Albums and Abominations: Sleigh Bells ring loudly in sophomore album 'Treats'
Brooklyn rock group Sleigh Bells' debut album, Treats, was the loudest album I'd ever listened to - until I heard Reign of Terror.
Anyone hoping the punk-rocker duo of singer-songwriter Alexis Krauss and guitarist-songwriter-producer Derek Miller would decide to dial it down and work on some more experimental music will be truly disappointed by Sleigh Bells' second album. However, Reign of Terror has much more to offer besides brute-force, metal-guitar rock. Miller crafts titanic tapestries of sound out of power chords and crashing cymbals, then sews them together with skillfully arranged arpeggios and solos.
On first listen, Reign of Terror can sound awfully familiar and a tad bit repetitive, as shotgun cymbals and heavily distorted guitar licks dominate every track. The chord progressions do not really change and most songs feature no more than two musically distinct stanzas. Krauss switches back and forth between '90s girly cheerleader pop and surly, in-your-face screams. As the album undergoes a slow and gradient transition into the dark and twisted record it becomes, one realizes Reign of Terror has so much more lurking within.
Starting on "Leader of the Pack," Miller glacially melts the multiple guitar parts into the sweet and simple bells and keyboards that give the track a hint of a hopeful, angelic feel. By the end of the song, Krauss' voice has been swallowed up by the symphony. "Never Say Die" combines many synths and keyboards all playing minor arpeggios at various tempos; the resulting arrangement is both creepy and beautiful. The guitar on "You Lost Me" bleeds wailing high pitches all over Krauss' eerie multi-track voicing and turns the track into a receding, hazy masterpiece.
That's not to say Reign of Terror doesn't pile drive you with some good old fashioned rock and roll every now and then. The first single, "Comeback Kid," hits the listener with an adrenaline-fueled pop stomp reminiscent of popular Treats track "Crown on the Ground." Mid-album track "Demons" divides the poppier first half of the album from the eerie, reflective second half with a fist pumping rip-roarer that makes way for calmer tracks.
Miller has also perfectly blended Krauss' vocals in and out of the spotlight; some songs present her rock-stomping anthemic shouts front and center, while others splice multiple copies of her ghostly, haunting melodies throughout the track's composition, with harmonies shouting out from behind wavering vocal smokescreens. Krauss displays quite a range throughout the album, and her voice is utilized as an instrument that can change the mood of a song from kick-ass to contemplative to downright creepy.
Reign of Terror can at times be overwhelming. Between the catastrophic walls of noise, strike synthesizers carving out intricate harmonies and Krauss' hypnotizing vocals, the lyrics and overall theme of the album can easily fall by the wayside. In fact, one criticism of the duo may be the sheer difficulty of hearing their lyrics, let alone deciphering them. On one hand, Sleigh Bells has always prioritized mixes above all, using the voice as an instrument rather than a means of communication, On the other hand, one might believe that the band is all licks and no words; upon first listen, it seems that the meaning of the music is translated through sound rather than plainspoken ideas.
However, if the listener chooses to sacrifice his delicate eardrums trying to uncover the hidden gems sprinkled through Krauss' delicate melodies -or just looks up the lyrics online- he will be truly rewarded with an album that spans topics far deeper than anything covered on Treats.
Although the beginning of the record serves as a soapbox for Krauss' positive themes regarding friends and strangers alike (possibly stemming from her time as a schoolteacher), "Demons" begins a shift that turns the album completely on its head. "Road to Hell" seeks to morbidly banish a lover, but still feels uneasy; Krauss pleads with her unnamed lover, "Don't run away from me baby/Just go away from me baby." "D.O.A." responds to the tragedy of a lost loved one who was too late: "But there's blood on the floor, and you're failing to smile/ but you're right on time." The most beautiful track on the record, "You Lost Me," is also soul-crushingly heartbreaking, and wades into deeper territory by wrestling with a nonfictional double teen suicide; "Face down in the dirt/ In a mini skirt/ I don't want you to see me this way/ but I'm ready to die."
As a whole, Reign of Terror serves as the perfect title to a fantastic album. Behind the dynamic force of Miller's crunchy chords and shattering crashes, Krauss tackles themes of suicide, death, afterlife and fear. The so-called "reign of terror" is not the rule of a tyrant or the ravages of war, but rather the terror of being unable to grasp the tragedies of our lives. Reign of Terror is a beautiful album, both musically and lyrically, and accomplishes a depth not seen on a rock album in years.
More from The Rice Thresher
Rice’s COVID class graduates amid nation-wide campus protests
Rice held its 111th commencement ceremony Saturday, May 4 at Rice Stadium. The class of 2024 walked through the Sallyport, which is currently closed amid ongoing construction of the academic quad, but was temporarily reopened for commencement. For the second year in a row, all undergraduate commencement events were condensed into one day — prior to 2023, ceremonies were typically spread out over a two-day span.
Rice SJP ‘liberated zone’ ends, university removes artwork in ‘beautification efforts’
The “liberated zone” on Rice campus and associated events ended Friday, April 26, after four days of programming, according to the Rice Students for Justice in Palestine Instagram page. Unlike overnight encampments spreading at college campuses across the country, Rice SJP disassembled the “liberated zone” each night and returned the following morning. And in contrast to clashes and escalating police responses that have led to some 2,000 arrests from Los Angeles to Hanover, N.H., there were “no major incidents and no arrests” at Rice, according to President Reggie DesRoches.
Rice’s Luke McCaffrey selected by Commanders in NFL Draft
The Washington Commanders selected Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey with the 100th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. McCaffrey was the final pick in the third round, as well as the final pick on the second day of the draft. He’ll compete for a prominent role in the wide receiver room, potentially slotting in as their starting slot receiver alongside Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.