Reign of Terror is about a struggle. From album and interior artwork (drops of blood on a pair of Keds, explosions, and World War II memorabilia) to song titles (“Born to Lose,” “End of the Line,” “Comeback Kid,” “You Lost Me,” “Never Say Die”) we see this theme play out again and again. The aggression of the music itself, though not as pushed-into-the-red as their previous album, only complements the feeling of a great struggle. But with who or what? And is it victorious?
The lyrics are peppered with indefinite references to being in conflict with “you” or “the kids” or “them/they,” though we don’t know exactly who these would be. There are a few moments of triumph in these songs, with tracks like “Crush” asking “Who you gonna run to now?” Escape is another theme that runs darkly throughout. Self-destructive thoughts manifest recurrently. Tracks “End of the Line” and “Born to Lose” seem particularly hopeless, whereas “Never Say Die” implores the individual to not “give up the ship.” A sort of meta-insecurity appears as well in “D.O.A.” (“how come nobody knows the chorus”) and in “Road to Hell” (“we can learn how to take apart this verse again”).
Reign of Terror doesn’t viscerally hit as hard as their previous album; there’s no “Infinity Guitars” or “Rill Rill.” But Reign of Terror is a much more clearly thought-out album, and what it lacks in visceral punch it makes up in emotional punch. (Mom + Pop, momandpopmusic.com) Devin King