Neil Rambaldi is a very good guitar player who can write a song to save his life. Apart from that, he masters a variety of playing styles (not just shred and neoclassical), he plays keyboards, he can produce, and he does some of the most natural sounding drum programming I've heard in a long while. All of this can be admired on his independently released full length debut, "Perpetual Horizon". The album showcases his diversity and versatility, with enough presence of cool chops to let the guitar afficionado drool from a selection of various orifices.

The eleven tracks on this album aren't mere guitar wanking, though. Most of them are actually well written, and though it's evident that Neil Rambaldi is a guitar player first and foremost, his songs aren't constant 1000-mile-an-hour solo pieces. "Speechless" and "It's Time" show a more sensitive side to his playing, the latter partly acoustic. "Deja Vu" is a Flamenco style track, and "Edge" kicks off with a Dick Dale style surf intro. There's also plain, dark-sounding, good rock, such as on "Against the Grain" and "Prowl" in particular. Melody is prevalent in most tracks, but especially in "Personalities", which shows a Satch side to his playing. The title track a.k.a. album closer is a bit of a prog rock tour de force, a very good last impression.

This album is much worth checking out.