Sleigh Bells shot up like a rocket somewhere in the middle of 2010. The duo was praised to such an extent that their debut Treats was almost disappointing. Strangely enough, that record brought enough surprising material to actually impress. Two years later, multi-instrumentalist / producer Derek Miller and singer Alexis Krauss are back to deliver a second batch of dance punk. After the promising
… first impression, Sleigh Bells will now have to take a step. The record starts out confusing and that's a good sign. The swelling guitars, the sledgehammer hits on the drums and the cheers of thousands of people, remind you of a live album by any hard rock band. Will we be misled again from minute one? Unfortunately not! Sleigh Bells is just as bizarre and original, although Reign Of Terror surprises a lot less after the intro. Although the combination of metal guitars with electro beats doesn't falter anywhere and Krauss certainly hits a chord with her fiery lyrics every now and then, it is all less flashy as the record progresses. While Treats was still daringly repetitive, Reign Of Terror is just plain boring. (JE)more
