It was observable in the faces of many gathered at the Newport Music Hall last Thursday that a dual AraabMuzik and Sleigh Bells lineup was a strange one. After all, what place does a hip-hop producer have in opening for a pseudo-metal, noise-pop duo?
The amount of AraabMuzik fans present was hardly equivalent to the amount there for Sleigh Bells, but the former’s fans were arguably more enthusiastic, visibly excited for the producer’s set. As he went through an hour-long set of house jams, 
including some dubstep covers of Skrillex and Flux Pavilion, the front of the pit was involved in a full-fledged session of moshing and dancing. Being the sole opener of the night, the people of the Newport were already excitedly awaiting Sleigh Bells at the conclusion of AraabMuzik’s set.
Much to my enjoyment–and almost too fittingly–Lil B’s “The BasedGod’s Layer,” welcomed Sleigh Bells on to the stage. A simple replacement of “Based God” with “Sleigh Bells” would have made the song an appropriate one to introduce the chopped, scratchy sound of Sleigh Bells.
As soon as Lil B’s voice faded, Sleigh Bells appeared with something completely different: “Demons,” a cut from their most recent record Reign of Terror. Deafening puts things lightly for Sleigh Bell’s set. “Demons” went into “True Shred Guitar” which in turn transitioned to one of 2010’s distinguished hits, Treats’ “Crown on the Ground.”
Sleigh Bells invoked a dichotomous quality in their set, as if Crystal Castles and Megadeth decided to share a stage. The Marshall amplifiers, that the lined the whole back wall of Newport’s stage, provided a power on par with Slayer. This combined with Sleigh Bells’ natural style of clicks and bass beats interwoven with shred guitar supplied a sort of DJ sensibility as well. Sleigh Bells had armed themselves with a sound and a stage presence that provided the crowd a surge of abrasive energy.
“You’re crazy, Columbus,” said Alexis Krauss, lead singer of Sleigh Bells. Looking around the audience, one could see that every member was more than adequately sweaty. Fans in the pit appeared to be winded but were just as anxious. Krauss said it best, the audience looked fanatic. Sleigh Bells tore through the Newport and left Columbus in a crazed state, justifying Sleigh Bells’ reign in today’s alternative rock scene as one truly of terror.
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