersounds, Saforill, Klanghafen, Landesmusikakademie Berlin, Musikhochschule Carl-Maria-Von-Weber, Muziek Studio Beeld, Sonictrain.
Production Credits:
Produced & Engineered by Tom Fountainhead.
Mixed by Tom Fountainhead at FountainheadHQ.
Mastered by Leon Schmidt at his home studio & FountainheadHQ.
Cover Art:
Aaron Pinto (Gutslit) / KidSquidy
Follow Fountainhead & Changeling:
Website: http://www.thefountainhead.de
Facebook: http://facebook.com/tomfountainheadgeldschlaeger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changeling.official
Bandcamp: https://changelingofficial.bandcamp.com/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/fountainheadtv
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