American Landscapes 2 ramps up the intensity slowly and with the clear objective to display power and a thorough sense of control. The first 13 minutes come at you sounding like a forest fire churning with stored energy. Underneath this unfurling force are composed parts that are revealed through close inspection. Once the energy breaks a trombone/saxophone duo stops the presses and summons a simple chamber horn interlude with other brass walking in. The piece wanders a bit into more open free passages that allow for individual statements from Bauer, Lonberg-Holm, Gustafsson, Kessler and McPhee.

Unlike other Tentet recordings where he shared composing responsibility, both of these lengthy tracks were composed by Brotzmann alone. They showcase his love of dense, ferocious compositions and the purification found on the release of that energy.