Hailing from Germany, there is an upcoming virtuosic project worthy of attention. Fountainhead is springing out some very interesting musical ideas to say the least. This is primarily the solo project of the amazing multi-instrumentalist, Tom Geldschläger, who has worked with hundreds of musicians across many genres and releases. Now it’s time for a release to call his own. He released the “Fear Is The Enemy” EP about a week ago and it’s been receiving positive feedback across the board. Currently, it ranks #7 in Bandcamp’s experimental category. Now it’s time for some feedback of our own.

 
Fountainhead provides a mind blowing trip into musical realms largely untraveled. This is pure, instrumental greatness with a creative, Progressive Metal edge. Tom Geldschläger’s style is certainly out of the box, taking twists and turns that you won’t expect. He reminds me of a more abstract, progressive Eric Clapton in some ways. Beyond Tom’s stellar guitar work, he includes a wide variety of unexpected instruments ranging from orchestral strings to the tabla and it all sounds very organic. It makes for a very interesting mix full of aural delights.

“Fear Is The Enemy” is a release that seems to come across in phases. This is apparent from the first listen. I came up with a metaphor to map it out. This EP tells the abstract story of a day through music.”Hithérto” is an early morning dream weaved through stylistic Indian visions. And a pleasant dream at that. “I Do And I Will” is waking up and grabbing some coffee with an extra kick to head out and face what lies ahead. “Fear Is The Enemy” is being wide awake, rushing through a busy day until it’s successful completion. “Electric Lullaby” is winding down and drifting back to sleep. Once sleep is achieved, the Indian style dreams will return if you hit replay. And so on… “Fear Is The Enemy (Extended Version)” is just the cherry on top of everything else, providing some interesting changes to the track. Every song on this EP is most definitely worth your while.


I have some criticisms about this record, most of which are minor in the grand scheme of things. First off, the tone of the rhythm guitars seems off. I realized this on my first listen, but it didn’t necessarily take away from the experience. Especially considering that the tone of Tom’s lead guitar is glorious. Second, Tom’s guitar work is awesome but he seems to have a thing for sporadic, seemingly random high notes. Yet again, this doesn’t  necessarily take away from the experience but it isn’t always appealing. And finally, the production is good for the most part, but it’s lacking in some segments.

But to sum things up, Fountainhead is easily one of the most impressive instrumental acts I’ve come across recently. His music is highly recommended for prog heads and lovers of music in general. “Fear Is The Enemy” is actually available for a “name your own price” download on Bandcamp. And yes, free counts as a price. That’s pretty much the deal of the year… and 2013 has barely even started! Be sure to watch the title track’s music video above and give it a download. You can also stream through the entire EP right here, right now or on the official Fountainhead Bandcamp page.

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Bandcamp