False Flag

iTunes Review

Named after a Balinese child-eating demon queen who is eternally at war with the forces of good, Rangda is a psychedelic noise-rock trio comprising Ben Chasny (Six Organs Of Admittance, Comets On Fire), Sir Richard Bishop (Sun City Girls) and drummer Chris Corsano (Björk, Jandek, etc). Each member lives in distant parts of the country, and the improvised sonic temper-tantrums of discordant flurries on the opener bounce all over the place as if the band just showed up, rolled tape and went crazy. But by the time the album closes, it’s evident that they have saved the impromptu brainstorm jams for the odd-numbered tracks, while the even-numbered ones are crafted with song structure — Rangda’s music cleverly approximates the conflict and balance of their namesake’s mythology. Second song “Bull Lore” contrasts tiptoe rhythms with allocated bursts of fretboard shredding. Third track “Fist Family” explodes with freeform jazz drumming over menacing guitar drones while the sixth and final song “Plain of Jars” is 15-plus minutes of well-arranged psyched-out bliss.