Sleigh Bells: Reign of Terror - Album Review

Sleigh Bells
Reign of Terror
Rating: Grrrr

Sleigh Bells' first album Treats basically emerged fully formed, a delectable slab of furious guitars and hip-hops beats that pummeled you endlessly and kept you revved up over its run time. The album was such an image and sound defining moment for the band, it begged the question, what do they do for a follow up? You can do more of the same and try to continue the run established prior, or you can shake the foundation and go in a completely new direction. Thankfully, Sleigh Bells do neither outright, but seem to find the perfect midpoint of keeping their signature sound yet pushing it, refining it, making it clear they are not a one trick pony. This approach, of course, is not without its problems, the first being that the album is not as immediate as Treats. Reign of Terror takes several listens before you really figure out what the band is doing, and the back half of the record is a moody suite of tracks that focus more on texture than overt power. But once you get the flow of the record, it is a captivating listen, showing the band knows exactly what they are doing.

There are plenty of old school Sleigh Bells tracks on Reign of Terror, which are the touchstones to the record, that will bring in the faithful and not disappoint those wanting the the raucous band of Treats. First single, "Comeback Kid," is a fury of squalling guitars and slamming beats. Alexis Krauss coos and whispers over all the noise. What is most interesting about the track, and the album, is that the beats are far more industrial sounding than hip-hop based, Derek Miller's guitars are also cleaner and mixed to perfection, and Krauss' vocals, often buried in the mix on Treats, are more front and center.



"Demons" is perhaps Sleigh Bells' most hard hitting track. Pounding, Land of Rape and Honey-era Ministry drum machines are the foundation for a phalanx of air-raid siren guitars.



Several other tracks seek to emulate the trademarked Sleigh Bells' sound: "Born to Lose" and "Crush" both contain chanting/cheerleader vocals and call and response lyrics. The production here is so much cleaner than on Treats that, instead of sounding like copycats, actually sounds fresh and new. Where the band really excels this time is allowing songs to be softer and more melodic. Krauss puts out one of her most tender vocals on "End of the Line," with the guitars being less of a force, and floating over the beats and carrying the vocal instead of throwing it at you like a Molotov cocktail.



"Leader of the Pack," further takes a 60s girl group approach, contrasting Krauss' soft vocal against Miller's wall of guitars.



The final trio of tracks that end the album are truly what impresses, from the gorgeous swoon of guitars over the lonely vocals of Krauss on "You Lost Me,"



to the pointillistic guitar techniques on "Never Say Die," which is just mesmerizing by midpoint of the track, and the haunting closing wail of "D.O.A.," focus on texture and atmosphere, without forsaking power. When Sleigh Bells reign their killer sound in just a little, it amazes how much more dangerous they sound. All the outward fury is tightly coiled, never knowing whether they will unleash it or not.

I will admit I was very nervous about listening to the new album. When a band releases a debut album like Treats which is so sound defining and almost perfect, there sometimes is nowhere for the band to go. Sleigh Bells, after touring behind Treats for so long, were able to hone their sound and approach, and have gracefully sidestepped the dreaded sophomore slump. While it is not the stunning surprise that Treats was, Reign of Terror is an excellent second effort, and shows the promise of much more to come.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.