Reign of Terror | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 21, 2012 | |||
Recorded | June 25 – October 31, 2011 | |||
Genre | Noise pop, pop metal | |||
Length | 36:24 | |||
Label | Mom+Pop | |||
Producer | Derek E. Miller | |||
Sleigh Bells chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Reign of Terror | ||||
|
Reign of Terror is the second studio album by American noise pop duo Sleigh Bells. The album was released on February 21, 2012 by Mom+Pop. [1] [2]
Following the critical success of their debut album Treats , Sleigh Bells started writing new material for their next album while on tour for their debut album, and recorded it over the course of five months in 2011. While Treats used a mixture of guitars and beats that eschewed pop song structures for their overall sound, Reign of Terror emphasized more guitar sounds that follow structures with emotionally heavy lyrics.
The album received a generally positive reception from critics. Reign of Terror debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and spawned only one single: "Comeback Kid". To promote the album, Sleigh Bells toured across North America and Europe.
The writing process for Reign of Terror began during the touring cycle for Sleigh Bells' debut album Treats in 2010. [3] The song writing for Reign of Terror was a more collaborative effort between group members Derek E. Miller and Alexis Krauss, as the majority of the songs on Treats were written solely by Miller before Krauss joined the group. [2] Krauss' musical background is primarily in pop music, and her contributions to the album included pop song structures such as bridges, counter-melodies and pre-choruses. [2] In addition to traditional pop music song structures, Reign of Terror also features a more guitar-centered sound. According to Miller, "With Treats it was less clear to me whether Sleigh Bells was going to be a guitar band or if we were going to do more sample-heavy stuff. With this record I had to pick sides. The beats are still important to me, but the guitar won." [2] Sleigh Bells also described the album as being heavy, immense, and huge, [4] and a press release described it as "the sonic equivalent of a beautiful shotgun to the head." [5] Lyrically, Reign of Terror features songs that are emotionally heavy, differing from the songs on Treats which were described as "party music" by Miller. [6]
Sleigh Bells were rushed during the production of Treats and were unable to finish recording all of the songs they had written before they had to leave the studio to perform at scheduled tour dates. Not wanting to repeat this mistake, the duo set aside a lot of time in 2011 to record and produce Reign of Terror. [6] Recording began on June 25, 2011 [6] at SMT Studios in Manhattan, New York. [2] The album was produced by Miller [5] and engineered by Shane Stoneback, who also worked with Sleigh Bells on Treats. [2] At SMT, Miller recorded his guitar parts in a reverberation room to achieve a "massive Def Leppard-influenced guitar sound." [2] Sleigh Bells also recorded a group of their friends stomping and clapping in the bleachers of a high school gym for the song "Crush" and other songs. [2] [7]
The album starts with cheering and what seems to be Krauss speaking at a live performance, although the recording was created in the studio. Krauss explained that "we wanted to create something that was really anthemic, and for it to sound like we recorded it in an arena...we just wanted to come in with something really bombastic, something that was announcing our return, something that was confident and a bit playful for sure." [8] Miller told Westword that "if you don't start cracking up when you hear the stadium crowd fade in, then we're not doing our job. It's supposed to be funny. It's such an ambitious, arrogant, tasteless way to start a record, but if you know that there's a wink and a nudge with it, I think it works perfectly. We actually did a test because we didn't know if we wanted to start the record that way, so we just brought in a bunch of different friends separately. After the fifth or sixth one started cracking up within the first ten seconds, we knew that we had it." [7]
Less than two months after the release of Reign of Terror, Sleigh Bells already began writing a follow-up album. "[Reign of Terror] made me feel like we had so much more to do. I definitely didn't hear it and think, 'Okay, I'm satisfied.' I heard it and I thought, 'We didn't have to stop recording—we could do this, this, and this, right now.' So I feel like we made a very good record, but I want very much to continue to the next phase of our development," Krauss said. [9] A few unused demos and ideas from the Reign of Terror sessions, such as the instrumental track used in the album's trailer, could become part of the band's third studio album. [9]
The cover art for Reign of Terror features a dirty, bloody pair of white Keds shoes. The pair of shoes belongs to Krauss and least some of the blood shown in the picture is hers too. During a live performance, Miller hit Krauss in the head with his guitar and some of the blood from the incident landed on her shoes, but the image was also "doctored up" after-the-fact for effect. According to Miller, the cover represents both band members. Krauss ritually wears a pair of white Keds for every performance, and Miller noted, "If Keds are a symbol of youth and purity, having them tainted can be seen as a loss of innocence; a lot of life has happened to me in a very, very short period of time." [10]
The remaining images in the album's liner notes are all related to Miller's family history—namely, a number of war relics from his grandparents. Most of the imagery is also a reflection of Miller's difficult year preceding the album. "Reign of Terror is mainly about internal conflict and—this is kind of corny—I was definitely at war with myself," Miller said. The image of the Purple Heart, also used as the cover art for the promotional single "Born to Lose", was awarded to Miller's grandfather for being wounded in World War II. [10] The medal also loosely relates to the passing of his father. "It was just a really terrible, painful experience and of course a Purple Heart is something you receive after you are wounded in service. I'm not drawing a direct comparison, but the thought occurred to me," Miller said. [10] His grandfather was shot in the leg during the war, but the bullet first traveled through his canteen. This canteen seen with the bullet hole, along with the American flag he was awarded, are also featured in Reign of Terror's liner notes. [10] One picture that was featured in the album's liner notes that isn't a war relic is a photograph of a burning sugar cane field, which also serves as the cover art for the "Comeback Kid" single. This image is meant to represent Miller's father who used to work as a sugar cane farmer. [10]
On December 2, 2011 Sleigh Bells posted a trailer for Reign of Terror on their official website. The video was a compilation of various clips including Alexis Krauss sitting at a vanity mirror brushing her hair, live performances of Sleigh Bells and home videos of the group in the studio. [11] [12] The instrumental guitar track for the trailer was an unused demo from the Reign of Terror sessions. [9]
The promotional single "Born to Lose" was available for streaming online on December 15, 2011. [13] The first official single from Reign of Terror, "Comeback Kid", was released as a free download from iTunes for those who pre-order the full album, [14] [15] and as a stand-alone download on January 17, 2012. The music video for "Comeback Kid" was filmed in Derek Miller's home town of Jupiter, Florida. Scenes were shot in Miller's old neighborhood, his mom's room and the local grocery store. [16] [17]
A music video for "Demons" was released in May 2012. The video was directed by Gregory Kohn and instrumentalist Derek Miller, and features live footage of Sleigh Bells performing in various cities that was inspired by Pantera music videos. [18] The video includes footage from the band’s concerts in Omaha, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Houston. [19] [20] A remix of "Demons" by the band’s tourmate Diplo was released the same day. [19] [20] In August 2012, a music video co-directed by Kohn and Miller for "End of the Line" was released. [21]
Leading up to Reign of Terror's release date, Sleigh Bells went on an eight-day mini-tour of Florida with the DJ Diplo and the black metal band Liturgy. [2] [22] The idea for a tour exclusively in Florida came to Miller and Diplo while the two were in Brooklyn, New York. About this tour, Miller said, "Not a lot of bands come down to Florida, but it's a strange place and something about it felt right." [16] On February 18, 2012, Sleigh Bells was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live , and performed "Comeback Kid" and "End of the Line." [23] Following a short tour opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sleigh Bells will tour North America with the synthpop group Class Actress and the rapper Jel in July 2012. [24] In August 2012, Sleigh Bells headlined Europe, toured the US West Coast with the hardcore punk band Refused, then announced a September–November 2012 tour with DJ AraabMuzik. [25]
The stage production for early tours in support of Reign of Terror was described by Miller as being, "so dark that it's hard to see the crowd." [26] The stage set-up consisted simply of a black-and-white American flag backdrop and a wall of stacked Marshall amplifiers. [23] [27] [28] Susan Shepard of Rolling Stone , Mario Tarradell of The Dallas Morning News and Harley Brown of Consequence of Sound all described the stage set-up as being "minimal", [29] [27] [28] with the latter also describing the flag as being "ostentatious". [28] Because the songs on Reign of Terror have more guitar harmonies than previous releases, Sleigh Bells employed Jason Boyer as a backing touring guitarist for live performances. Miller also liked the symmetry of having two guitarists on both sides of a vocalist. [30]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 77/100 [31] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [32] |
Alternative Press | [33] |
Consequence of Sound | [34] |
The Guardian | [35] |
MSN Music (Expert Witness) | A− [36] |
NME | 8/10 [37] |
Paste | 6.7/10 [38] |
Pitchfork | 8.2/10 [39] |
Rolling Stone | [3] |
Slant Magazine | [40] |
Prior to the album's release, several publications listed Reign of Terror as an anticipated release for the first part of 2012 including Spin , Time , Metacritic and NPR. [41] [42] [43] [44] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77 based on 38 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [31]
Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone noted that the duo make tweaks to well-known rock genres from different eras in their tracks, saying that they "bring a proudly aggressive sass to all the heavily treated guitars – now that they've proven they can get away with such a massive sound, they're out to see what tricks they can do with it." [3] Priya Elan of NME praised the different styles the duo delve into that recall dark films and gothic music, concluding that, "[T]he way they’ve leapfrogged their contemporaries in terms of ambition and scope is terrifying. Sleigh Bells are, once again, in a league of their own." [37] Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine praised the duo for following their debut with a more amplified continuation of the formula they set themselves, saying that "they've met the sophomore slump head-on, fists and guitars raised, and made something like a respectable pop album." [40]
AllMusic's Heather Phares said that while Miller and Krauss increased the qualities that made their debut a success with a polished sheen, she felt that the metal elements become unbalanced when the guitar riffs get louder, concluding that "Reign of Terror ends up being a fatiguing reminder of how remarkable a feat Treats was. Sleigh Bells may have topped themselves here, but it's a case of more being less." [32] Dan Weiss of Paste noted that the album lacked the hip-hop element their debut had that gave those songs energy along with the metal elements, concluding that "Reign of Terror plays like a band with original ideas who got stuck in quicksand." [38]
Michael Hann of The Guardian felt that the album was compressed with its songs' production lacking energy, concluding that "they're not actually noisy per se, merely uninterested in restraint, which is a rather different thing." [35] Scott Heisel of Alternative Press felt that the album was a disappointment, criticizing the nondescript production, lyrical framing of the songs and Krauss' forgettable lyrics, concluding that "Unlike Treats, Reign of Terror never feels new, fresh or exciting; it just feels like a chore." [33]
The album was listed 24th on Stereogum's list of top 50 albums of 2012. [45]
Reign of Terror was anticipated to sell 30,000 copies in the first week and landed at number six on Nielsen SoundScan's Building Chart—a chart that ranks album sales based on the first four days of release (opposing the first seven as is done with the Billboard 200) and is only based on sales from major retailers. [46] The album debuted at number 12 in the Billboard 200, [47] significantly higher than Treats, which peaked at number 39. [48] However, the album descended to number 78 in the second week with sales falling to around 8,000 copies—a 72% drop. [49]
All lyrics are written by Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "True Shred Guitar" | 2:20 |
2. | "Born to Lose" | 3:53 |
3. | "Crush" | 3:19 |
4. | "End of the Line" | 3:38 |
5. | "Leader of the Pack" | 2:43 |
6. | "Comeback Kid" | 3:00 |
7. | "Demons" | 3:03 |
8. | "Road to Hell" | 3:21 |
9. | "You Lost Me" | 4:30 |
10. | "Never Say Die" | 3:40 |
11. | "D.O.A." | 2:57 |
Reign of Terror album personnel adapted from liner notes. [50]
Sleigh Bells
Production
Artwork
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [51] | 33 |
Belgian Heatseekers Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [52] | 13 |
Canadian Albums ( Billboard ) [53] | 35 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [54] | 64 |
UK Albums (OCC) [55] | 48 |
US Billboard 200 [56] | 12 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [57] | 1 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [58] | 2 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [59] | 3 |
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Brian Bell, and Scott Shriner. They have sold 10 million albums in the US and more than 35 million worldwide.
The Shins is an American indie rock band formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1996. The band is the project of singer-songwriter James Mercer, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The band's current line-up consists of Mercer, alongside Yuuki Matthews, Mark Watrous, Patti King (keyboards), and Jon Sortland (drums). They are based in Portland, Oregon.
Thomas Wesley Pentz, known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD, with Sia and Labrinth; a member of electronic duo Jack Ü, with producer and DJ Skrillex; and a member of Silk City, with Mark Ronson. He founded the record company Mad Decent in 2006, as well as the non-profit organization Heaps Decent the following year. His 2013 extended play (EP), Revolution, debuted at number 68 on the US Billboard 200. The EP's title track was later featured in a commercial for Hyundai and is featured on the WWE 2K16 soundtrack.
Ra Ra Riot is an American indie rock band consisting of vocalist Wes Miles, bassist Mathieu Santos, guitarist Milo Bonacci, violinist Rebecca Zeller and drummer Kenny Bernard.
Santi White, known professionally as Santigold, is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut studio album, Santogold (2008), received widespread critical acclaim for its cross-genre combining dub, new wave, and hip-hop. The album's second single "L.E.S. Artistes", reached the top 40 in the UK Singles Chart.
Sleigh Bells are an American musical duo based in Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2008 and consisting of vocalist Alexis Krauss and guitarist/producer Derek E. Miller. They became known for their overdriven style of noise pop, which incorporates elements from various genres including pop, hip hop, metal, and punk.
Das Racist was an American alternative hip hop group based in Brooklyn, composed of MCs Heems and Kool A.D. and hype man Ashok Kondabolu. Known for their use of humor, academic references, foreign allusions, and unconventional style, Das Racist was widely hailed as an urgent new voice in rap, after occasionally being misunderstood as joke rap when they first appeared. In the end, we all know how the target group acts.
Major Lazer is a Jamaican-American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They originate from Kingston, Jamaica, founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was then replaced by both Jillionaire and Walshy Fire. In June 2019, Jillionaire left the group and was replaced by Ape Drums. Their music spans numerous genres, mixing reggae with dancehall, reggaeton, soca, house and moombahton.
Treats is the debut studio album by American noise pop duo Sleigh Bells, consisting of vocalist Alexis Krauss and producer/guitarist Derek Miller. It was released on May 24, 2010 by Mom+Pop and N.E.E.T. Recordings. The release was preceded by the April single "Tell 'Em" and featured the group's most popular track, the Funkadelic-sampling "Rill Rill".
"Tell 'Em" is the debut single by American music duo Sleigh Bells, released on April 28, 2010. It is from their debut album Treats, and appears as the album's opening track. The song was written by Derek E. Miller and sung by Alexis Krauss.
Vicki Leekx is a mixtape by British recording artist M.I.A. which was released on 31 December 2010. Following the release of her album Maya earlier in 2010, the artist announced via Twitter that she would be releasing a mixtape on the last day of the year, and subsequently made it available free to download. It incorporates reworked versions of tracks from Maya and new material and was reported as having been inspired by the 2010 WikiLeaks controversy, although much of its content is not politically inspired.
Deafheaven is an American post-metal band formed in 2010. Originally based in San Francisco, the group began as a two-piece with singer George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy, who recorded and self-released a demo album together. Following its release, Deafheaven recruited three new members and began to tour. Before the end of 2010, the band signed to Deathwish Inc. and later released their debut album Roads to Judah, in April 2011. They popularized a unique style blending black metal, shoegaze, and post-rock, among other influences, later called "blackgaze" by reviewers.
"Climax" is a song by American singer-songwriter Usher. It was released on February 22, 2012, by RCA Records as the lead single from his 2012 studio album Looking 4 Myself. The song was written by Usher, Ariel Rechtshaid, Redd Stylez, and Diplo, who also produced the song. Usher and Diplo worked on the song for two months as part of their collaboration for the former's album. The song is a quiet storm slow jam with electronic influences, and lyrics about the turning point of a relationship. According to Usher, the song is primarily about the complications of a relationship, despite the lyrics' sexual overtones.
"Comeback Kid" is a song written and performed by noise pop duo Sleigh Bells, issued as the official lead single for their second album Reign of Terror. The song was released January 17, 2012. On February 18, the band performed the song on Saturday Night Live.
"Love Interruption" is a song by American musician Jack White. It was released by XL Recordings, Columbia Records, and Third Man Records as the lead single from his debut solo studio album, Blunderbuss (2012). The song was made available for digital download on January 31, 2012 and as a 7-inch vinyl single on February 7. Written and produced by White, the track is an Americana song and a blues ballad with lyrics that explore love using violent imagery. It features vocals from White and Ruby Amanfu, and its instrumentation includes the bass clarinet, the Wurlitzer electric piano, and the acoustic guitar. The song received positive reviews from critics, who contrasted it with musical elements prominent in White's earlier musical projects, especially the White Stripes. "Love Interruption" was the first single White released after the White Stripes dissolved, and it reached record charts in multiple countries.
Bitter Rivals is the third studio album by American noise pop duo Sleigh Bells. It was released on October 4, 2013 by Mom + Pop Music. The title track was released as the album's lead single on September 3, 2013, with a music video released the day before. The album was made exclusively available for streaming on Rolling Stone's website on October 1, 2013. It was partially inspired by Janet Jackson, with the song "Tiger Kit" referencing Jackson's "Rhythm Nation".
Jessica Rabbit is the fourth studio album by American noise pop duo Sleigh Bells. It was released on November 11, 2016, by Torn Clean, the duo's own label, in partnership with Sinderlyn.
Kid Kruschev is an EP by American noise pop duo Sleigh Bells. It was released on November 10, 2017 through Torn Clean.
Screamer is the sixth studio album by the American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. It was released on October 18, 2019 by Mega Collider Records.
Texis is the fifth studio album by American noise pop duo Sleigh Bells.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)