New listeners to Sleigh Bells will want to be cautious: their new Reign of Terror is hardcore and overwhelmingly clouded with production material that begins within the first track. This might be a lot for a newcomer to handle at first listen, just because it is initially noisy and crowded. “True Shred Guitar” sounds exactly how one might presume it to be, complete with heavy guitar and slamming bass drum, all atop the sound of applause from an audience.

Don’t run away so fast though. The new Sleigh Bells listener should definitely start with Sleigh Bell’s first EP and work their way up before entering the realm of Reign of Terror. Eventually, recently-turned fans will grow to really appreciate their newest work as part of an evolution of sounds. In the grand scheme of things, Reign of Terror isn’t half bad. But at first, it’ll be a whole lot to handle.

It’s not all a crazy screech-fest, anyway. Once listeners hit the third and fourth songs, “Crush” and “End of the Line“, some great vocal melodies kick in that produce a wonderful and catchy rhythm. Fans will find themselves coming back to these soon after giving them their first listen. Plus, the album allows itself to tear apart its seams toward the end of the set, where the harmony and ultimate message break down for an entrancing “Never Say Die” before closing the show with “D.O.A.”

Reign of Terror stands on its own as a highly conceptual piece of heavy rock, full of bulky audio grain that constantly builds on top of itself as the album progresses. This plays off of their sound that was developed nearly five years ago. It’s better viewed as a follow-up to the band’s first two albums but with more of a spin on heavy rock.

You can’t blame them for settling into deeper stuff than their two prior releases. It seems that their first two albums relied heavily on their unique and stylistic sound to propel them to artistic success. In many ways, it was just about time for them to grow up. Reign of Terror is open to personal interpretation. Titles like “Born to Lose” and “End of the Line” allude to a story for their listeners to piece together and their popping beats with smooth harmonious vocals send the story home, whatever it means.

It’s obvious that this new album simply doesn’t soar as high as Treats or original Sleigh Bells EP did. The band’s first two projects were groundbreaking and original; we’re afraid that this time around, the ground’s already been broken. Actually, it’s been ground to dust. Sleigh Bells crank out tunes that are heavy and loud with their third release and we know they produced precisely what they had imagined. The only problem is that fans probably wanted to hear more “Rill Rill” or “Crown on the Ground“, Sleigh Bells classics. Nothing here is quite as sugary or prepared for a wide radio audience. These songs are aligned with a set of similar songs, none of which will sound right when taken out of context. It seems that the group ditched all hope for another radio hit and dove straight in for the conceptual. Though it may be a feat for the band, it could be a disappointment for superficial fans. Don’t completely pass up the opportunity to be slayed by these indie rock superstars, though, because Reign of Terror still contains the element of surprise that is fun for everyone.