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Sleigh Bells seems to hold back on its new record, Reign of Terror. None of the riffs on this album carry the weight of “Infinity Guitars” or “Riot Rhythm” from the group’s debut album, but Terror offers a glimpse into the thrash past of guitarist Derek Miller.

The record has a metal feel complete with muddy guitar chugs and screaming pinched harmonics, but it also explores a softer and poppier vocal quality, an at times interesting duality that the band demonstrated during its Feb. 18 SNL performance. “Crush” seems to be the first indicator the band is moving in two directions at once. The same pummeling beat is present but is joined by floating, angelic vocals. This vocal quality carries over tenfold into “End of the Line,” which seems to be the band’s strongest attempt at a ballad, but there’s still nothing classic or bad-ass about the song.

“Leader of the Pack” offers a tone unused on its first record before it transforms into a recreation of the songs that made the group famous. It feels less like a throwback than an unoriginal song because it doesn’t have any of the power or genius production its predecessors had.

“Demons” explores cacophony the most, resulting in the closest thing to a powerhouse in this collection. This is Sleigh Bells getting back to its fist-shaking roots. The comparisons to the band’s first record are inevitable because this album seeks to make the magic the group managed two years ago. The band forges limited ground and offers up an album without a stand out track of any sort.

Here, unfortunately, we must add Sleigh Bells to the ever-expanding list of bands that fall victim to the inevitable sophomore slump. Ultimately, its debut was a success because it combined metal and dance music in a unique way.

Now that the group has made this novel combination, it seems like Sleigh Bells is at a loss for what’s next. Reign of Terror lacks direction and feels lost though it certainly contains a few danceable and thrashable tunes.

The band still has little competition in the dance-metal scene, but this record is not a compelling case for its domination of the genre.