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Sleigh Bells’ Reign of Terror

By Natasha Hill on | From bangstyle.com

bangstyle.com music Sleigh Bells Reign of Terror

If you heard Sleigh Bells’ debut record, Treats, it was pretty apparent that the Brooklyn duo was not particularly worried about subtlety. Combining the piercing guitar of fellow New Yorker Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with the pummeling beats of crunk, Sleigh Bells was somehow able to carve out a niche that was totally fun without being gimmicky.

A few months back, it was reported that the band had finished recording a new LP that was set for a release date on Valentine’s Day, but after some label issues, the duo was forced to push its release back until the 21^st of the month. However, good news has still made its way to online today, as the band is streaming the album in its entirety on New York Times’ website.

Now, I’ve done some of the legwork already, streaming the record a number of times now and can say with absolute certainty that Reign of Terror, their sophomore album, has taken the blueprint of their debut and constructed a souped up, superior album.

Not ones to pace themselves, Sleigh Bells roar right out of the gate with the live-crowd-sampling chaos of “True Shred Guitar.” Coming off like some low-budget version of Queen, Derek Miller’s guitar evokes a snarl largely absent in rock’n’roll. To be sure, it’s the most fun intro song I’ve yet to hear in the last few years and is not only justifiable but also necessary to set the tone for such an over-the-top album. With the exception of Nick Cave’s Grinderman, no active band is able to pull off ridiculous this flawlessly.

Even though I’ve heard “Born to Lose” and “Comeback Kid” about 50 times each in the last couple months (yes, I get obsessive), they still hit with the same youthful fun that they did the first time I heard them. These two song, specifically, signal a new avenue that the band has opened up for itself, allowing Miller to use huge down-stroke riffs instead of relying on blistering, distortion-drenched lead-lines.

It’s no secret that the duo, particularly Miller’s guitar, were always about unfiltered rock’n’roll bliss, and with that type of simplicity comes the inevitable mimicry of legendary bands. “Demons” is the perfect marriage between ACDC’s elementary chords and Jimmy Page’s elongated solo notes. To a lesser band these attributes would sound as empty as any Hinder song, but with the type of wry smile that this band puts on so well, it’s impossible not to let go and enjoy the ride.

Though Sleigh Bells was initially the brainchild of Miller, Alexis Krauss’ voice is what keeps the over-sized riffs from going stale. Acting more like a hip-hop hypeman akin to Public Enemy’s Flava Flav, Krauss more or less continues her role as the coolest cheerleader you’ve ever wanted to meet in your entire life, albeit with more refinement this time around. Her best moments here are also her most antagonistic, as on “True Shred Guitar” in which she baits the crowd to “push it/push it/push it.”

Treats did have its quieter moments, like on the fairly low-key “Rill Rill,” but Reign of Terror gets bold in its second half by slowing the tempo considerably from the six-string destruction of its first half. Beginning with “Road to Hell,” which finds Krauss putting on her best Debbie Harry pout, Sleigh Bells attempt to dig a little deeper emotionally. The riff rides a hypnotic palm-mute, which makes the repetition of the lines “Go away from me, baby/(On) a road to hell” a little easier to swallow in their creepiness. Album-closing “D.O.A.” exudes a similar loneliness that we haven’t heard from the band before. Another muted riff strolls along over a beat punctuated by finger-snaps all while Krauss half-pants her vocals, sounding simultaneously anxious and exhausted. Though it’s a change of pace for the band, it’s not completely unbefitting taken that Krauss’ outward appearance conveys a sense of being as delicate as she is tough.

When Reign of Terror comes to a close, it’s clear that Sleigh Bells are the only band doing what they’re doing. Even as the new, emotionally wounded elements of the album are nice detours, the boy-girl duo are at their best and most listenable when berating the listener with blast after blast of guitar shrapnel and machine-gun drums. So, if you’re feeling lonely or dejected on this Valentine’s Day, take some solace in knowing that Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss feel the same but have just found a way to ward it off with dumb, ear-shattering power chords.