The blood-stained Keds shoes on the album cover pretty much say it all. Sleigh Bells, the duo of Alexis Krauss and Derek E. Miller, made a name for themselves a couple years ago with their loud, loud debut Treats, a record on which clipping was held up not as an unwanted byproduct of bad mixing or mastering but rather a sonic goal in and of itself. Their sophomore effort Reign of Terror is just as loud, though the ferociousness of the metal-inspired hooks (think AC/DC and Def Leppard here) is tempered with some emotionally stirring, empathetic lyrics about suicide and death.
Back to those Keds on the cover … You see, Treats was derided and/or praised by many as a “cheerleader album.” The goal was to chant simple, often anti-melodic phrases over and over again on top of crunchy power chords. I suppose you could consider Reign of Terror a “cheerleader album” as well, if your squad is chanting about really dark stuff. Personally, I find the odd juxtapositions a little disconcerting, though I guess that is the desired effect. I haven’t quite found myself in the emotional territory this record is aiming to capture. I love a good dark emo album as much as anyone (the new Cloud Nothings ventures into that territory). I liked the peppiness and the naïve superficiality of Sleigh Bells’ debut release. I’m just not sure what to feel when I’m listening to this one.
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