The thrashing electronic blare created by electro-punk Canadians Alice Glass and Ethan Kath is back with a vengeance in their new album, the predictably titled III. Unlike previous efforts, their eponymous debut album and their tricky second album II, this record has a definite sense of continuity, the tracks effortlessly knitted together to create an album which feels curiously whole, and shows a confidence exuded by the pair which was perhaps lacking before.
Kath and Glass are masters at instilling an inexplicable sense of unease and dread in their music. Just one look at the track listing and it is plain to see the subject matter and inspiration for the music is dark – titles such as ‘Plague’, ‘Violent Youth’, ‘Wrath of God’ and ‘Transgender’ serve to prove this, and also give certain underlying feelings of vulnerability perfectly pulled off by the headstrong yet clearly fragile Alice Glass. The very fact that the lyrics are almost completely incomprehensible heightens this sense of unease, and only adds to the mystical beauty of some of the tracks.
Undeniably, Crystal Castles are an acquired taste and, undeniably, III is an album which demonstrates sounds and creative elements that have been previously demonstrated time and again in previous records. However, for fans of the band, hearing this album for the first time will surely illicit an excitement similar to that of hearing ‘Alice Practice’ for the first time. It encapsulates all the best elements of their past experiments and condenses them down to thirty-seven concentrated minutes. There is plenty of variation within these minutes, too. From the intense two minute freak-out of ‘Insulin’ to the more tender and spiralling sounds of ‘Pale Flesh’, the album is an attempt to capture the best of what they have previously achieved, from the delicate sounds seen in ‘Tell Me What To Swallow’ to the thrashing punk attitude of ‘Doe Deer’.
The album, then, is a must-have for previous fans of the band, and will surely become frequent listening material for the coming months. For those who are yet to experience their sound, start listening with an open mind, and immerse yourself in the best of what this band have to offer. If you don’t like them from what they have to offer in III, it is unlikely you ever will.
*****