PSYCHOANOREXIA

• Still Voices, 2006

Opening with a synth-derived sample-laden spacey passage reminiscent of the more tripped- out moments of Porcupine Tree circa Up the Downstair, T's Psychoanorexia finds the the talented multi-instrumentalist playing an interesting mashup of neo-prog and space rock. Less theatrical and melodramatic than the Pendragon/Arena tradiition of neo and more placid and tranquil than the IQ tradition, the enigmatic T (AKA Thomas Thielen) shows an exceptional command of all the instruments he sets his hand to over the course of the album. I was honestly surprised to discover that T is a multi-instrumentalist, since here he shows a remarkable ability to evoke a full-band sound.

Send comments to Warthur (BETA) | Report this review (#954368) | Review Permalink
Posted Sunday, May 05, 2013

This is my new favourite album. It simply has everything one could hope for in progressive rock: It bursts with innovation. It still has some typical structural and musical prog references, but in an either eye-twinkling mode or as a slight hint, never as a direct or explicitly nameable reference. I ... (read more)

Report this review (#960121) | Posted by TheRelayer | Thursday, May 16, 2013 | Review Permanlink

I bought T albums because I found him here on Progarchives in the Top 2013 list. And I must say that this was a brilliant idea. The music is so fresh and has a very distinct sound, and he does not like so many other bands just repeat what has been done in the seventies. T shapes new ideas and is in ... (read more)

Report this review (#957146) | Posted by groupieone | Friday, May 10, 2013 | Review Permanlink

I am swimming completely against the tide, here. Current average score would suggest that this is a piece of musical wizardry that has few equals in the annals of prog history. I just don't see this at all, I'm afraid. The first track is undoubtedly excellent - a stunning piece of work. Bu ... (read more)

Report this review (#956718) | Posted by tbstars1 | Thursday, May 09, 2013 | Review Permanlink

The album seems to get very diverse criticism. I found out about t from a hearty [&*!#]storm by some author on some rather stupid German side. I do not mean to say that finding t's music bad means that you are stupid, don't misunderstand this... just this one reviewer was, cackling out speculations ... (read more)

Report this review (#956558) | Posted by semiquaver | Thursday, May 09, 2013 | Review Permanlink

T seemed to have a vision of what his music was supposed to be right from the start of his (solo) career. With Psychoanorexia he now seems to have reach the summit. You can easily follow the growing self-confidence as well as the increasing quality of his work through the years, starting from the ra ... (read more)

Report this review (#954292) | Posted by jenna | Sunday, May 05, 2013 | Review Permanlink

I had been following t's path for a long time when this record stumbled upon me... Yes, it was this way around: I just happened to find a review, which is not quite a miracle due to t neglecting all kind of promo work all the time. Even his internet page looks deserted! (www.t-homeland.de) Anyw ... (read more)

Report this review (#939580) | Posted by klaus | Friday, April 05, 2013 | Review Permanlink

Psychoanorexia follows where Anti-Matter Poetry led: It features incredibly beautiful melodies and intelligent compositions all at once. You are instantly trapped in T's - grantedly weird and ever-tingling - world, and the album captures you with its intriging soundscapey experiments and its str ... (read more)

Report this review (#938741) | Posted by notaverage | Wednesday, April 03, 2013 | Review Permanlink

I have noticed that their have been mixed reviews for this offering and I understand why. On first listening I found it difficult to sit and listen all the way through and finally gave up after the "Irrelevant love song". The next day I gave the title track a go and enjoyed this epic track. I a ... (read more)

Report this review (#937194) | Posted by staunch | Saturday, March 30, 2013 | Review Permanlink

I got this album because a friend could not stop talking about it. He recommended it to me because of its unique production style and the wonderful lyrics. I have to say I agree, but that does not half cover it... Psychoanorexia sounds like nothing else. Don't believe comparisons. If I have to say, ... (read more)

Report this review (#921868) | Posted by gustavo1 | Sunday, March 03, 2013 | Review Permanlink

When I got the cd, I was fascinated by the artwork first: To me, it looks like a futuresque city, bragging towers at the sides, fast floating traffic on multi-lane roads in the middle. Even the background sky seems to pass you by or to be crossed out. Everything is only design, and the soul is gone. ... (read more)

Report this review (#919332) | Posted by mrgabriel | Tuesday, February 26, 2013 | Review Permanlink

It took me quite a while... after about 30-40 listen-ins, I now feel comfortable enough to write this review, although I am still lost for words a bit. This album is a monster! There is simply incredibly much happening, not rarely all at the same time. Everyone has, so far, focussed on the music, w ... (read more)

Report this review (#918573) | Posted by Jackbruce | Sunday, February 24, 2013 | Review Permanlink

I don't write reviews very often. I use this page most to get to know new stuff. Progarchives showed me Psychoanorexia, and now I want to give that back. The album impressed me so much. I love the music from begin to end. I bought the cd in February. It took me until now (May) that I think I really ... (read more)

Report this review (#918160) | Posted by cedric | Saturday, February 23, 2013 | Review Permanlink

... isn't like anything else, but is simply t... If I had to describe (no, I am not going to do that!) the new album by t in one word, I would simply say: "It's t-approved!" They should have created a big wooden stamp with a big "T" on it when this album was released. The cd should then h ... (read more)

Report this review (#916413) | Posted by Xylvanya | Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | Review Permanlink

Psychoanorexia is a sum of so many genres, you would guess it falls apart like Oldfield's Amarok (which falls apart in a good way, but it DOES fall apart, doesn't it, all the time!). T's approach to this crossover of prog, new wave, ambient, rock, pop, jazz, classical music, psychedelics, folk, ragt ... (read more)

Report this review (#915221) | Posted by Jeremy | Monday, February 18, 2013 | Review Permanlink

Ok, it is only May and you never know... But this might as well be the album of the year for me. Thomas Thielen is a German multi-instrumentalist of surprisingly high skill standard on every instrument that is used. All the more interesting is the fact that you never really think that there is l ... (read more)

Report this review (#914556) | Posted by hoggle | Saturday, February 16, 2013 | Review Permanlink

An absolute highlight of 2013 so far. I have been listening to the album all over again: Daily, when I got it back in January, still in heavy rotation nowadays (May). I just don't grow tired of all these twists and gimmicks in the compositions and arrangements. Thielen found an extremely well-balan ... (read more)

Report this review (#912564) | Posted by Glorydays | Monday, February 11, 2013 | Review Permanlink

There are a lot of hypes going on in the art rock / progressive rock / AOR sector at the moment. Happily, many of them are legimate - and this is one that was unavoidable. I was extremely overwhelmed when I got the album (Jan 2013)... fascinated by the music, moved by the lyrics and the singing, ... (read more)

Report this review (#903047) | Posted by grumpy | Thursday, January 31, 2013 | Review Permanlink

The fourth album of Thomas Thielen was written between 2010 and 2012. The songs sound like a mix of modern crossover-prog like Radiohead or Archive and modern neoprog like Marillion. The warm but sometimes also lonesome voice of Thielen leads the listener through the concept of a deep psychologi ... (read more)

Report this review (#901812) | Posted by jerrycornelius | Tuesday, January 29, 2013 | Review Permanlink

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