Altered Paradigm

Altered Paradigm is one of the best rock bands you’ve never heard of. The foursome from Clarkston, Michigan know how to play, crushing through their 11-track debut at breakneck pace. Boasting the spiritual bent and vocal chops of Creed and the musicianship of Metallica, “Faded” is poised to make some noise and win some fans.



“Drowning” introduces the listener to Altered Paradigm’s sound with its grinding guitars, tight drum kicks, and raspy vocals drawing the listener into a fresh sonic experience. “You Lied” is a little simplistic in the delivery of the 1st and 2nd stanzas, but the chorus is heavy. It has such weight and depth and is conveyed perfectly. Here, vocalist Brad Stuart sounds a bit like Creed’s Scott Stapp, but he also brings his own shoes to the party. It is one of those tracks that will most assuredly be requested at their concerts for years to come. Ed Beebe (drums) and T.J. Thompson (guitar) stand front and center as “Midnight Rain” convenes, allowing some great drumming and guitar licks before Stuart’s vocals rise to the fore. Brian Banks also shines on the turntables, an unusual addition to such a clear cut rock act. The best song on the album is, by far, “Hypocrite.” It is sonically perfect—vocally, instrumentally, productionwise. It stands to become a quick fan favorite. Stuart sings out Look at this Look at you/How can you say you had nothing to do with this mess you made/Still you say I’m the one to blame/Who’s the hypocrite! “Traveler’s Paradox” is going to be one of those tracks that deserves way more credit than its going to get. It is haunting and breath-taking. The guitars here are reminiscent of Days of the New (for those of you who remember that band) and will stick with you long after the music fades. “Bleach” is already a favorite among the band’s fanbase and with good reason. A cry out to God to be saved from themselves, this is the most overtly spiritual track on the album.



The album isn’t perfect, of course. I like the lyrics and instrumental layering of “Russian Roulette,” but I think something is left to be desired in terms of the vocal delivery. It just didn’t work for me as well as it should have. The lyrics on “Leave” are a little difficult to understand at times as Stuart whispers much of what he says. So, unless one has the liner notes readily available, they’ll have to listen to the song several times to make out the words.



Choosing the route of obscure spirituality over saying the name of Christ in every single song, Altered Paradigm has crafted an extremely accessible album that should open a number of doors for them. Again, they’ve got a solid rock sound from beginning to end and they do it well. Refusing to sacrifice quality or pander as so many bands in the Christian subculture have chosen to do, Altered Paradigm is just the type of band the world needs—subversively orthodox, blatantly awesome.
- Christian Manifesto

Tyler Davidson
Michigan rock quartet Altered Paradigm have spent the last two years crafting an eerily ambient industrial sound in the style of bands like A Perfect Circle and Chevelle. With their debut disc, FADED, right around the corner, the four-piece look to make major waves on the industrial scene. SKRATCH got the chance to speak with vocalist/guitarist Brad Stuart to talk about, among other things, their goals for 2008 and just how the band all began.
Altered Paradigm is Brad Stuart (vocals/guitar), TJ Thompson (guitar/vocals), Brian Banks (DJ/keyboards), and Ed Beebe (drums/vocals).
SKRATCH MAGAZINE: Let's start at the beginning; how did the band come together?
BRAD STUART: The band getting together is actually a funny story. Through high school, each one of us had different bands that we played in. A few months after I graduated, I met up with a friend of mine that I played with in high school, and he introduced me to some of his friends who wanted to start a little side project. Long story short, TJ and Brian jumped on board and we picked up Ed on drums a short time later. After that, it's been playing shows and cutting an album. It’s crazy how one day we're all getting together to jam a little bit, and just two years later, we are going full time trying to make a living at it.
SKRATCH: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
BRAD: We have so many musical influences, but I think the ones that are the most dominant in our music would probably be Tool, Linkin Park, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Chevelle, and Staind.
SKRATCH: What are some of your goals for 2008?
BRAD: With our debut album, FADED, coming out, I think our biggest goal is to try and get this album to hit as hard as it possibly can. We put 11 months and a ton of energy into writing this album, trying to make it the best album we could. Other than that, we want to continue to make each show better than the last and really push for something great.
SKRATCH: What, if any, is the most important piece of advice you've received so far?
BRAD: The most important pieces of advice were: Be confident but not cocky, [and] always write from the heart or else the music will be empty
SKRATCH: If a movie were made based on the band, who would play you?
BRAD: This is so hard to say. I'm not sure who would fit the role best, but it would be sweet to have Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack play the part.
SKRATCH: What's the most surprising piece of music in your collection?
BRAD: After talking to people, I think people are most surprised at my Celtic music collection. I love music from different cultures, and let’s be real...there's nothing quite like the bagpipes.
SKRATCH: What would your "dream tour" look like?
BRAD: If we could play a tour with anybody, I would love to go on tour with all the greats: Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Metallica, U2, Pink Floyd.
SKRATCH: What is the one thing you DON'T want people to do/say/think at your shows?
BRAD: If there is one thing we don't want, it is anybody feeling like they wasted an hour of their lives coming to see us.
SKRATCH: What is your stance on downloading/piracy?
BRAD: Downloading: It’s okay as long as it's not ours...just kidding. What people don't realize is [that] when they illegally download, all they are doing is taking money away from the artist. We have families to provide for just like everyone else and not to mention, that's what gets us from town to town.
SKRATCH: What was the first album that you can remember that had a significant impact on you and why?
BRAD: The first album to really have a big impact on me is MASTER OF PUPPETS from Metallica. I'm not really sure why exactly, but this was the album that made me just want to take music to that next level.
SKRATCH: Anything else to add?
BRAD: All I really have left to say is [that] we are extremely excited about the new album coming out. We would encourage everyone to come check us out on the Verity Tour this year. We are looking forward to seeing everybody on the road very soon.
For more information on Altered Paradigm and their upcoming album, FADED, be sure to visit them online at www.myspace.com/thealteredparadigm.
- Skratch Magazine