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For starters, I don't like the singing from Thomas Tielen. A nasal, poor version of David Bowie. But the compositions are flat too. They are well crafted, sure. But there's more to a great record than craftmanship.

There's nothing new here, nothing amazing, nothing shocking. I'm torn between a one-star or two-star rating. I don't want to call it poor though. So I rate it 2 stars.

'The Same Old Everything' direct attack after soft intro on the voice of Thomas aerial, crystalline, eyeing that of Hogarth; sensitivity, charm, poise; the voice is present in every corner of this long piece, 6 of the 8 titles over the 10 minutes for contemplative convolutions; remembering what the SAVIOR MACHINE did in a more violent style with an omnipresent voice which also starts with the warm voice of the late David BOWIE; the guitar solo is well in the neo prog movement at ROTHERY, the finale on a musical opera worthy of 'The Wall', in short superb lamentative and airy title, oxymoron if there is one. 'The Light at the End of the Light' continues on a dark and meditative tune, mineral spleen combined with a cascading harmony, the 6-string guitar solo in the middle takes the title further as its name suggests; a title lacking in contrast until the instrumental Marillionesque finale that is worth its weight and a sound filled with cotton to fall asleep in reverie! 'How Not to Speak' for the echoing ethereal piano interlude; simple, organic, back-phrased voice effective to launch 'The Idiot's Prayer' radio title short edit, declination where the Hogarthan voice blends ideally with the instruments, much better than in a Marillion the height; finale in distressing echo leading to spiritual musical elevation.

'The Scars of the Sky' attacks the first of 4 long tracks and bis repetita for a dark, oppressive declination, an underlay, a musical ersatz with the framework centered on Thomas and his voice; the heavy guitar break seduces then it starts again like a wave crashing on the pebbles inexorably; it's beautiful and repetitive, it's energetic and discordant with this aggressive bass and this drums which never cease to put you in a trance until the voice leaves in a frenzied way, like a wave of 'Carmina' appears, then 'Behind This Pale Face' always chained, to see in concert just for that; a long dreamlike crescendo that harkens back to the Hogarth era, nervous title favoring even more the trance because yes you understood it Thomas uses his voice like an instrument, like a gladiator's sword in the firmament of the attack of the beasts in the 'arena. 'A Relevant Lovesong' just for this Rotheryian solo which is currently missing in the last opuses of the said Marillion; a nervous space à la Banks, a cozy atmosphere, an electro time during the intimate break and always this sound between spleen and staggering emotion; the title that ends up melting the last recalcitrant in view of the plaintive final crescendo superior to a 'Brave'. 'Tell the Neighbors We're Fine' ends pompously, grandiloquently and spleenically; a dreamlike crescendical rise with voice-over, echoing choirs, the vibrating, fleshy, velvety six-string; a point his voice reminiscent of Bowie sends me on the progressive drifts of the Secret Machines precisely; sung prog where the voice blends into the notes, what more could you ask for? T has passed his entrance exam; it remains in its melodic framework while adding vibrations, a universe, a unique musical concept; he transcends the sound of his instruments and his voice to make new-neo-prog engendering emotion at its height, art rock quite simply, almost unthinkable coming from a single man. So yes it may seem repetitive but it is above all evolutionary. T it is tormidable and rare in this year.

It is an album which does take repeated listening, at least for me, as the style being used is not one to which I listen to a great deal, but the more this is played the more it is recognised that here is a work of some import as there is just so much in it, even though the arrangements often seem sparse. It could be the faint in the background guitar rise, or sound effects, or the way a keyboard dramatically comes out of nowhere, or the way the vocals can totally change their position within the layering. There is a lot to listen to here, and that is the key phrase, as this is an album which really does need listening to. This is music from the old days, when I used to sit on my bed with the album cover and lyrics (if you were lucky) in my hands, falling deep into the artist's world, and that is the same here except now I am sat in a chair with a glass of Otago Pinot Noir close to hand, playing it on headphones and reading the lyrics in the booklet. While it can be played in the background, it is only by paying close attention that one can get inside the music and realise just how much effort has been put into every note, with constant decision-making taking place regarding which instrument should perform which part and then where that should be in the arrangement.

This may sound like a lot to take in, but what makes this album work so well is that it is just so easy to listen to, so enjoyable, and not once will people think this is the work of just one man as this is a full band, with real instruments as opposed to synthesising everything. There is a huge amount of space within the music which allows everything to breathe, and the result is something which is very special indeed. Easy to listen to while never easy listening, this is probably the finest release from Thomas yet, and well worthy of investigation by all lovers of prog and art rock.

At the stock level, the 3 chapters consist of 7 tracks including "The End of Always" is the start with sound effects SF to "Planet Claire" from the beginning and this beautiful bewitching voice of Thomas; Note to 5'50 '' a little retro effect with jerky recording, sax break with pace and jazzy note to end all sprinkled with a vibrant and confusing sound effect. "That Thought You Lost at Home" from him directly on a cut and paste of what can GAZPACHO at his best level instrumentation and atmosphere is symphonic, it's still intimate with sound breaks and passages calm followed almost too weak crescendos at the limit of spleen, splendid! Connects "A Haunted Ghost" more orchestral again Yet the recognizable voice packed with emotion (close our eyes and we hear Thomas BOWIE !!) and progressive passages with piano, distant voice and sudden increase in sound and voice growing strident guitar solos for recalling here post rock or MONO GOD IS aN ASTRONAUT, the final out a guitar solo ROTHERIEN! "Lifeoscopy" here offers a single-phrased voice to the SAVIOR MACHINE or ALICE IN CHAINS for a short title, a little SIGUR ROS or SYLVAN'S for voice and another superb guitar solo transcended by a battery present more acoustic. "Laughter's Cold Remains" comes attached to a symphonic piece, religious or military but also melancholy, here we share the universe of "Brave" MARILLION always with a voice level redundancy and instrumentation for successive breaks that intoxicate. Note in this regard his voice modulating between Bowie and HOGARTH. Finally comes the "Chapter Nine" the most intense, the most successful in my opinion with "When We Were Us" feature and the voice of Thomas, a syncopated drums and sheets of chopped keyboards (one arrives at the goldsmith there!) ; a break with voiceover on memories of the 2nd World War and jazzy notes, followed by other more or crimsoniennes wilsonniennes, take us to the sounds of ANGLAGARD ANEKDOTEN see is that it is varied and it touches on lots of groups! I hear even low to JOE JACKSON at a time, a sign that we are dealing with a real prog crucible here; limit the angelic voice comes back meaning to a final explosive bringing de facto "Beyond the Dark" even darker. Here, it seems to have a bit of all the trends of the album, so the GAZPACHO but with an intimate atmosphere MARILLION was a beautiful ride to a final beginning about 6 minutes with solo limit gilmourien in two stages and a final dark, where cries of "Nazgul" come tickle your ear.

Well, it stamped prog disk, there's no picture, one might say! it all was to leave, soft atmospheres with crescendo of intimate atmospheres with explosion of voices and solos, we have breaks to disturb our ears and look for original sounds were the atmospheric rock hovering loaded spleen, melancholy sensibility and where emotion seems to revive the turning of a title. It is both soft and bright, sad and haunting, dynamic and intimate, fresh and lively, a culinary fresco in some way with this menu which may be in the best of 2019. Finally, T surrounds musicians for concerts, but in the studio it is from him that the notes come out and that I'm still not back!

Chapter Seven is called "The End Where We Begin", and the first track is the 14 minute "The End of Always". The track starts with a chaotic mix of noise and instruments, but suddenly cuts off to a very quiet processed keyboard and vocals, which eventually opens up to normal volume and then full instrumentation kicks in. The vocals are passionate and the music is very cinematic. Just as it seems to be reaching a climax, it returns to the tin can effect again, and then cycles through another build in intensity. The vocals have a certain resemblance to David Bowie, but the music is a definite neo-prog sound with plenty of keyboards, effects and guitar with occasional sections including saxophone and violin. The music is also very dynamic in both volume and in changing textures quickly moving from minimal to full instrumentation many times throughout the track. The music stays complex, never settling into one particular sound for too long, but it does remain quite dramatic throughout. The second part of this chapter is the 8 minute "That Thought You Lost at Home". The overall beat of this one is a bit faster and more consistent. A nice guitar and synth section establishes some nice melodies, the feel of the track noticeable brighter. After a few minutes, the music calms a bit, but melodies become more complex with some interesting patterns and atmospheric music. A nice soft guitar section moves us along before vocals return after 5 minutes, but the music remains calm, yet somewhat complex. It's not until after 7 minutes that the drums bring in a slow but constant rhythm.

Chapter 8: "The Trauma of Happiness". This section starts with another 8 minute track called "A Haunted Ghost". This starts similar to the first track, but it's not long before full instrumentation starts. This moves between processed and somewhat ambient sections to normal and fuller sections. Again, the track is an exciting conglomeration of feelings, textures and many melodies and the music moves smoothly between all the changes without feeling choppy at all. The addition of a cello in the last few minutes lends a nice sound that creates a tension that culminates in an emotional guitar solo. "Lifeoscopy" is the shortest track at 6 minutes. This track follows more of a singular melodic idea than the other tracks, and is probably the most accessible track because of that, however, it still retains a level of complexity. "Laughter's Cold Remains" returns to dynamic structures again, ever changing along its 12 minute course. Once again, you get heavy and light sections with various textures and feelings throughout. A nice change of pace midway through is led by a rousing synth solo. One thing you will notice is the album is lyrically heavy, so when there is time to throw in an instrumental section, it's a welcome change. However, the music never settles for too long as it weaves its way around ever changing passages and emotions.

Chapter 9: "Solipsisters". "When We Are Us" begins with a very solid beat and great guitar hooks, one of the few more melody driven tracks that relies on a more repetitive pattern. Of course, this changes after a few minutes when the music calms down and takes us through the kaleidoscope of sounds and styles, even adding in a dissonant piano section before bringing in more guitars, and a very exciting instrumental section. Heavy progressiveness continues, again never resting too long on any one style. The last track is another 14 minute track called "Beyond the Dark". This continues the complexities of the previous tracks, always changing in mood and style with some excellent instrumental sections spread throughout.

The music on this album is mostly quite complex and involved, moving from one passage to the next with a lot of dynamic change, yet running along smoothly. It is very seldom that the music settles into any one feeling or style for very long. The vocals are emotional, but in a Bowie sort of way. For the listener not used to progressive music, it is going to probably be way over their head, but it is one of those albums that, given time, will grown on them. The musicianship is excellent, but the complexity tends to make the tracks sound alike at first, but with time they take on their own personalities. The album is lyrically heavy, and the melodies are also complex, not following any real standard formats for the most part. This is a great progressive album, definitely a complex neo-prog sound somewhat similar to Marillion, but much more complex than their latest output. Easily 4 stars.

I knew it was going to be interesting when Thomas and I were talking one night, and he said 'Take your time. This is difficult to get into'. Now, 'difficult' is my middle name (and if you don't believe me ask my wife), so instead of scaring me it just made me even more intrigued. I have noticed already that this appears to be a Marmite album, in that people either love it or hate it, and I know which camp I am firmly in, as I love it. Names such as Geoff Mann, David Bowie, Roy Harper, Steven Wilson, Todd Rundgren, IQ, Twelfth Night and early Pendragon all come to mind, often just for a few bars here and there and sometimes all mixed up together. This is a draining album to play as it demands to be listened to from start to finish, and there is just so much going on that the intensity is almost overwhelming. One must allow the album to take control: let the music take you where it wishes and follow willingly. If you fight it, then you won't either understand or enjoy it, go with the flow as opposed to fighting against the current.

Complex, complicated, simple, acoustic, rocky, truly progressive, manic, all this and so much more. It is hard to describe just how this album makes me feel, and I am sure that at the end of the year when I am pestered by various people this will be firmly inside my Top Ten. He even put a band together to tour the album, and that must have been a wonderful sight to see and hear. New Zealand next maybe? This needs to be in everyone's playlist.

The gentle melodic falsettos and the emotional walls of sound segue together seamlessly. There is a deeper melancholy to this release, I haven't delved into the lyrics as yet, letting them build their own story on repeat listens, but I know there is a deeper personal story behind them to discover. In terms of performance, I have always thought T's Bowie-esque vocals, diverse piano, proggy keyboards, jazzy drumming, thundering bass and rhythm guitar work are excellent, but his lead guitar work didn't always meet my (excessively) high standards, with them being a bit too samey. I'm glad to say that this album contains excellent variation, more attack, feel and phrasing (the notes that aren't played).

I'm still amazed that all this comes from one mind and body. The layers of the soundscape, diversity of instrument sounds, changes in delivery styles and sheer melody weaved in and out of the at times disparate cacophony all combine to create a work that is his best yet, perhaps a masterpiece. I can't see why not.

Sometimes, it sounds like David Bowie's vocals Humpty Dumpty'ed through the teleport machine from the movie- "The Fly!" Hybrid mangled lullaby- "I'm ready to leave her. I sawed off my arms when she held my hands." A fractal anecdote wrapped within an anecdotal fractal. A unique peek into postmodern mangina motivations. So sad to think of thinking, having thought, the being I've been will stop being. It's all witty, emo, stark, and bland. I kind of liked the piano. Would make a nice ringtone?

In this array of stunning music, Solipsystemology now marks a new highlight. It seems as if t had condensed all his trademarks again and again. There s industrial, there s acoustic sensibility, there s playful prog, there s soaring new wave - and there s always this incredible mixture of intelligence and emotion at play that you can connect to from either side.

It s difficult to actually highlight single tracks, but if you want to get an idea of the sheer phantasmagoria of Solipsystemology, take the first and the last track. "Beyond the dark" ends in a David-Lynch-like menu of fears and deep abyss like I have not heard before. "The End Where We Begin" has t at his most adventurous composing.

This deserves full five star ratings, and I can but hope that it gets the attention it deserves. An instant classic, if you can find within yourself an open mind for anything but the old chaps from the 70ies. This is no less brilliant than the old masterpieces - therefore it s 5 stars and no less, although I m not quick to hand those out.

My introduction to t was Anti-matter Poetry and the extraordinary track Rearview Mirrors Suite (that album and that track are still my favourites). All albums are worth checking out (although I have had to gain access to them by buying them which I was happy to, and will continue to, do) and his latest, Solipsystemology, is no exception. Thielen has a fine voice similar to Bowie and he sings with an intensity that is similar to h of Marillion. There is an extraordinary intensity to his music which is generally melancholy in tone (but not always). He is a talented multi-instrumentalist and his vocals tend to soar over and dominate the subtle (sometimes chaotic) and complex melodies that he writes. His music requires a few listens to be fully appreciated. He is certainly a fine composer and should be more widely recognised.

I have enjoyed Solipsystemology but it has not held me as much as some of his earlier albums and, with this review, I stand by the 4 stars rating I gave at the time of release rather than the 5 stars given by most reviewers here.