Rangda – The Heretic's Bargain

There’s a storm brewing. Clouds writhe and branches flail as it grows bigger and bigger, the sky turning darker by the minute, until everything suddenly dissipates – only for the process to begin all over again. This is the image evoked time and again while listening to improv rockers Rangda’s latest effort, their wiry instrumentals consisting of sinister, circuitous riffs churned over and over till they’re ready to burst.

Guitarists Richard Bishop (Sun City Girls), Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance) and drummer Chris Corsano thrive in the perpetual build-up, exhibiting a symbiotic chemistry as they rattle through brisk opener To Melt the Moon and meld together during a later track's prolonged drone section. All three are considerable technicians and practice refreshing restraint; both in their playing (intricate but not showy) and their sound (sharp and dry, with few effects). The result, however, can feel like a bit of an academic exercise at times – music to be admired rather than really inhabited.