By Jack Daniel Betz

I saw this coming. Maybe I’m just a killjoy but I always thought, even back when no one could shut the fuck up about it, that “Infinity Guitar” and the rest of “Treats” were self-limiting endeavors. The choppy, crackling, lo-fi (maybe faux-fi) guitar hooks paired with the saccharine-sweet yelps of Alexis Krauss can only take listeners so far. The not-so-subtle back and forth between sexy vocals and distorted guitars with no mid ground got grating on “Treats”.

The opening track boasts an obnoxiously indulgent Brian May-esque riff with live applause. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be an ironic nod to 80s metal, just like the testosterone-filled track names seem to be, but sometimes it comes off as profoundly dorky. The best moments of the album are not the contrived flights of cock-rock the duo indulge in so often but the slower, more emotional ones. “D.O.A.” despite what the track title might conjure, is a beautiful atmospheric ballad that would sound at home on a Blonde Redhead or School of Seven Bells record. Tracks like “End of the Line” and “Never say Die” also fall into this slightly milder but more tempered category.

My assessment is that the duo is still a little confused about their direction, which is something I don’t want to fault them for. However, I will say that tracks like “Born to Lose” and “Crush” are stinky turds whose nasty smell effects the overall quality of “Reign of Terror”. Worth a quick listen but not a home run by any means.