FRAGMENTROPY

Thielen's newest work may also be his best. Fragmentropy includes the hooklines that were so typical of Anti-Matter Poetry and his early work (as far as I know it!) and for Scythe and introduces them to the complexity in the flow of Psychoanorexia, his 2012 album. "A Sky High Pile of Anarchy" in this context marks a milestone in what new prog could sound like and reminds me a lot of Steven Wilson's ideas on his first solo albums and no-man. Thielen also introduces influences of New Wave into his version of progressive rock, which is refreshing and gives it a very special flavor. "Uncertainty" might be one of the best instances of melodic, yet rhythmically very weird music that I have come across. Completely hummable melody, yet I have not yet been able to figure out the actual time signature of what seems to be the stanzas. Another highlight within the overall greatness is surely "Entanglement", that mixes neoprog sounds and Talk Talk - like ideas with industrial rhythms. Again, the most striking thing is the melodies, that just stick in your head forever. "The Black of White" is a wonderful comedy, and also a funny walk through the history of progressive rock. Thielen nails it in every genre he briefly visits, making you dizzy with the jumps and twists the music makes. Then "Shades of Silver" is pure emotion and brings the album to a calmer, yet extremely intense ending.

5 stars.