neoprene flashiness: Sleigh Bells To Return With Reign Of Terror

Brooklyn band unveils new album with a thoroughly badass teaser trailer.
By James Montgomery

Derek E. Miller and Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells
Photo: Getty Images

When it comes time to reveal a thoroughly badass album title, there's really no other way to do it than with a thoroughly badass teaser trailer. And that's exactly what Brooklyn bashers Sleigh Bells just did, premiering an ominous, thundering clip for their new album ... which is called Reign of Terror.

The teaser opens with a scene of the Bells' Alexis Krauss sitting at a vanity mirror, very seriously combing her hair (while wearing a Marine Dress Uniform), then quickly switches to series of hectic, seizure-inducing live clips, interspersed with various shots of life-on-the-road ephemera (they apparently attended at least one LSU football game) and in-the-studio hijinks (Bud Light! Guns! A mirrored skeleton mask!) It's all backed by a churning, chunky guitar track, which seems to hint that Reign of Terror is most definitely going to be a loud — if not slightly terrifying — listen.

And while there's plenty of visceral gristle in the teaser trailer, it doesn't actually include a release date for the new album, the follow-up to Sleigh Bells' 2010 breakout Treats (one could reasonably assume it's due in 2012, however).The dynamic duo rode that disc hard, including a thunderous performance at the 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards, and a collaboration with none other than Beyoncé, one that was reportedly supposed to appear on her 4 album. That track (or tracks) never materialized. Instead, the Bells focused on writing and recording Terror.