Crystal Castles - Plague

Crystal Castles, the nihilistic wild eyed Canadian bastards of unrelenting lo fi goth-dance have returned with (III); a poetic, ethereal playlist to weep and dance to. Alice Glass’ unsettling temperament remains, yet her infamous blood-stained screams are received sparingly. Though the band’s immediate rise from the gutter to the stars has been notably sudden, the unwanted sound of “practiced” music has finally caught up with them, and self destruction appears less likely.

While maintaining one foot firmly in their celebrated, unnervingly scourged DIY disposition, the other is placed tentatively on streamlined minimalism. Though not as immediately arresting as its predecessors, (III)’s inevitable fall into a well executed, intelligibly written and cleaner production sits alongside the band’s customary bleak, unpleasant and confrontational nature. Recorded in Warsaw, (III) retains Crystal Castles’ spontaneous, first take approach, yet the replacement of Kath’s digital equipment with vintage analogue synthesizers offers a raw canvas and wider landscape for their nonchalant nihilism.

Despite her somewhat soulless inhumane nature, Alice has always conjured predominately dark emotion. Though it’s mostly unintelligible, she reaches unparalleled emotive heights in (III) without losing her dead-eyed disposition. “Affection” stimulates an unforeseen harrowing heartbreak for one without a soul and provides a moment’s rest from the confrontational psychosis found in “Wrath Of God”. Seemingly wanting to exorcise misery over rage and despite a detached and nonchalant disposition, Glass merits a desire to connect with thoughts equally menacing and affectionate: “I’ll protect you from all the things I’ve seen”. In the current climate of atrocities, Glass’ lyrics will sit with an uneasy embrace with a needed gritty confrontation. Glass’s references to blood, antiseptics, wounds and soil are disturbingly recurrent with droll ripostes in snarling warnings to “sell your bones for ivory”.

Closing with the harrowingly titled “Child I Will Hurt You”, the lullaby both soaked in comfort and sorrow leaves you in a perplexed state of coercion. “Oppression is a theme, in general…” says Glass. Though lyrically there’s as much joy as rotting flowers in a graveyard, the melancholy is juxtaposed to the reverie of their experimental synth-punk. Even if their music is becoming more commonplace, not many bands encompass conflict, pain, nihilism, fear and loathing so naturally.

Purchase: Crystal Castles – (III)

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