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Do not mistake this for a Christmas album.  Unless your idea of Christmas album is crashing guitars, distorted hip-hop beats, vocals that range from lullaby sweet to gangsta rap. Oh, and did I mention the distortion?  When you put this in your car stereo have the windows rolled down and turn the bass up. If you have your windows closed, don’t turn the volume up.  Not that I would do that, just think of that as a kind recommendation.  Unlike most two-person bands, Sleigh Bells are different animal to the guitar and drum or synthesizer based groups you may be used to.

On vocals we have Alexis Krauss from Rubyblue providing a center for the noise invading your headphones.  Then there is Derek Miller from Poison the Well providing everything you hear coming through.  I will tell you right out the mix of metal riffs, crunchy hip-hop beats and the vocals are intoxicating.  Notice that I did not mention lyrical depth, because this band is built on sound.  They are all about the sound being huge and in your face; the lyrics could have been written by a frustrated high schooler.

There are certain bands I approach for depth of message and others I look to for sound and not much else, this band falls in the latter category.  More often than not I will remember the guitar hook before the chorus and this album has some solid hooks you can rock to.  My favorite track is ‘Infinity Guitars’ for the build up, addition of sound then that massive snare hit that brings on destruction.  I would also mention: ‘Rill Rill’, ‘Crown on the Ground’, ‘Tell ‘Em’ and ‘Run the Heart’.  You should seek this album online if you can, I’m impressed but not enough to say you should own it right out.