Full disclosure: I’m totally out of the loop on music. Exactly what you want to hear from a music reviewer, right? I spent the fall in the Middle East, and when I returned to America it was like waking up from a pop music coma. My friends were ready to kill me when I was still excited to hear “We Found Love” and “Without You” on the radio.

So when I decided to review Sleigh Bells’ new album Reign of Terror, I knew nothing about the band, except for a vague hope that Christmas music was somehow involved. [Spoiler alert: It isn’t.] My standard Wikipedia search wasn’t reassuring, informing me that a) my absence last fall is no reason not to have heard of Sleigh Bells and b) the “noise pop” duo’s music had been primarily featured in video games and the MTV version of “Skins.” Not a great beginning.

I started the album and instantly felt old: The first track gave me a headache. As hard as I try to be cool and open-minded, I’m a sucker for a melody, and “True Shred Guitar,” the live-recorded opener on Reign of Terror, doesn’t have a discernible one. My tolerance for incomprehensible screaming has deteriorated since I grew out of my pseudo-rebellious phase, and the first track was giving me flashbacks to overcrowded mosh pits. But I toughed it out, and by the time I got to the fourth track on the album, “End of the Line,” I was hooked. The sometimes danceable, sometimes toned-down beats and distorted vocals make for a listening experience that is at once atmospheric and engaging.

Established Sleigh Bells fans should appreciate vocalist Alexis Krauss and front man Derek Miller’s continuation of the style established on the band’s 2010 debut, Treats, while expanding its scope, especially with lyrics. Miller wrote a number of songs in reference to family tragedies he experienced over the past year, and the emotion is felt in his music. Newcomers may struggle a bit at the beginning but should ultimately be converted to the duo’s edgy sound.

Individually, the songs aren’t especially memorable — the heavy vocal distortion makes some tracks hard to differentiate, and many are musically similar to “Kids,” the duo’s breakthrough hit from Treats. Upon a closer listen, though, most tracks have a unique spin. “Leader of the Pack” sounds vaguely like the ’60s pop song of the same name, while “D.O.A.” features a track of finger snaps that is incongruous but catchy. “Road to Hell” is eerily romantic, especially given its name. The only lemon (after the off-putting opener) is “Comeback Kid.” Krauss’ falsetto rapping sounds like anything but a comeback.

The tracks on Reign of Terror are generally short; the brevity makes the album worth listening to as a whole, though all 11 songs aren’t noticeably coherent. Turn it on for a study session: The beats will keep you motivated but the lyrics aren’t distracting. Whether you’ve heard the hype or live under a rock like I do, you should give Sleigh Bells’ sophomore effort a listen — and then follow it up with some holiday Pandora if the lack of actual sleigh bells is just too disappointing.