Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Excepting its first and final tracks (a dated-sounding industrial take on Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song featuring Karen O, and a tough, icy interpretation of Bryan Ferry's Is Your Love Strong Enough? with Mariqueen Maandig), Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ second commission for director David Fincher finds the Academy Award-winning duo embracing the drone as never before, delivering an epic three-hour set.

Whilst those who make it to the third hour could be forgiven for imagining that somewhere in these guys’ studio there has to be a post-it note inscribed with the words ‘halting music-box melodies + ominous dronez = $$$$$’, both production and sound design are robust enough to maintain the listener’s interest despite the repetitive nature of the collection.

Standout tracks A Thousand Details and Great Bird of Prey tend towards atypical bombast, with most of the material radiating a diffuse aura of big-budget desolation; a curiously tasteful kind of menace. It’s an enjoyable enough outing all told, but hardly essential.