Crystal Castles III

This article is about the 2012 album by Crystal Castles. For ③, see enclosed alphanumerics. For other uses, see 3 (disambiguation).
Crystal Castles (III)
Studio album by Crystal Castles
Released November 7, 2012
Recorded Warsaw, Poland
Genre
Length 39:33
Label
Producer Ethan Kath
Crystal Castles chronology

(II)
(2010)		 (III)
(2012)
Singles from (III)
  1. "Plague"
    Released: July 25, 2012
  2. "Wrath of God"
    Released: September 26, 2012
  3. "Affection"
    Released: October 31, 2012

(III) is the third studio album by Canadian electronic music duo Crystal Castles. The album was released in the United Kingdom on November 12, 2012.[4][5] It was initially planned to be released on November 5, 2012 before being delayed.[6][7] Produced entirely by Ethan Kath,[5] (III) was recorded in Warsaw and mixed in London.[8] The album addresses the theme of oppression, with the musicians using different pedals and keyboards to create a diverse "palette of sound".[9][10] "A lot of bad things have happened to people close to me since II and it's profoundly influenced my writing as I've realized there will never be justice for them. I didn't think I could lose faith in humanity any more than I already had, but after witnessing some things, it feels like the world is a dystopia where victims don't get justice and corruption prevails," Alice Glass said in a statement.[9] On October 9, 2012, the track listing for the album was revealed via the duo's official Facebook page.[11]

Album artwork

The album cover features a picture by Spanish photographer Samuel Aranda. The image depicts a woman named Fatima al-Qaws holding her son, Zayed, who was exposed to tear gas during a street demonstration in Sana'a, Yemen, on October 15, 2011.[9][12]

Promotion and singles

The album's first two singles, "Plague" and "Wrath of God", were made available for free download on the duo's SoundCloud page on July 25 and September 26, 2012, respectively.[6][9][12][13][14] The accompanying music video for "Plague" debuted on September 24, 2012 and uses footage from Andrzej Żuławski's 1981 film Possession.[15] "Sad Eyes" was released as the album's third single January 2013.[16] "Violent Youth" premiered on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show on November 1, 2012.[17] The fourth single, "Affection", was released March 2013.[18] European tour dates to promote the album were announced on October 17, 2012, on the band's official website.[19]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 76/100[20]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [21]
The A.V. Club C[22]
Consequence of Sound [2]
Drowned in Sound 8/10[23]
The Guardian [24]
The Independent [25]
NME 9/10[26]
The Observer [27]
Pitchfork Media 8.0/10[28]
Slant Magazine [29]

(III) received mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 76, based on 33 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[20] Louis Pattison of the NME commented, "[I]n toning down the shock and awe, [Crystal Castles have] revealed the beating heart at the centre of their work. The message, still, is that the world is a cruel and fucked-up place. But being doomed seldom sounded so beautiful."[26] AllMusic's Heather Phares viewed (III) as the duo's "most serious set of songs yet" and stated, "Artistic progress is as much about subtraction as it is about addition, and on III, Crystal Castles have made room to be sad, angry, pretty, and danceable at the same time."[21] Pitchfork Media's Ian Cohen dubbed (III) "the duo's most focused record", adding, "While not as immediately striking as either Crystal Castles (I or II), the streamlined sound allows more maneuverability and subtle variety in the actual songwriting."[28] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard wrote that the album "continues [the duo's] creative upward trajectory by offering some of the act's most lavish pop moments", calling it "an expertly produced album that, at just nearly 40 minutes, leaves fans wanting more".[30] The Guardian‍ '​s Tim Jonze argued that "Witch House is an obvious influence [on the album], and you could question whether the former chip-tune terrorists are still as ahead of the curve as they once were. It hardly matters when they can come up with stuff like 'Child I Will Hurt You', a dream-state lullaby that is both beautiful and unbearably sorrowful."[24]

In a review for BBC Music, Darren Loucaides commended Crystal Castles for "display[ing] steady progression" and opined that "[t]he ironic thing about (III) sounding so immense is that the tracks are typically less cluttered than the last two records. But the core elements are so big, like blasts of pure plasmic energy, that it sounds planet-sized."[31] Dan Pfleegor of Consequence of Sound noted that "III is less playful than the duo's previous couple of offerings, but it's thematic mood is much tighter and more fully realized."[2] Simon Price of The Independent stated that the album "shudders and shimmers like some massive, monstrous machine. But, when heard loud, the more accurate metaphors come from nature: flashes of lightning at the top end, earthquakes and landslides at the bottom."[25] Drowned in Sound's Sean Adams quipped, "[I]f iii was a pizza it would be kinda disgusting to look at, it would never really cool down and it would probably give me indigestion, but it would taste absolutely delicious."[23] In a mixed review, Jesse Cataldo of Slant Magazine described (III) as "an album of earnest, expansive electronica from a duo few are expecting such sincerity from, and it edges them directly into the middle of the road", while concluding, "In striving for something new, the duo has only found a more recognizable sort of tedium."[29] Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club expressed, "[I]nstead of anarchist dance jams full of crunchy 8-bit noise, (III) is more like a static-filled radio station fading in and out of range." Zaleski continued, "While (III) can use this disorientation effectively [...] too often the music is irritating, not disruptive."[22] Hermione Hoby of The Observer felt that "there's very little on this third LP that could qualify as 'experimental'. Track after track leans heavily on the relentless four-to-the-floor of trance, with Alice Glass's yelped vocals muffled under a weight of sound that's simultaneously boring and abrasive."[27]

Accolades

"(III)" was listed the #1 album of 2012 on Tumblr. (III) was listed at #1 on The Hype Machine's Top Ten Albums of 2012.[32] The NME placed the album at #4 on its 50 Best Albums of 2012 list.[33] Complex ranked the album at number nineteen on its list of The 50 Best Albums of 2012, commenting that "[t]he best thing about (III) is that [Crystal Castles] don't surprise us. Ethan Kath's transfixed instrumentals? Check. Alice Glass' indiscernible lyrics? Check."[34]

Consequence of Sound included (III) at number thirty-nine on its Top 50 Albums of 2012 list and wrote, "Echoing past greats like Depeche Mode, New Order, and even Nine Inch Nails, Glass and Ethan Kath tinker their sound just enough to vacuum the imperfections of (II) and recycle the pulsating energy that made their 2008 self-titled debut so enthralling."[35] The album appeared at number forty-nine on Pitchfork Media's Top 50 Albums of 2012; the website cited it as the duo's "most sonically consistent and unrelentingly bleak album" and concluded, "Where Crystal Castles once seemed like substance-free stylists, with (III), they've crafted an album of haunted protest music."[36]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Ethan Kath and Alice Glass. 

No. Title Length
1. "Plague"   4:56
2. "Kerosene"   3:12
3. "Wrath of God"   3:07
4. "Affection"   2:37
5. "Pale Flesh"   3:00
6. "Sad Eyes"   3:27
7. "Insulin"   1:47
8. "Transgender"   3:05
9. "Violent Youth"   4:22
10. "Telepath"   3:54
11. "Mercenary"   2:39
12. "Child I Will Hurt You"   3:33

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of (III).[37]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[38] 74
Australian Dance Albums Chart[38] 7
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[39] 116
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[40] 134
Irish Albums Chart[41] 93
UK Albums Chart[42] 63
US Billboard 200[43] 77
US Dance/Electronic Albums[44] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (2012) Position
Australian Dance Albums Chart[45] 46

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label
Germany[46] November 7, 2012 Digital download Universal Music
Netherlands[47]
Ireland[48] Fiction Records, Polydor Records
United Kingdom[49]
United States[50] Casablanca Records, Universal Republic Records
Australia[51] November 8, 2012 Shock Records
Canada[52] CD, digital download Last Gang Records
United States[53] CD Casablanca Records, Universal Republic Records
Netherlands[54] Universal Music
Germany[55] November 9, 2012
Ireland[56] Fiction Records, Polydor Records
United Kingdom[57] November 12, 2012 CD, LP
Australia[58] November 16, 2012 CD Shock Records

References

  1. ↑ Doherty, Kelly (November 17, 2012). "Crystal Castles – (III)". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Pfleegor, Dan (November 15, 2012). "Album Review: Crystal Castles – (III)". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  3. ↑ Gieben, Bram E. (November 5, 2012). "Crystal Castles – (III)". The Skinny. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  4. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry (October 18, 2012). "Crystal Castles Push Back Album Release Date". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Crystal Castles delay release of new album 'III' to November 12". NME. IPC Media. October 18, 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lipshutz, Jason (September 26, 2012). "Crystal Castles Announce New Album, Share 'Wrath of God' Track". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  7. ↑ Murray, Robin (September 20, 2012). "Crystal Castles Complete New Album". Clash. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Crystal Castles push new album release to November". NME. IPC Media. September 19, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Minsker, Evan; Pelly, Jenn (September 26, 2012). "Crystal Castles Announce New Album, (III)". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  10. ↑ Louche, Liz (September 27, 2012). "Crystal Castles announce new album, tourdates, ongoing depression". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  11. ↑ Minsker, Evan (October 9, 2012). "Crystal Castles Reveal Album Tracklist". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Crystal Castles unveil new single 'Wrath Of God' and album details – listen". NME. IPC Media. September 26, 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Crystal Castles – Plague". SoundCloud. July 25, 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Crystal Castles – Wrath Of God". SoundCloud. September 26, 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  15. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry (September 24, 2012). "Video: Crystal Castles: "Plague"". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  16. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry (October 31, 2012). "New Crystal Castles: "Affection"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Huw Stephens sits in". BBC Radio 1. November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  18. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry (October 31, 2012). "New Crystal Castles: "Affection"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Tour". crystalcastles.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "(III) – Crystal Castles". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Phares, Heather. "(III) – Crystal Castles". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Zaleski, Annie (November 6, 2012). "Crystal Castles: (III)". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Adams, Sean (November 12, 2012). "Crystal Castles – iii". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Jonze, Tim (November 8, 2012). "Crystal Castles: III – review". The Guardian. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Price, Simon (November 8, 2012). "Album: Crystal Castles, III (Fiction)". The Independent (Independent Print Limited). Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Pattison, Louis (November 9, 2012). "Crystal Castles – '(III)'". NME. IPC Media. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Hoby, Hermione (November 11, 2012). "Crystal Castles: (III) – review". The Observer. theguardian.com. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Cohen, Ian (November 12, 2012). "Crystal Castles: (III)". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Cataldo, Jesse (November 10, 2012). "Crystal Castles: III". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  30. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (November 12, 2012). "Crystal Castles, '(III)': Album Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  31. ↑ Loucaides, Darren (November 8, 2012). "Review of Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles (III)". BBC Music. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  32. ↑ "Hype Machine + Tumblr Music Blog Zeitgeist: Top Ten Albums of 2012". The Hype Machine. Tumblr. December 21, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  33. ↑ Lewis, Luke (November 20, 2012). "50 Best Albums Of 2012". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  34. ↑ Baker, Ernest (December 18, 2012). "The 50 Best Albums of 2012". Complex. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  35. ↑ Roffman, Michael (December 14, 2012). "Top 50 Albums of 2012". Consequence of Sound. p. 2. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
  36. ↑ Stosuy, Brandon (December 20, 2012). "The Top 50 Albums of 2012". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  37. ↑ (III) (CD liner notes). Crystal Castles. Fiction Records. 2012. 3720275.
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 "ARIA Top 100 Albums and ARIA Dance – Week Commencing 26th November 2012" (PDF). ARIA Charts. Pandora Archive. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  39. ↑ "Crystal Castles – (III)" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  40. ↑ "Crystal Castles – (III)" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  41. ↑ "Top 100 Individual Artist Albums". Irish Recorded Music Association. November 15, 2012. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  42. ↑ "Official UK Albums Top 100". Official Charts Company. November 24, 2012. Archived from the original on November 18, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  43. ↑ "Crystal Castles – Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  44. ↑ "Crystal Castles – Chart history: Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  45. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Dance Albums 2012". ARIA Charts. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  46. ↑ "(III) by Crystal Castles". iTunes Store Germany. Apple. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  47. ↑ "(III) by Crystal Castles". iTunes Store Netherlands. Apple. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  48. ↑ "(III) by Crystal Castles". iTunes Store Ireland. Apple. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  49. ↑ "(III) by Crystal Castles". iTunes Store UK. Apple. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  50. ↑ "(III) by Crystal Castles". iTunes Store US. Apple. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  51. ↑ "(III) by Crystal Castles". iTunes Store Australia. Apple. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  52. ↑
  53. ↑ "III". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  54. ↑ "Crystal Castles III | Crystal Castles" (in Dutch). Free Record Shop. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  55. ↑ "CRYSTAL CASTLES | (III)" (in German). Universal Music Germany. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  56. ↑ "Crystal Castles – [Iii]". Tower Records Ireland. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  57. ↑
  58. ↑ "Crystal Castles Lll – Crystal Castles". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved November 11, 2012.

External links