Despite its in-the-red volume, Sleigh Bells' debut album, Treats, was a fragile, almost alchemical blend of wispy melodies and crushingly heavy beats and riffs. On follow-up Reign of Terror, Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller ratchet up Treats' metallic headbanging thrust, making the debut sound downright quaint by comparison. Treats was a blend of sounds that shouldn't have worked but did, and changing that formula is riskier still. The duo's alchemy resurfaces on the songs that sound the most like Treats, including "Crush," "End of the Line," "Leader of the Pack," and "Comeback Kid," the latter track balancing the album's heaviness with humor and finesse. The band goes deeper into metal territory with the aptly fiery "Demons," which sounds extra-vengeful with strutting fretwork and rapid-fire kick drums. Heather Phares, Rovi
- Genre: Rock
- Category Indie Electronic, Noise Pop, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
- Release Date: February 21, 2012
- Artist: Sleigh Bells