nba543 that’s reviewing, you might find reviewers who like cc, some just look for different effects from music there just more obscure channels this is a niche genre
I'm from the future. Believe me. People talk about Kerosene. I used to blast this in my car but these days it'd be cringe if I did. Modern social media milks dry the feelings that music provides, to the point where the feeling changes entirely. Truly sad.
He may be right about the long, smooth, plain-ish melodies, but the thing I REALLY love about this album is the lyrics. It's hard to hear the lyrics a lot with Alice's vocals, but if you look into what she's singing about- it's different from their first album, or their second one. Crystal Castles III is NOT a dance album. It's a protest. It's a protest and declaration over the rights of people and, specifically, women all around the world. Alice's intentions were to spread her idea of how women are treated in third world countries. Her ideas of oppression, bride burnings, etc. A general idea of feminism and activism have gone into this album. The album art is a picture taken from a photo of a Yemeni woman holding her son after he had been injured in an anti-government protest. The tunes and melodies of this album might not be up to comparison with their glitchy, dance-punk first album, but this album is art. It's beautiful art.
why is no one talking about kerosene? the longing driven out sound has a out of body experience that really stood out to me plus with alice's vocals adding another layer of the eletro/witch/cyber/house/dreamcore/ level. Great album
@@insecticaa Yeah. Kerosene became popular because of tiktok. I said "their most famous" because pretty much anyone knows the beat to it, same thing goes for Transgender. The comment of OP was made 9 months ago, Kerosene was already famous because of tiktok.
I definitely feel like this album is more of an acquired taste than the other two albums. I loved both of the first two albums, and with this one I'm a little iffy about it, but I do agree that it definitely does have a darker feel to it. I like some of the songs though, and the lyrics are beautiful. They go perfectly with the whole "dark feel" to the album, and after a while this album could definitely grow on me, and others.
this is one of my favorite albums of this year honestly, i think this is Crystal Castles most consistent album. Although I enjoy their other work they seem bloated with all of their influences. The approach of this album is very straight forward and they deliver fully beginning to end. 8/10 Oh yea and.... KOI NO YOKAN!!!!!!!
I listened to this a few times and I'm starting to really enjoy it actually. It is pretty interesting to see Alice's singing slowly evolving from being completely separated from the overall music, as in the track Baptism. It feels as if she is becoming another electric instrument for Ethan.
lol i am a little late to the party but i have to say you were wrong. (III) was by far their most cohesive album in terms of tone and themes.(II) had more individual songs I liked but (III) is a much more enjoyable full album. this album is tour of bleak and dark spaces so of course the production choices didnt make you bob your head. "Affection" was supposed to be basic and bare. respect your opinion but disagree.
I feel like Alice Glass was just maybe partially involved with the lyrics. Hell, her vocals are barely hers throughout all their albums. I was ok with this album, but c'mon Anthony, a 4? Really? It wasn't that bad.
(III) felt like CC lost the hard, rough electronic sound that drew me to them originally, but they brought something else that makes me love them even more. It's nice in that it diversifies their soundscape, and when you mix the tracks in with their other work it fits in very nicely. I do agree that it's the most cohesive album, but their worst? Not at all.
Anthony, is this album something you would listen to over and over, or something you listened to a few times so you could review it? I loved the first two albums more for their shocking intensity. The third gives me tingles. Those tingles up your spine and scalp. Their music is the sort of stuff I listen to 100 times and each time find a new subtle aspect to enjoy. I still like your reviews I just hate that this time you were so far from my opinion. Maybe thats my intense Crystal Castles fan bias coming out though.
10 years later - it still holds up and doesn't really sound dated in the least. My favorite album end-to-end from CC. That being said I totally see where Fantano is coming from. I had pretty much all electro bops, II had a mix of the shoegazy with the electro bops from I, and III is basically all shoegazy. Not going to be for everyone but if you're into it like me, then it's pretty great.
Not sure I really understand the comparison between Grimes and Crystal Castles. The similarity is pretty weak. Grimes is much closer to artists like Kate Bush and Bat for Lashes than the dark, witch house-y CC.
This one is a slow burn, wen I started listening to Crystal Castles it was my least favorite, now it's probably my favorite, it's the most cohesive and "moody" of the three. I understand you not liking it, but a 4? Seriously?
What's the point of reviewing music? I mean, it's the most emotionally attaching form of art, its perception is almost absolutelly subjective; so much more that any other kind of art. This album for me is great, not as good as II but really enjoyable. Affection is my favourite, is it a simple song? maybe, it's that wrong? no.
Yes, music is all about perspective. I love The Weeknd's Kiss Land, while Anthony gave it a 5/10. What's the point? The point is to learn other perspectives. I've found that the little things that Anthony pulls out from music actually helps me to appreciate music a little more, even if the things he pulls out have a negative spin in his view. Watching his Kiss Land review made me like the album even more. As long as you don't take what he says as gospel, what's the point of complaining about his reviews? It's a fresh perspective, not documented fact, nor does he claim it to be.
Forest Gank I didn't mean complain in the tradition way. People have altered it to mean whiny, when it's really just the expression of annoyance, which it seemed like you were a little bothered. But it's not completely possible to tell through text, I just assumed. Yeah, Anthony has actually hated a lot of albums that I love. It's funny because whenever he reviews bands I've not heard of, I can typically tell if I might like them if Anthony doesn't like them. There are some moments when I like the same things he likes, but for the most part, we have different taste haha. Oh, and if you've never seen his character, Cal Chuchesta, that he adds to the reviews sometimes, that's another reason to watch his reviews. The dude is pretty funny.
Most of the things that you said you didn't like about this album were what made me love it so much. I've been talking to other Crystal Castle fans and I feel like I am one of the only people who likes the new direction they have gone in. I think of this album as "uncomfortably blissful" and thats not a feeling I have felt from any other music. I think this is why I have enjoyed it so much.
Dude, who gives a fuck about "beats with personalities"? Seriously, I appreciate your opinion, and half a million subscribers indicate you have something smart to say, but seriously. First and second album sound too happy to me, and III just hits the spot. It's dark, it's gloomy, it's all around awesome at least to me, because I'm all into dark shit. If you think music is defined by the complexity of it's construction, could you explain how every punk-rock, thrash metal, reggae and ska bands use basically the same beats in every song they make, of course slight deviations are present, and are still not completely vanquished from the face of earth? This is an experimental band, you said it yourself, give the guys a break. If the complexity and non-repetition is what mattered the most, we wouldn't have half the music we have up to this day. Again, this is my opinion, all due respect to you.
From what I understand from a few interviews prior to the album release, the LP was intentionally constructed with as little studio production as possible. Ethan even mentions that he ditched all his old synthesizers and keyboards and used the first take of every track. They clearly wanted to go a different direction with (III), and it took a while, but the singles/others began to grow on me once I stopped comparing them to the previous albums and started enjoying them for what they were.
any, and I mean ANY even SLIGHT dislikes you may have for CC are immediately forgotten when you see them live! Without a doubt the best live shows I have ever been to, seen them in a huge stadium and a tiny club, both ruled. I have since made a vow to see them every time they play in Toronto.
Dang, I even came here expecting Plague to be a FAV TRACK, huh. That one always emotionally gets to me, the slow fade and the overwhelming attitude; which is a general theme to this album. It all depends on your mindspace when listening.
OK, I think he makes a good point that this album isn't the most clear or easy to digest but personally, I still love this album as it shows some real care and attention. The problem with this album is the way that they played with it a little TOO much and it ended up a bit messy, this is quite clearly experimented on. They aren't the best songs in terms of raw entertainment value but if you break it down it's still a brilliant album in my view purely for the lyrics, melody and story.
I actually really liked the album, the whole of it is really calming and the distant sounding vocals gave me the impression of being disconnected with what was going around me, and I thought it to be really cool. For some they might need to be in a particular mood to listen to the songs, but I think that's what makes it really interesting of an album
Disagree with the review but thats ok. I'd give the album a solid 7. Its the most club oriented album they've made but that's not exactly a bad thing. With great headphones 'Mercenary' is absolutely mind blowing !
I think it wouldn't be fun at all if CC made more fun, dancey , clear vocalised 8-bit pieces any time soon. I like that they are exploring the darker, more surreal reverb ridden sound that was founded in ||.Also I thought tell me what to swallow and child I will hurt you, are like closing twins, I hope they keep up this tradition. I thought the overall production was interesting and gave the album a very, like you said , concise feel.The use of many artists engineering alices voice is apparent
They wanted this album to be made without having to use as many computer programs and tried to record each song in as few takes as possible so I guess that makes it sound different I just don't think that it makes it sound bad.
I think Anthony went for a personal subjective review on this one. The fact is that CC is not going for an electro-pop album, but much more of a ghosthouse-synthpunk album. The production is on point; but definetely not on a radio's standard. My fav CC album, keep em coming.
serious? this album was like the soundtrack to the end of the world.It all wound together to form that weird powerfull & apathetic feeling CC inspires, I reckon.The distortion, reverb and sharp syths combined with the simplistic beats and the vocal engineering really combined to instill this strange emotion on me, like a sea of dark, either like sound, that expresses corruption and dread but is also addictive. :) . But I personalise music with emotion (because of my primary cognitive functions)
But that see like kind of the norm for most electronic artists that do good, i mean what usually get bands like that popular to begin with is that they have a new, interesting and original sound, and when they get around to make more albums they get the option of trying to copy the sound of the first album and risk getting boring or the could try getting the sound in a new direction and risk getting less good, so i think a great debut is both a blessing and a curse.
I have to agree most his reviews based from previous albums but he probably only listened to the album a few times. To me this album wasn't immediately awesome, I was really happy when it came out but I had conflicting feelings because of consistency. However after listening to it over and over it grew on me. I feel all crystal castles albums to do this, and I think III is the strong one, everything they come out with just keeps growing more and more on me every time I listen to them.
true, indeed most reviews are based in opinion...but I just find way too many people constantly comparing III to I and basing their opinion of the record because it is dark, hard to listen to, and completely chaotic, a "metal machine music" type record however just my opinion I'm rather flattered though that you responded, I trust the Needle Drop much more than any music mag in the last while, by all means I Love your reviews
I really liked this album, but I think that's because I search for completely different things in music than you do. I get what you're saying about poorly produced and chaotic chorouses and so on, but all over this album conveyed the dark and awful minds of Ethan and Alice in an extremely beautiful way that just left me speechless. My fav track too is Child I Will Hurt You, and I agree that there were no singles in terms of radiostructioned beats etc, but that's not always what music's about.
I totally get the points about the production. I did a bit of research, and apparently Kath wanted to complete every song on the album in one take, and used purely analogue synthesisers - I guess that's a pretty heavily contributing factor to why the production isn't anywhere near as nice as on the first two. I still enjoyed it though, but, like you, not as much as I or II.
I don't think its there best album, but I really enjoyed it. The overall apocalyptic theme was reflected well with the overuse of reverb and the dark edge to even the dreamer tunes.I think that the fact that Alice's voice is so buried adds a yearning to re-listen to it, because her voice is so faded and distorted you cant r ember it unless listening to it.I definitely bobed my head a lot listening to it. I simply love the vocal engineering on tracks like pale skin, sad eyes and violent youth.
If I had to choose one word to describe Crystal Castles music, it would be Visceral. I consider "Through The Hosiery" to be one of the most intense electronic music tracks ever made. It is such a fine line between making a track which is too intense, like any hardstyle or gabber tracks and making a track that is just intense enough like the afore mentioned "Through The Hosiery" It is in tracks like "Air War" where I really start picking up on Crystal Castles genius. Anyone who has ever stayed up for too many days in a row or done any sort of hallucinogen will recognize the echoed vocals in Air Wars immediately. Vocals which sound identical to the type of Auditory Hallucinations you hear when your in an altered state.
I think III creates a world of its own, with goombas, mushrooms, shiny stars... and a furious fairy. Fascinating, but I don't belong there. Besides, while tunes are quite catchy, the shoegaze influences prevent the album from being very memorable to me, making it blurry when I want it more dynamic and well-thought.
Truly an amazing album, again - this is subjective but it’s just not your kind of music. It’s more subtle and less chaotic than previous albums but in a way I like. I wonder how he feels about the album all these years later. Grimes and CC are my favourite artist and one thing I love about both their music is that you have to listen to it multiple times to make sure you catch everything.
I fucking love you Anthony! I've found so much good music thanks to your videos.. Thanks for doing this man, you're fucking awesome and I love the "fresh winds" i get in my music taste due to the shit you make me listen to. This band (and album) fricin rocked, so yet again i found something thanks to you. (I'd give this album a strong 7!)
Its funny watching this after they've become one of the biggest inspirational electropop bands, especially this album. Not to mention their story, which has changed the music industry forever.
That's exactly the issue that I found. I don't pretend to be an expert on the genre, but some of the earlier happy punk songs were the most unique pieces of the genre that I ever stumbled upon.
I definitely agree because if you listen to the whole album and compare it to Crystal Castles' last albums, this one just isn't close to being as good. Maybe this is just a stage in their career as they surprise us with something even more original or new in their sound like this album was, in a way… But overall I still love Crystal Castles and I still look forward to their next works. And Grimes is awesome too. Listen to her stuff
Harvstermysterinator yeah, i knew after i posted that comment. It really sucks. I wish they would get back together, or at least Alice would come out with new tracks already
personally i love the fact the production has been switched up as producing an album like the other two would have been overkill and a change was needed. the production has changed in a very interesting way which i think sets them apart once again
I agree with a lot of points in the review. The album is somewhat of a step down from Crystal Castles (II) in a way, it doesn't have that same flair to it and I believe that is due to the darker direction CC has taken for this new album. At the same time though, I enjoyed a good number of tracks and would agree that this is their most cohesive album. My favorite tracks ended up being Child I Will Hurt You, Transgender, Pale Flesh and Violent Youth. My rating is 7/10, it's aight. haha
Is that how you interpreted it? I dunno, I don't typically associate those kinds of emotions with the types of beats and instrumentals kath was putting together.
whoever still complains bout kanye's mbdtf should shut up, this album blew my mind the first time i've heard it and wanted to check out if melon appreciated it as well. Unfortunately as always that's impossible so lower than 8 on this project i cant give. Best project of theirs after that the first one, second one and the replacement girl even though the album wid her wasn't that bad, but i cannot compare her to Alice, i mean who can. So long
Great album, they took a different direction and it sounds all the better for it. Totally disagree with you but everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
He has reviewed the first and last Weeknd mixtapes (So two thirds of the trilogy) and has explained how he felt about Thursday, the second mixtape. He has also reviewed Born to Die a while ago (Not the paradise edition but that's only a few extra tracks). In short, for the most part he disliked House of Balloons, Thursday and Born to Die but loved Echoes of silence. I would still check out the videos though, very interesting.
I was surprised that u got to review it. I think u should review How to Destroy Angels, Deftones, Soundgarden. Just putting a few out there. Kept kicking ass brother
Let me start off by saying that pale flesh and affection both have strong witch house influences. Also, I really think that (III) does not target the same people as (I) did. I went to 4/5 CC shows and the audience has definitely changed a lot since then. Secondly, Anthony usually goes for a more in depth analysis than just stating his musical tastes.
it's more about the connection of emotion and mood rather than distinguishing a voice. the album was actually pretty expansive in variety yet cohesive. review Lana Del Rey's Paradise & Vitalic's Rave Age :D the latter being extremely impressive
4/10? are you fucking kidding me?
its his opinion ok dude
@@tomgreenfan oh thanks for reminding me “weed dude” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
youre right its probably a 3.5
''wrath of god'' is awesome idc what anyone says
you shouldnt care what needledrop says crystal castles dont miss
@@tomgreenfanlmao
Fr, the part before the 2nd drop feels like a game bug bc the lead continues playing, idk thats how i think abt it
Still realky love that track
You're overthinking Crystal Castles. You're supposed to feel it, not make sense out of it.
But that wouldn't be a review
That would be "my feelings about"
^ which is nothing bad, but anthano is looking on albums in more structural way
That is subjective though
thats why he will never get it
nba543 that’s reviewing, you might find reviewers who like cc, some just look for different effects from music there just more obscure channels this is a niche genre
why tf is no one talking about kerosene thats the best song off this album
Agreed!!
until it became popular on tiktok... FUCK TIKTOK!!! THIS SONG WAS A FAVOURITE!! TIKTOK FUCKING RUINED IT.
Ikr@@Datadread-official
I'm from the future. Believe me. People talk about Kerosene. I used to blast this in my car but these days it'd be cringe if I did. Modern social media milks dry the feelings that music provides, to the point where the feeling changes entirely. Truly sad.
@@Datadread-officialbro responded 5 years later 😭
They broke up bc of u
i think we all know y now lol
Oof
Comments that did not age well:
@@leoveas9965 jeez
grimes comparison to this CC album.. cmon fantano
trying to get inside his brain.
(2 things in common: female vocals and reverb.... are same!)
Nicole Hurtubise well I love them both (grimes and this album) so I can see a similarity in that sense :)
They're not too far from each other not only because they're both Canadians
He may be right about the long, smooth, plain-ish melodies, but the thing I REALLY love about this album is the lyrics. It's hard to hear the lyrics a lot with Alice's vocals, but if you look into what she's singing about- it's different from their first album, or their second one. Crystal Castles III is NOT a dance album. It's a protest. It's a protest and declaration over the rights of people and, specifically, women all around the world. Alice's intentions were to spread her idea of how women are treated in third world countries. Her ideas of oppression, bride burnings, etc. A general idea of feminism and activism have gone into this album. The album art is a picture taken from a photo of a Yemeni woman holding her son after he had been injured in an anti-government protest. The tunes and melodies of this album might not be up to comparison with their glitchy, dance-punk first album, but this album is art. It's beautiful art.
crimewvxe ✲゚* Youre just naive and young as fuck. Thats all, including terribly bad taste.
crazy, considering all that has happened recently
That puts things even more into perspective. Wow.
@@plodaerte i know, 1ndians right>?????????????????????
I loved every single song in their new album. They are geniuses
Disagree. Love this album. Better than the first, IMO.
i disagree... the track plague is a fucking masterpiece!!
yes it was
The album is a masterpiece!
I agree
Plague and wrath of god are just so dramatic and cool
i loved this album.
It still makes me mad he gave this a 4. It's something you feel. It's by far their best album in my opinion.
I rly dont get his review on this one
Anthony doesn't feel
i prefer II but this album deserves way higher than a 4
usually agree with your reviews but this hurt ma feeeeeels :(((
(lll) was the best one imo
Bukibag Nope, it’s a good album but it is weak compared to their first two Crystal Castles albums
Agree, it's not my favorite but I feel it is the most fleshed out
why is no one talking about kerosene? the longing driven out sound has a out of body experience that really stood out to me plus with alice's vocals adding another layer of the eletro/witch/cyber/house/dreamcore/ level. Great album
That is like... their most famous song
@@Venomshank99Was it? I thought it only got that popular because of tiktok, and other songs were way more popular beforehand
@@insecticaa Yeah. Kerosene became popular because of tiktok. I said "their most famous" because pretty much anyone knows the beat to it, same thing goes for Transgender.
The comment of OP was made 9 months ago, Kerosene was already famous because of tiktok.
Tiktok ahh comment
4???
Really?
He means 4/3
I definitely feel like this album is more of an acquired taste than the other two albums. I loved both of the first two albums, and with this one I'm a little iffy about it, but I do agree that it definitely does have a darker feel to it. I like some of the songs though, and the lyrics are beautiful. They go perfectly with the whole "dark feel" to the album, and after a while this album could definitely grow on me, and others.
that's exactly what happened to me
pale flesh is amazing btw
Not even kerosene?!? Cmon now...
this is one of my favorite albums of this year honestly, i think this is Crystal Castles most consistent album. Although I enjoy their other work they seem bloated with all of their influences. The approach of this album is very straight forward and they deliver fully beginning to end. 8/10
Oh yea and.... KOI NO YOKAN!!!!!!!
I listened to this a few times and I'm starting to really enjoy it actually.
It is pretty interesting to see Alice's singing slowly evolving from being completely separated from the overall music, as in the track Baptism.
It feels as if she is becoming another electric instrument for Ethan.
I binge-watched your CC reviews, and basically all of them are about the second album.
lol i am a little late to the party but i have to say you were wrong. (III) was by far their most cohesive album in terms of tone and themes.(II) had more individual songs I liked but (III) is a much more enjoyable full album. this album is tour of bleak and dark spaces so of course the production choices didnt make you bob your head. "Affection" was supposed to be basic and bare. respect your opinion but disagree.
I agree with everything you said
I feel like Alice Glass was just maybe partially involved with the lyrics. Hell, her vocals are barely hers throughout all their albums. I was ok with this album, but c'mon Anthony, a 4? Really? It wasn't that bad.
(III) felt like CC lost the hard, rough electronic sound that drew me to them originally, but they brought something else that makes me love them even more. It's nice in that it diversifies their soundscape, and when you mix the tracks in with their other work it fits in very nicely. I do agree that it's the most cohesive album, but their worst? Not at all.
here in 2023… a 4 is insane . this is peak music
fuckin serious lol imagine
Anthony, is this album something you would listen to over and over, or something you listened to a few times so you could review it? I loved the first two albums more for their shocking intensity. The third gives me tingles. Those tingles up your spine and scalp. Their music is the sort of stuff I listen to 100 times and each time find a new subtle aspect to enjoy. I still like your reviews I just hate that this time you were so far from my opinion. Maybe thats my intense Crystal Castles fan bias coming out though.
10 years later - it still holds up and doesn't really sound dated in the least. My favorite album end-to-end from CC. That being said I totally see where Fantano is coming from. I had pretty much all electro bops, II had a mix of the shoegazy with the electro bops from I, and III is basically all shoegazy. Not going to be for everyone but if you're into it like me, then it's pretty great.
Not sure I really understand the comparison between Grimes and Crystal Castles. The similarity is pretty weak. Grimes is much closer to artists like Kate Bush and Bat for Lashes than the dark, witch house-y CC.
This one is a slow burn, wen I started listening to Crystal Castles it was my least favorite, now it's probably my favorite, it's the most cohesive and "moody" of the three.
I understand you not liking it, but a 4? Seriously?
i don't understand. from my understanding, all of my reviews are based in personal preference...
Oh hey Anthony crazy seeing you here
Child I Will Hurt You is stunning I agree
It's sooo good. I'm sad this is 4 years old with 8 likes ;(
This review didn’t age well. CC3 is still very satisfying to listen to today in 2023. Real fans know
What's the point of reviewing music? I mean, it's the most emotionally attaching form of art, its perception is almost absolutelly subjective; so much more that any other kind of art.
This album for me is great, not as good as II but really enjoyable. Affection is my favourite, is it a simple song? maybe, it's that wrong? no.
Don't watch them then.
Clorotonia a
I don't. I was just curious about what people think about this album :)
Yes, music is all about perspective. I love The Weeknd's Kiss Land, while Anthony gave it a 5/10. What's the point? The point is to learn other perspectives. I've found that the little things that Anthony pulls out from music actually helps me to appreciate music a little more, even if the things he pulls out have a negative spin in his view.
Watching his Kiss Land review made me like the album even more. As long as you don't take what he says as gospel, what's the point of complaining about his reviews? It's a fresh perspective, not documented fact, nor does he claim it to be.
Matthew Gonzales I didn't complain, just sharing my opinion :) But I like how you think tho.
Forest Gank I didn't mean complain in the tradition way. People have altered it to mean whiny, when it's really just the expression of annoyance, which it seemed like you were a little bothered. But it's not completely possible to tell through text, I just assumed.
Yeah, Anthony has actually hated a lot of albums that I love. It's funny because whenever he reviews bands I've not heard of, I can typically tell if I might like them if Anthony doesn't like them. There are some moments when I like the same things he likes, but for the most part, we have different taste haha.
Oh, and if you've never seen his character, Cal Chuchesta, that he adds to the reviews sometimes, that's another reason to watch his reviews. The dude is pretty funny.
Got anything to say about this in 2021?
Most of the things that you said you didn't like about this album were what made me love it so much. I've been talking to other Crystal Castle fans and I feel like I am one of the only people who likes the new direction they have gone in. I think of this album as "uncomfortably blissful" and thats not a feeling I have felt from any other music. I think this is why I have enjoyed it so much.
Dude, who gives a fuck about "beats with personalities"?
Seriously, I appreciate your opinion, and half a million subscribers indicate you have something smart to say, but seriously.
First and second album sound too happy to me, and III just hits the spot. It's dark, it's gloomy, it's all around awesome at least to me, because I'm all into dark shit.
If you think music is defined by the complexity of it's construction, could you explain how every punk-rock, thrash metal, reggae and ska bands use basically the same beats in every song they make, of course slight deviations are present, and are still not completely vanquished from the face of earth? This is an experimental band, you said it yourself, give the guys a break. If the complexity and non-repetition is what mattered the most, we wouldn't have half the music we have up to this day.
Again, this is my opinion, all due respect to you.
From what I understand from a few interviews prior to the album release, the LP was intentionally constructed with as little studio production as possible. Ethan even mentions that he ditched all his old synthesizers and keyboards and used the first take of every track. They clearly wanted to go a different direction with (III), and it took a while, but the singles/others began to grow on me once I stopped comparing them to the previous albums and started enjoying them for what they were.
Plague and Affection are my favorite songs in this album, for sure. It's a shame the other songs didn't leave a mark on me.
ur trippin
all of my reviews are subjective. they've always been subjective, lol. just because you agree with me doesn't make the review objective.
any, and I mean ANY even SLIGHT dislikes you may have for CC are immediately forgotten when you see them live! Without a doubt the best live shows I have ever been to, seen them in a huge stadium and a tiny club, both ruled. I have since made a vow to see them every time they play in Toronto.
Dang, I even came here expecting Plague to be a FAV TRACK, huh. That one always emotionally gets to me, the slow fade and the overwhelming attitude; which is a general theme to this album. It all depends on your mindspace when listening.
plauge is fantastic. it really sets the tone for the whole album.
It’s so good, it’s got great build and is dramatic and moody and fantastic
GRIMES FUCK YEAH
Wrath of God is madness, so good
OK, I think he makes a good point that this album isn't the most clear or easy to digest but personally, I still love this album as it shows some real care and attention. The problem with this album is the way that they played with it a little TOO much and it ended up a bit messy, this is quite clearly experimented on. They aren't the best songs in terms of raw entertainment value but if you break it down it's still a brilliant album in my view purely for the lyrics, melody and story.
pale flesh kicks ass!
i love affection :((((((((
okay, the first album definitely is the best, just cause its so random and more experimental
I actually really liked the album, the whole of it is really calming and the distant sounding vocals gave me the impression of being disconnected with what was going around me, and I thought it to be really cool. For some they might need to be in a particular mood to listen to the songs, but I think that's what makes it really interesting of an album
you are wrong
I'm saying this in the most respectful way possible, but you don't understand who Crystal Castles are or what they are saying.
But to Crystal Castles' old stuff, they could be compared to Kap Bambino even though I thought that no one would be like them, because they're awesome
I thought it was their best album to be honest. It's dirty, but yet lullaby-like
Disagree with the review but thats ok. I'd give the album a solid 7. Its the most club oriented album they've made but that's not exactly a bad thing. With great headphones 'Mercenary' is absolutely mind blowing !
INSULIN
Hey what about kerosene that was pretty good.
Oh darn, I quite liked this album :(
yeah, i see these tracks going down much better in a live setting.
I feel that 3 is better than 2 which to me was a clunky bridge to 3 anyways, but 1 is still my favorite. Transgender and Plague are the highlights.
Jim Fitton yes 2 seems like a bridge
I think it wouldn't be fun at all if CC made more fun, dancey , clear vocalised 8-bit pieces any time soon. I like that they are exploring the darker, more surreal reverb ridden sound that was founded in ||.Also I thought tell me what to swallow and child I will hurt you, are like closing twins, I hope they keep up this tradition. I thought the overall production was interesting and gave the album a very, like you said , concise feel.The use of many artists engineering alices voice is apparent
They wanted this album to be made without having to use as many computer programs and tried to record each song in as few takes as possible so I guess that makes it sound different I just don't think that it makes it sound bad.
I think Anthony went for a personal subjective review on this one. The fact is that CC is not going for an electro-pop album, but much more of a ghosthouse-synthpunk album.
The production is on point; but definetely not on a radio's standard.
My fav CC album, keep em coming.
I dig CC for melody and textures. In that sense is very satisfying
I loved this album, I like the direction that they're going in with they're music.
imo its their best album yet, not their best songs ever, but a nice concept
serious? this album was like the soundtrack to the end of the world.It all wound together to form that weird powerfull & apathetic feeling CC inspires, I reckon.The distortion, reverb and sharp syths combined with the simplistic beats and the vocal engineering really combined to instill this strange emotion on me, like a sea of dark, either like sound, that expresses corruption and dread but is also addictive. :) . But I personalise music with emotion (because of my primary cognitive functions)
But that see like kind of the norm for most electronic artists that do good, i mean what usually get bands like that popular to begin with is that they have a new, interesting and original sound, and when they get around to make more albums they get the option of trying to copy the sound of the first album and risk getting boring or the could try getting the sound in a new direction and risk getting less good, so i think a great debut is both a blessing and a curse.
I have to agree most his reviews based from previous albums but he probably only listened to the album a few times. To me this album wasn't immediately awesome, I was really happy when it came out but I had conflicting feelings because of consistency. However after listening to it over and over it grew on me. I feel all crystal castles albums to do this, and I think III is the strong one, everything they come out with just keeps growing more and more on me every time I listen to them.
true, indeed most reviews are based in opinion...but I just find way too many people constantly comparing III to I and basing their opinion of the record because it is dark, hard to listen to, and completely chaotic, a "metal machine music" type record however just my opinion
I'm rather flattered though that you responded, I trust the Needle Drop much more than any music mag in the last while, by all means I Love your reviews
I really liked this album, but I think that's because I search for completely different things in music than you do. I get what you're saying about poorly produced and chaotic chorouses and so on, but all over this album conveyed the dark and awful minds of Ethan and Alice in an extremely beautiful way that just left me speechless. My fav track too is Child I Will Hurt You, and I agree that there were no singles in terms of radiostructioned beats etc, but that's not always what music's about.
I totally get the points about the production. I did a bit of research, and apparently Kath wanted to complete every song on the album in one take, and used purely analogue synthesisers - I guess that's a pretty heavily contributing factor to why the production isn't anywhere near as nice as on the first two. I still enjoyed it though, but, like you, not as much as I or II.
Cal is oozing with talent.
I don't think its there best album, but I really enjoyed it. The overall apocalyptic theme was reflected well with the overuse of reverb and the dark edge to even the dreamer tunes.I think that the fact that Alice's voice is so buried adds a yearning to re-listen to it, because her voice is so faded and distorted you cant r ember it unless listening to it.I definitely bobed my head a lot listening to it. I simply love the vocal engineering on tracks like pale skin, sad eyes and violent youth.
If I had to choose one word to describe Crystal Castles music, it would be Visceral. I consider "Through The Hosiery" to be one of the most intense electronic music tracks ever made. It is such a fine line between making a track which is too intense, like any hardstyle or gabber tracks and making a track that is just intense enough like the afore mentioned "Through The Hosiery" It is in tracks like "Air War" where I really start picking up on Crystal Castles genius. Anyone who has ever stayed up for too many days in a row or done any sort of hallucinogen will recognize the echoed vocals in Air Wars immediately. Vocals which sound identical to the type of Auditory Hallucinations you hear when your in an altered state.
I think III creates a world of its own, with goombas, mushrooms, shiny stars... and a furious fairy. Fascinating, but I don't belong there.
Besides, while tunes are quite catchy, the shoegaze influences prevent the album from being very memorable to me, making it blurry when I want it more dynamic and well-thought.
I actually thought this album is their best production yet...
Been hearing the same things around the webtubes.
I'll reserve judgement 'til I give it a listen.
Good job, again!
Truly an amazing album, again - this is subjective but it’s just not your kind of music. It’s more subtle and less chaotic than previous albums but in a way I like. I wonder how he feels about the album all these years later. Grimes and CC are my favourite artist and one thing I love about both their music is that you have to listen to it multiple times to make sure you catch everything.
I fucking love you Anthony!
I've found so much good music thanks to your videos..
Thanks for doing this man, you're fucking awesome and I love the "fresh winds" i get in my music taste due to the shit you make me listen to.
This band (and album) fricin rocked, so yet again i found something thanks to you.
(I'd give this album a strong 7!)
Its funny watching this after they've become one of the biggest inspirational electropop bands, especially this album. Not to mention their story, which has changed the music industry forever.
That's exactly the issue that I found. I don't pretend to be an expert on the genre, but some of the earlier happy punk songs were the most unique pieces of the genre that I ever stumbled upon.
was i too hard on it?
I didn't like III at first. But the more I listened to it , the more layered it become and tighter overall it seemed. It's a grower
I definitely agree because if you listen to the whole album and compare it to Crystal Castles' last albums, this one just isn't close to being as good. Maybe this is just a stage in their career as they surprise us with something even more original or new in their sound like this album was, in a way… But overall I still love Crystal Castles and I still look forward to their next works. And Grimes is awesome too. Listen to her stuff
there's not going to be any more work from them :(
Harvstermysterinator yeah, i knew after i posted that comment. It really sucks. I wish they would get back together, or at least Alice would come out with new tracks already
I can't really see her style working as a solo artist, I really hope she does though
Harvstermysterinator she does though, she made a mix called dark disco
I agree with this review. The obscuring of Alice's voice really didn't add to the album very much. I also really agree that it is cohesive as well.
personally i love the fact the production has been switched up as producing an album like the other two would have been overkill and a change was needed. the production has changed in a very interesting way which i think sets them apart once again
Strong review, man!
>>> I can't wait for a review of King Animal!
They used all analog synth's and recorded directly to tape. Didn't use any computers. Pretty fucking great
I agree with a lot of points in the review. The album is somewhat of a step down from Crystal Castles (II) in a way, it doesn't have that same flair to it and I believe that is due to the darker direction CC has taken for this new album. At the same time though, I enjoyed a good number of tracks and would agree that this is their most cohesive album. My favorite tracks ended up being Child I Will Hurt You, Transgender, Pale Flesh and Violent Youth.
My rating is 7/10, it's aight. haha
Is that how you interpreted it? I dunno, I don't typically associate those kinds of emotions with the types of beats and instrumentals kath was putting together.
whoever still complains bout kanye's mbdtf should shut up, this album blew my mind the first time i've heard it and wanted to check out if melon appreciated it as well. Unfortunately as always that's impossible so lower than 8 on this project i cant give. Best project of theirs after that the first one, second one and the replacement girl even though the album wid her wasn't that bad, but i cannot compare her to Alice, i mean who can. So long
Aged like milk
Great album, they took a different direction and it sounds all the better for it. Totally disagree with you but everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
He has reviewed the first and last Weeknd mixtapes (So two thirds of the trilogy) and has explained how he felt about Thursday, the second mixtape. He has also reviewed Born to Die a while ago (Not the paradise edition but that's only a few extra tracks).
In short, for the most part he disliked House of Balloons, Thursday and Born to Die but loved Echoes of silence. I would still check out the videos though, very interesting.
I was surprised that u got to review it. I think u should review How to Destroy Angels, Deftones, Soundgarden. Just putting a few out there. Kept kicking ass brother
i love the atmosphere this alum gives me. but sometimes it annoys me that the production is so damn obscured.
Let me start off by saying that pale flesh and affection both have strong witch house influences. Also, I really think that (III) does not target the same people as (I) did. I went to 4/5 CC shows and the audience has definitely changed a lot since then.
Secondly, Anthony usually goes for a more in depth analysis than just stating his musical tastes.
i loved it
it's more about the connection of emotion and mood rather than distinguishing a voice. the album was actually pretty expansive in variety yet cohesive. review Lana Del Rey's Paradise & Vitalic's Rave Age :D the latter being extremely impressive