Crystal Castles - III

Crystal Castles – III

For a band as creative and smart as Crystal Castles, it’s only natural at one stage in their career for them to go down the self-production road, with member Ethan Kath capturing the album tracks in a ‘one take’ ethic.

First of all, George A. Romero, I know you are a big fan of God Is In The TV and read every article and review – if you’re looking for a song for your next zombie flick, look no further than the haunting intro of the fittingly titled ‘Plague’ which would work perfectly in a post apocalyptic disco for the dead.

Tracks such as ‘Pale Flesh’ ‘Insulin’ and ‘Violent Youth’ capture the sound of the new Crystal Castles in perfect fashion, dirty disco with reverb pushed up to the max, obviously distortion still being a key ingredient to the Crystal Castles potion, where most bands stick to the same gimmick that got them noticed Crystal Castles have successfully shaped their sound into one of the ultimate party bands.

‘III’ sees Crystal Castles moving on from the tracks to lose your shit to – such as Doe Deer, or tracks to do your drunken Friday night karaoke to – such as Alice Practice, and pushing forward with the witch house vibes, soaking the album with eerie beats and a voice so chilling on Alice Glass you aren’t quite sure where the album will take you next.

‘III’ deals with the theme of oppression, the album cover captures that theme perfectly with a snap taken by photojournalist Samuel Aranda, it’s a striking image of a woman named Fatima Al-Qaws cradling her son Fayed, who has been struck by tear gas during a street demonstration in Yemen.

The Canadian duo have come along way since their debut back in 2008 with ‘III‘ being their most mature outing yet, hopefully for my sake IX will see the band going down the death metal route.

[Rating:4]

God is in the TV is an online music and culture fanzine founded in Cardiff by the editor Bill Cummings in 2003. GIITTV Bill has developed the site with the aid of a team of sub-editors and writers from across Britain, covering a wide range of music from unsigned and independent artists to major releases.