Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

After spending years recording and performing with other artists and groups (including worship band Le Chaim), Swiss guitarist/composer Roland Buhlmann ventured out on his own back in 2014 with his debut release 'Aineo'. Obviously influenced by the likes of King Crimson, Mike Oldfield and Pink Floyd, this followup sees Buhlmann continue to plough his own prog rock-tinged furrow with five mostly guitar-led instrumentals that shapeshift and evolve whilst dipping in and out of a variety of different styles - even within the same piece. For instance, "Cinnamon" starts with a 6/8 drum beat which heralds some fine prog bass and guitar playing before elements of folk, blues and metal arrive, converse for a while and then depart. Elsewhere, the title track sees Buhlmann employ an eight-string folk instrument called a hanottere to create a sprawling ambient landscape whilst the 7/8-based modal jazz piece "Zammeru" showcases the man's technical wizardry as an electric guitarist. The longer Buhlmann gets to improvise and develop his work, the more interesting things seem to get and, whilst no track is shorter than seven minutes long, it's in the likes of the satisfyingly lengthy "Rougeoyer" and the explorative 18-minute minimalist masterpiece "Pange Chorda" where he seems to soar.

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