Changing The Design

In the tumultuous arena of rock and metal, where raw emotion meets unbridled energy, there emerges a project that defies convention and transcends boundaries. At its helm stands the visionary force of Alan D. Griffith, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter extraordinaire, leading the charge of Changing the Design. Rooted in the profound belief that every moment shapes us anew, their latest opus, “Soul Dissection Experiment,” is a testament to the transformative power of music. The album, meticulously crafted under the watchful eyes and ears of industry luminaries, is a sonic voyage that traverses the depths of human emotion and experience.

With vocals produced and recorded by the legendary Tom Gordon, whose accolades include work with Whitesnake and Ozzy Osbourne, mixed by the incomparable Sylvia Massy of Tool and System of a Down fame, and mastered by the esteemed Reuben Cohen, known for his work with Metallica and Incubus, “Soul Dissection Experiment” emerges as a tour de force of sonic prowess.

From its very inception, Changing the Design’s ethos has been rooted in the belief that we are constantly evolving beings, shaped by the unique energetic nuances of our experiences. With an unwavering commitment to authenticity and expression, Griffith and his cohorts ,who include drummer Brian Walden and bassist Harold Gutierrez, channel this potent energy into a symphony of searing guitars, thunderous drums, and impassioned vocals, forging a profound connection with their audience.

The journey begins with “Confining The Creator,” a thunderous proclamation of intent that sets the stage ablaze with its industrial-powered riffs and percussive onslaught. As the adrenaline surges and the adrenaline rushes, Griffith’s primal vocals pierce through the cacophony, demanding attention and reverence.

Segueing seamlessly into “Devil In The Details,” Changing the Design unveils a melodic masterpiece, where Griffith’s soaring vocals dance atop chugging riffs, before exploding into an anthemic chorus that reverberates with raw emotion and grandeur. It’s a sonic tapestry that grips the listener by the soul, refusing to let go.

The title track, “Soul Dissection Experiment,” emerges as a relentless onslaught of blistering guitars and infectious hooks, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. With each punishing riff and ear-catching melody, Changing the Design invites the listener to embark on a harrowing journey of self-discovery—a journey that transcends the boundaries of time and space.

As the album progresses, the band showcases their versatility and mastery of their craft with tracks like “The Attraction.” Beginning as a delicate power ballad, it gradually builds into a crescendo of euphoria, showcasing Griffith’s stunning vocal range and the band’s ability to seamlessly blend melody with aggression.

“Memoirs from the Shadows” emerges as a haunting testament to the band’s creative ingenuity, weaving ethereal organ motifs with bone-crushing riffs and relentless percussion. It’s a sonic landscape that immerses the listener in a realm of darkness and light, where beauty and brutality coalesce in a mesmerizing symphony.

“Your Words Mean Nothing” unleashes a relentless onslaught of aggression, with Griffith’s vocals soaring above the fray, commanding attention with every impassioned cry. It’s a track that hits like a sledgehammer to the chest, leaving an indelible mark on the listener’s psyche.

“Fantasy In Flame” ignites a frenzy of fast-paced chugging riffs and layered harmonies, showcasing the band’s uncanny ability to create a groove that is both infectious and ferocious. It’s a relentless assault on the senses—a sonic inferno that consumes all in its path.

Hellface” emerges as a testament to Changing the Design’s crossover appeal, seamlessly blending moments of aggression with melodic interludes and anthemic choruses. It’s a track that defies categorization – a sonic odyssey that transcends the confines of genre and convention.

“Losing Touch” roars to life with a quiet intensity, before exploding into a cacophony of sound and fury. Griffith’s vocals cut through the chaos like a knife, commanding attention with every impassioned cry. It’s a track that encapsulates the band’s musical ethos.

Closing the proceedings with “When It’s Time,” Changing the Design leaves an indelible mark on the listener’s psyche, a haunting reminder of the journey that has unfolded. It’s a track that resonates with raw emotion and existential angst—a fitting conclusion to an album that defies expectations and challenges the status quo.

In “Soul Dissection Experiment,” Changing the Design has crafted more than just an album; they’ve created a sonic tapestry – a living, breathing entity that pulses with raw emotion and unbridled passion. It’s a testament to the power of music to transcend boundaries and unite souls – a journey into the heart of hard rock and metal, where beauty and brutality collide in a symphony of sonic fury. - Jamsphere

I love bands like Changing The Design, they seem so unburdened with the idea of sound demarcations or sub-genre regimentation. Sure, CTD is proudly hard rock but that is a broad label and within the music, you can hear everything from classic rock conformity to alt-rock adventurousness, foot on the monitor groove and plenty of touches of more ornate sounds from slight proggy variance to technical metal complexities. But hard-rock is a good enough label and it works as the perfect catch-all description of what the album contains.

Take a song like Devil in The Details, for example, a blend of sky-searing riffs and nu-metal electronica, it wanders dynamic peaks and troughs, ebbs and flows to create poignancy and power, employs heavenly harmonies and wanders easily between the metal community and more mainstream pastures. All of that in one song, eh? Impressive.

Invoke The Awakening is dark and delicious, The Attraction blends the same elements of heavy rock and progressive ornateness that Rush used to do so well and Heart String Symphony is a wonderful blend of space and staccato deliveries, rock weight and some masterful atmospherics and anticipation which are allowed to pool and percolate in the spaces between the words and notes. And then there are songs such as Hellface which takes classic rock and drag it screaming and kicking into the modern age, a poised rock package built of everything that made the sub-genre great in the first place and a taste of what it could be should it be allowed to evolve.

And evolution is something that is close to Alan D Griffith’s heart, the multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer who is behind the album. As he so eloquently puts it “We are never truly who we were yesterday and not quite who we will be tomorrow. Always evolving, we are Changing The Design.” Which does explain why his music is the perfect combination of familiar and fresh. It is not about reinventing rock music, after all, most of the heavy lifting has already been done. It is about evolving it, allowing it to move forward, to cross-pollinate it with both its own sub-genres and other, outside influences. It is about hopping generic fences rather than kicking them down, evolution not revolution.

Rock music isn’t dead, it just needs to take stock of itself, work out where it goes next and find a way to stay relevant in the modern age. And if you want to know what that might sound like, just give Soul Dissection Experiment a few dozen spins. And then a few dozen more for good measure. - Dancing About Architecture