Following the release of their 2010 debut album “Treats,” Brooklyn-based duo Sleigh Bells earned instant hype for their innovative and raucous take on pop anthems and their brash style. Now vocalist Alexis Krauss and guitarist Derek Miller return for their second album, “Reign of Terror.” While it echoes their debut, it also gives a completely new spin on their classic noise riot.

From the ’70s arena-rock throwback opener “True Shred Guitar,” the band introduces listeners to their new influences—old-school hair metal, insistent guitar riffs and a slightly sparser production style than in their previous album. One of the best songs on the LP is, coincidentally, also the first single, “Comeback Kid.” The song incorporates the best of “Treats”-era Sleigh Bells with Krauss’s cloying voice layered over aggressive and scratchy guitars to create an unexpected yet completely catchy anthem. Honorable mentions go to “Crush,” complete with cheerleader callbacks and an irresistible hand-clapping chorus, and the hauntingly melodic “Road to Hell.” Certainly, although the fast-paced and aggressive anthems are what Sleigh Bells have become known for, slower songs on the album like “End of the Line” and “You Lost Me” are some of the most unexpected and musically intriguing songs on “Reign of Terror.”

If there is criticism to be made, some songs, like “Leader of the Pack,” do get lost in the hard-hitting production style. With too much going on and not one melody particularly featured, the song falls into angry and largely forgettable mush.
Certainly, although perhaps arguably not as instantly memorable as “Treats,” “Reign of Terror” is an excellent album with a perfect mixture of Sleigh Bells’ signature heady noise riot and musical growth. It is an album that will stick in your head for a while.