-Two female cellists in corsets and a drummer in suspenders: hardly the conventional composition of a rock band, but then again, Rasputina hardly could be called normal.

Melora Creager provides the guiding force of the band as lead vocalist, cellist and sole songwriter. On Rasputina’s fourth studio LP, “Frustration Plantation,” she is assisted by Zoe Keating on the cello and backup vocals, and Jonathon TeBeest on drums and percussion.

The 15-track “Frustration Plantation” belongs to the category of high-concept albums. It loosely tells the story around a 19th-century white teenage girl in servitude. Rasputina looked to holdings at the Library of Congress for ideas.

Creating good concept albums can prove a daunting task for many artists, but the peculiarity of “Frustration Plantation” lends it a certain amount of merit, and dry touches of humor keep the album from drowning in its own complexity and pretensions.

The album opens with “Doomsday Averted,” an eerie song of prophecy, and continues to darkly comical tunes like “My Captivity By Savages,” which contains a spoken-word narrative over simple string music.

Beneath the dramatic corseted posturing of Rasputina lies a tension and depth rarely found in contemporary rock acts. The band may prove too challenging for some listeners, but those who make the effort to get lost in its world will be rewarded.

Maybe more artists should wander back to the dark and insane side of the 19th century.