Trembling Bells @ Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 3 Apr

Settling into a packed Sneaky Pete’s, Trembling Bells drummer/mastermind Alex Neilson obsessively tweaks his gear and settles down; the first gigantic guitar riff of the evening kicks in. If you were only familiar with Trembling Bells through their recorded output – impeccably constructed late sixties Brit folk duets owing a debt to Nick Drake and Fairport Convention – you may well get your head blown off by the heavy winding riffs laid down by their twin guitarists.

The bonkers high drama of My Father was a Collapsing Star from their new album Dungeness is part Syd Barrett, part the Pretty Things, with Neilson affecting a demented sing-song croon as he narrates a scattershot tale laced with bizarre imagery. If the tracks unleashed live are anything to go by, Dungeness – named for a headland on the Kent coast – shapes up as their heaviest and most psychedelic album yet.

The almost title track Devil in Dungeness is a gothic tale that thoroughly merits turning the lights down, while the epic prog rock of The Prophet builds to an impressive twin guitar middle eight. If you came for bucolic tales of spring time, this might not be your idea of a good time but it’s an arresting move from a band with instrumental chops to spare.

A handful of older audience members depart not to be seen again, perhaps put off by a surfeit of rather piercing organ sounds, but Lavinia Blackwall’s soaring voice sounds a note off channelling the evocative imagery of Sandy. The sadly departed handful are missing out however, because a decade into their career the group's songwriting has reached new heights. New single, Christ's Entry Into Govan might get a laugh for the title but it’s one of the best songs of the set, mixing dramatic dynamics and a pair of winding Byrdsian riffs.

If there’s a criticism at all, it’s that the last few songs fall off somewhat, as lengthy instrumental sections roil and rumble with little resolution. Similarly, the closer Dancing On the Breath of God, an acapella duet between Neilson and Blackwall, is packed with arresting imagery but feels like a relatively slight track and a dramatic change of pace after the psychedelic excursions that have dominated the previous hour.

One thing is for sure though, Trembling Bells’ touchstones – The Incredible String Band, Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd, Nick Drake and more – may be old but the five-piece know how to bring plenty of life to a small venue.