Heavy rock with an industrial twist. That is how the members of Altered Paradigm describe their music. The four men from the Detroit area: Brad Stuart, TJ Thompson, Ed Beebe, and Brian Banks, began their musical journey in 2006. They have since had the...
Heavy rock with an industrial twist. That is how the members of Altered Paradigm describe their music. The four men from the Detroit area: Brad Stuart, TJ Thompson, Ed Beebe, and Brian Banks, began their musical journey in 2006. They have since had the opportunity to play a number of shows including the One Way Music Festival, and Soul Fire Music Festival. The band also conducted a radio interview and played a live acoustic set that was broadcast on the following stations: WSNL out of Flint, MI; WLCM out of Lansing, MI; WCVX out of Cincinnati, OH; and WJMM out of Lexington, KY. Altered Paradigm has devoted themselves to reaching an unconventional audience. For example, those that struggle with big issues such as drug and alcohol addiction or dealing with thoughts of suicide, often do not have anyone in their lives that speaks peace to their hearts. It is the goal of Altered Paradigm to be that voice crying out in the wilderness—the voice that assures the battered and broken that there is a way out of the darkness of their despair. The members of Altered Paradigm are uninterested in the precarious path to fame and fortune that occupies many other bands. The reward that Altered Paradigm strives for is that their music would have a lasting impact on the hearts of their listeners. “Music has the power to change lives,” says Ed Beebe, Altered Paradigm’s drummer. “Our goal is to write songs that people will be able to identify with—songs that bring hope.” The band members have endured many trials of their own. Addiction, homelessness and time spent in prison are only a few of their darkest struggles. On their debut album, Faded, Altered Paradigm delves deeply into these issues. Their songs explore topics such as love, abuse, and death, among other tough subjects. The lyrics are saturated with the personal experience of each member of this band. “There’s nothing that we write about that one of us hasn’t dealt with in our lives. With everything we have been through and the things that we have been pulled out of we would like other people to understand and have what we have...the hope that we have found,” states Brad Stuart, Altered Paradigm’s lead vocalist and guitar player. This world can be an unfortunate and dangerous place. At times it is difficult to keep your head above water. When life feels like an endless struggle to stay afloat it is comforting to find a band like Altered Paradigm. Their music reminds us all to keep breathing. -Corey O'Day, assistant editor, Journal Twenty-Six.
