So I guess Anthony is not a fan of the noise aesthetic, glitches in an album like this are meant to subvert the more refined portions; to immerse you in its fluidity, then jerk you out of it, if only for a moment. I believe the first and last tracks bookend the album beautifully, traveling from hardhouse to shoegaze.
So I guess Anthony is not a fan of the noise aesthetic, glitches in an album like this are meant to subvert the more refined portions; to immerse you in its fluidity, then jerk you out of it, if only for a moment. I believe the first and last tracks bookend the album beautifully, traveling from hardhouse to shoegaze.
I thought that the opening track Fainting Spells was perfect for their second album opening. It's crunchy, it's dark, and it's very very Alice, which is what a huge part of the whole CC thang! But I think the reason for this extreme opening is that Crystal Castles are extreme performers, and seeing them live blew my freakin head off, especially when they opened with Fainting Spells. SEEING THEM LIVE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND DEFINITELY. <3
Took me a LONG time to get into this album, but now I just love it so much, and it's much better than the first album - which did have some great moments, but was mostly a collection of catchy tunes without much depth or substance imo, and that f***ing irritating, repetitive drum loop in almost every song drove me crazy after hearing it OVER and OVER again. Thankfully they cut down on that in this album, and offered more depth, angst and emotion, as well as catchy tunes again. Awesome album :)
I'm feeling the 7/10 review. It doesn't stand against CC(1) as strongly. CC(1) is a masterpiece that is one of the most important electronic albums ever created. This follow up is excellent but was slightly disapointing to some degree.
Absolutely love this album - there are quite a few songs I don't listen to just cos I don't feel anything off of them, and doe deer is kinda lazy. My favorite track overall is year of silence, just because it feels like the soundtrack to some sort of treacherous journey through a winter wilderness, or the mountains :)
i love crystal castles and everything about them. awesome album from an awesome band, btw whos live performance in absolutely amazin and after seeing them for the 4th time i want more!!! cc ftw!!
CC4EVR! I love every one of their songs, I can find no faults. There's never been anything like this. Blows everything away I've ever listened to by thousand's of times. The last time I felt this great about a band was with Rammstein and Nine Inch Nails.
@23lFrench dude you R such in the minority! sooooo coooool! man pop sux! Ke$ha with c#m on breasties sooooo hot tho! -sincerely carles jr. (via the the fast food restaurant)
however: it most certainly deserves an uncontroversial 9/10, if not a 9.5 for the sheer ebullience of "Baptism", the hypnotism of "Pap Smear", the seethingness of "Intimate" etc. In your quickness to dismiss the album as coherent, I think you diminish the libidinal schizophrenia betrayed in the junction between the sensitivity (and, dareisayit, beauty) of "Violent Dreams" and "Suffocation" and the violence of "Baptism" (the best track on the album). This album is too richly plaintive for a 6.
Anthony, I usually agree with you wholeheartedly on your reviews, and here, as always, you take pains to enumerate your thoughts, demonstrating careful listening, but I have to say you have quite misunderstood and underrated this album. It certainly shouldn't have got a ten after the egregious clicky sounds on "Celestica", the pointless "Fainting Spells" or the attenuation of the live-played version of "Baptism" (the excision of the non-chorus lyrics, etc), however:
@Zarathustra06 "The pointless Fainting Spells" LOLZ. 'Fainting Spells' and 'I am Made Of Chalk' are kind of the Intro and Outro of the Album. Not real songs but still important for the listening of the whole album. I bet you would have a different opinion on the track if they imaginative just called it "intro" :B
@superfacialwounds That's a very good point, wounds. When every single song between "Fainting" and "Chalk" is a legitimately awesome single, these two frame the album well. But I still don't find myself listening to these two "songs" all the way through because they're each quite (unnecessarily?) long for intro/outros. Plus, Ethan Kath is so fucking capable, I kinda wish he'd just throw something else there instead -- like "YES NO", or something. I'm for less coherency and more playability!
I believe you have severely underestimated this album. Giving this album a 7/10 is a joke. "For the most part, the album is a pretty chilly, reserved experience, saving most of its aggression for the track 'Doe Deer.'"
Really? This album is FILLED with a seething rage, and it emulates itself in the chorus of Baptism, Fainting Spells, I am Made of Chalk, etc. This album is a sonic vortex of pain and alienation. This album has serious bite to it. Moreso that you give it credit for.
Personally I disagree with a few things you've said, although it's not a bad review. Their first album revolved heavily around the 8-bit sound whereas the second album has really evolved from that less mature sound that they've become so well known for. Of course there's a few tracks that keep their signature sound, however I think they've come a long and it's a really nice progression into a more mature sound. You didn't mention Violent Dreams which I think is one of the best tracks on there.
@DJIGGZ92 Also, if liking 10 tracks on an album isn't enough to get it a really high-end review.. then you most blindly love a lot of albums lol. I can only think of one album in which I like every single song, except one. It's a grower of an album too. Definitely worth a re-listen.
the clicking on celestica never annoyed me. i had a feeling the first time i listened to it, that people would get uptight about it and try to complain. but it turned out to be my favorite song on the album. followed by the somewhat relatable suffocation. great cd.
Baptism was around before the first album was released. It was one of their live only songs, which is why it's similar. I dunno if anyone clarified that or not. I preferred the debut at first, but after a few more listens, It did grow on me. There's a big difference in their sound, and not a lot of groups can change it up and still be just as good if not better. And hey, Birds had a great distorted bass.
hey, love your reviews. thought i'd say i agree that the first album was better, and new release more cohesive. i would go further to say that i feel they more clearly defined their style in this release, and with it sacrificed the catchy content we are used to. i respect the effort, and in fact like the direction it is going. it is evolving, and it can be argued that it didnt evolve enough, but i feel it was a step in a good direction.
they are a little shitty live to be honest. Shes cool but gets wasted at every show i saw and just screeches and writhes around. Fun studio band but bunk on stage. Kinda a MGMT parallel on how they can make some production magic but don't have it when its their time to shine
It's the second time i've seen a video review. Stumbled on this by mistake. The last time was the Mono LP review of To The Immortal Wind. I now rate you highly , i wish publications were as wide spread and even read as they used to be in the 70s as i think you would be a huge writer/editior in this day and age.
The world wide web is the future however, keep up the good work!
i liked some of the new album songs more than songs from the first one,,, but there's also songs from the new album that i totally dislike. so the light 7 its a perfect score.
I know what you mean by "Birds" stabbing needles while you listen. I actually liked this album as much as the other one. But I like it a little bit more because the songs on here sounded less like gameboys sounds thrown on a track. Although, I hope in the future they find new sounds to play with because thats what makes them Crystal Castles
I love this album the only song i hated was birds and the start of I am made of chalk im surprised that you didnt say anything about that track, the 1st song on the track was good and i thought the last album was just as good as this one
Great review I think the album personally is fantastic I have come to the conclusion it isn't better then the first one but still awesome. It is very "druggy" so to speak and a lot softer and slower. Doe dear, fainting spells and baptism are the only tracks that are quite hard but I think it's cool they mixed it up. Fainting spells I actually think is a fantastic opener to the album and they actually have been opening with it at their recent shows. But great review thank you.
Personally i love this album, and this band. Crystal Castles [2010] is much more coherent than the first LP, and has a real flow. I loved, and still love the first LP, but it sounds like a collection of tracks, rather than an album. This is definitely an album. The songs flow, and while there are stand-out tracks (like Doe Deer) that don't quite fit, as a whole the album gels, and excels above their first LP.
I personally didn't like Crystal Castles all that much when they blew up and everyone thought Crimewave was the sound of God's fart. But when this album came out I gave it a chance, and I personally liked it better. Probably because it sounded more druggy. I was a little sad you didn't talk about Violent Dreams, it's my favorite track from this one. :(
Both albums are just as good. They're for different moods. Oh and I couldn't disagree more about Fainting spells. After some listening it really draws you in with it's almost psychedelic head trip. Best use of only four measures of beats towards the end.
I thought this album was a step up actually from their last album a lot more of a finished sound yet I liked the grim and the grittiness of the first album. I would agree it's a lot more chilled out than the first album, but I think that works in their favor. My favorite songs would have to be Baptism, Empathy, and Vietnam. I would have given it a 8 or a 9 but that's because I'm gay for these two.
Wow, you did a really good job with this! I did a review of the album as well, I liked it a lot as well. :D I personally liked this one better, but I definitely appreciate the reasons you gave.
its just alright. they sample themselves again and again though. so your like 'i heard this song already' when in just got lazy and couldn't think of what to do so used it again.
Dear Mr. Fantano, Ive been giving the new CC a lot of listens and I must say that with the exception of Doe Deer (hate it), this album is brilliant. It retains that classic signature CC sound whil creating a full LP of new songs, new vocal manipulations, new crazy and wackk CC 8-bit sounds effects. Its hypnotic, druggy, and above all, I can listen to it over and over again, at bottom, isnt that what makes an album great?
Solid review. Funny I didn't notice that noise you mentioned in Celestica until you mentioned it and of course now that I'm aware of its presence I find it annoying as hell. Track for track the songs that are better on the first album are better then anything here. Magic Spells, Vanished, Courtship Dating, Knights, 1991, Crimewave. Obviously it's personal taste, but I thought there was a lot more emotion in these songs. Still the new album has its moments, and is far from terrible.
I disagree. The first album had more throw away songs than this one. You're not honestly going to tell me you liked "Xxzxcuzx Me", are you? Really? I think it's slightly better than the first one, but admittedly not by much and the high points of both albums sound similar. You totally messed up on the review for Swim though, but I'll forgive you because you introduce me to Papercuts.
I actually like this album better then the first one..it was a better listen on the first time//why was your website and blog shut down? even your twitter? its tough to find your new reviews just on youtube..
i completely agree with you anthony. not as amazing as the first but its still good enough to not be horrible. i do miss the hard/make you wanna mosh to techno/omg my ears are bleeding from these obscene sounds type a stuff but all in all it still crystal castles. and they are 1 of a kind :D
Forgot to mention that "Not in Love" is my favorite song from the record. Crystal Castles being saccharine, or at least their attempt at it, always gets me.
For me, definitely not as good as the first but it solidly quenches my electro-trash duo thirst. Light 8 for me. And I love the beeps on Celestica. BEEP BEEP!
I'm giving this a strong 8. Birds, Celestica, Vietnam, Pap Smear, Doe Deer, Intimate, Baptism, Year of Scilence, and Empathy are awesome. Blows away their debut IMO.
I really like what you are doing, that you review a lot of different stuff, like rock, punk and metal, i can identify with that, cuz when like me you like The Pixies as much as Insect Warfare you get a lot of bullshit, keep it up man.
Oh and i got the Vektor - Black Future awesome shit.
the "beep beep" doesn't bother me. I attribute that to a thick love for Oval's 'Ovalcommers'. But yeah, the beep beep just sounds to me like a reminder of the intensity that is found on other tracks in the album. It's like the tension belongs everywhere.
like it! there is definently no song on this as strong as my favorites from the last album such as untrust us or courtship dating however i still really like most of the songs. i think that maybe upon listening to this album i was judging a little to harshly because i was comparing the songs to the last album, but now that ive listened to it more im really enjoying it.
Crystal Castles is kinda that band you need to listen to once in a while. i liked their first one, there's a LOT of good songs.
their second album they did pretty good....well ok....not as good as their first one. but a SIGUR RÓS SAMPLE?!! YOU MUST SURRENDER YOUR SIGUR RÓS-Y SAMPLES TO ME CRYSTAL CASTLES SO I MAY DIGEST THEM WITH MY EARS!
Didn't listen to the new LP that much, just sorta let it play in the background for one time. From what i've heard, the new album didn't get my attention so far... However, I'm just back from the live show they did in switzerland, it was fucking amazing! Actually my first electronic concert, that was a nice experience.
Actually I'm liking this one more than the first album. I'm not really a fan, personally, of the heavier/noisier songs with the "screeching vocals", but more the laid back Electronica one like Suffocation and...Celestica. I don't mind the *beep*, I think it somewhat adds to the song.
At first I wasn't won over with the new LP, but it sure grows on you. I saw them in Amsterdam Friday and Alice Glass is one of the best frontmen in the world.
I find it funny that a band like this samples another song and they get surrounded by controversy, but when Daft Punk does it, every finds it awesome and not bad at all. Whatever. :P I still love both artists.
Celestica is one of my favorite songs of the decade
xHenri 4 days ago
Loved them both. I lost the CD to CC1, so sad... But hey, look, SOPA didn't pass!
Greendogo 2 weeks ago
hate it and them, just a more conventional and shallow take on the electro clash, chip tunes and new wave stuff I love.
Alianger 1 month ago
Did you say SIG-ur? lol
NightRanger77 3 months ago
i love this fucking album.
TheFurthur 4 months ago
There are few pretty standard techno/pop tracks, but besides that, the album is great.
TheEloeo 4 months ago
What about pap smear. The best song on the album in my opinion. This album is a legend to me. It sounds very mystic contrary to the first album.
The5thFlamingDart 5 months ago
AND EVEN CHIPTOONZ
weighanchorTV 6 months ago
haterrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!! HAHA
cpmafia 7 months ago
Crystal Castles 1 - 10/10
Crystal Castles 2 - 9/10
imo
sketchBendik 7 months ago 2
Fuck you, Fainting Spells and Birds were awesome
isanorhadi 7 months ago 9
I likeeey :D
lymabean12 8 months ago
I love them :) the music is just awsome
TheRealmOfDaniel 8 months ago
It's just a load of bullpucky, I don't give a flip.
helloofiree 8 months ago
the intro was really funny. i loled
boatofcoins 8 months ago
So I guess Anthony is not a fan of the noise aesthetic, glitches in an album like this are meant to subvert the more refined portions; to immerse you in its fluidity, then jerk you out of it, if only for a moment. I believe the first and last tracks bookend the album beautifully, traveling from hardhouse to shoegaze.
masonwh 8 months ago
So I guess Anthony is not a fan of the noise aesthetic, glitches in an album like this are meant to subvert the more refined portions; to immerse you in its fluidity, then jerk you out of it, if only for a moment. I believe the first and last tracks bookend the album beautifully, traveling from hardhouse to shoegaze.
masonwh 8 months ago
it was okeeeeey
10hood17 8 months ago
not as good as the first album. in fact this album was a bit too focused on being depressing. so its not as enjoyable.
OdeToNecrophilia 8 months ago
@OdeToNecrophilia well, when you're depressed, it's a release
Chacha5678 2 months ago
Alice Practice was the best song and that album. EVERYTHING ELSE WAS WORTHLESS. Maybe I'm wrong. I'll listen to it again
rocka156 9 months ago
when you say baptism you sound way too much like brick from the middle
(1:34)
BlueTriggerFish 9 months ago
Like the 2nd better . New style
tyrantskater14 10 months ago
first album was better fo sho
WettarN 10 months ago
I felt the second album was better than the first
isanorhadi 10 months ago
I thought that the opening track Fainting Spells was perfect for their second album opening. It's crunchy, it's dark, and it's very very Alice, which is what a huge part of the whole CC thang! But I think the reason for this extreme opening is that Crystal Castles are extreme performers, and seeing them live blew my freakin head off, especially when they opened with Fainting Spells. SEEING THEM LIVE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND DEFINITELY. <3
crystalcomplexion 10 months ago
Totally agree, first album every track was amazing. Second hard to live up to from the first!
msredfishbluefish 11 months ago
mgmt suckssssss
birds is actually my fav track
DAFTJUSTICE1 11 months ago
mgmt suckssssss
DAFTJUSTICE1 11 months ago
i give this a srong 8. the first for me was a 10. i love crystal castles so much.
comedyliker12 11 months ago
This album is plain and simple my friends, its fuckin amazing! especially empathy :)
Mimo1991 11 months ago
Took me a LONG time to get into this album, but now I just love it so much, and it's much better than the first album - which did have some great moments, but was mostly a collection of catchy tunes without much depth or substance imo, and that f***ing irritating, repetitive drum loop in almost every song drove me crazy after hearing it OVER and OVER again. Thankfully they cut down on that in this album, and offered more depth, angst and emotion, as well as catchy tunes again. Awesome album :)
Kut0x 11 months ago
TND = always chill.
jgil1966 11 months ago
I'm feeling the 7/10 review. It doesn't stand against CC(1) as strongly. CC(1) is a masterpiece that is one of the most important electronic albums ever created. This follow up is excellent but was slightly disapointing to some degree.
designerprons 1 year ago
Absolutely love this album - there are quite a few songs I don't listen to just cos I don't feel anything off of them, and doe deer is kinda lazy. My favorite track overall is year of silence, just because it feels like the soundtrack to some sort of treacherous journey through a winter wilderness, or the mountains :)
CryogenicXsean 1 year ago
i love crystal castles and everything about them. awesome album from an awesome band, btw whos live performance in absolutely amazin and after seeing them for the 4th time i want more!!! cc ftw!!
87blackpanther 1 year ago
lol i loved this whole album it was diff from there previous work so i had to hand it to them for evolving their sound
KingCrimsonIV 1 year ago
alice glass recorded this album in the dead of winter, so no wonder theres tons of screatching ha.
i loved this album, every song on it is unique. but i couldnt help but notice the similarity in Baptisim and Suffocation... have u noticed?
4535ification 1 year ago
I felt almost the same as you. My favorite songs ended up being ones that sounded like their first LP. Still a pretty good album
xHenri 1 year ago
lol "druggy"!
Ohkittykitty1 1 year ago
CC4EVR! I love every one of their songs, I can find no faults. There's never been anything like this. Blows everything away I've ever listened to by thousand's of times. The last time I felt this great about a band was with Rammstein and Nine Inch Nails.
XenBuddhist 1 year ago
-runs with shit in pants- CRYSTAL CASTLES
frenchythenazi 1 year ago
The first track is Empathy is backwards! IT'S SO EPIC!!!!
How could you not appreciate that genius?
t3amtomahawk 1 year ago
cc4life!
abstractdavid 1 year ago
that was awesome when you running!!!
necronominate 1 year ago
@ The Babymank Please step in front of a bus. Anybody who calls someone a hipster is worse than a hipster.
AllTheCloudsArePink 1 year ago
you fucking hipster... i'm going to come to your house and steal your genitals.
(ha, i already tracked u down, my other extremist friend said it was easy.
TheBabymank 1 year ago
MGMT's latest album is amazing but their first one was very inconsistent.
23lFrench 1 year ago
@23lFrench dude you R such in the minority! sooooo coooool! man pop sux! Ke$ha with c#m on breasties sooooo hot tho! -sincerely carles jr. (via the the fast food restaurant)
Cardg7 1 year ago
however: it most certainly deserves an uncontroversial 9/10, if not a 9.5 for the sheer ebullience of "Baptism", the hypnotism of "Pap Smear", the seethingness of "Intimate" etc. In your quickness to dismiss the album as coherent, I think you diminish the libidinal schizophrenia betrayed in the junction between the sensitivity (and, dareisayit, beauty) of "Violent Dreams" and "Suffocation" and the violence of "Baptism" (the best track on the album). This album is too richly plaintive for a 6.
Zarathustra06 1 year ago
Anthony, I usually agree with you wholeheartedly on your reviews, and here, as always, you take pains to enumerate your thoughts, demonstrating careful listening, but I have to say you have quite misunderstood and underrated this album. It certainly shouldn't have got a ten after the egregious clicky sounds on "Celestica", the pointless "Fainting Spells" or the attenuation of the live-played version of "Baptism" (the excision of the non-chorus lyrics, etc), however:
Zarathustra06 1 year ago
@Zarathustra06 "The pointless Fainting Spells" LOLZ. 'Fainting Spells' and 'I am Made Of Chalk' are kind of the Intro and Outro of the Album. Not real songs but still important for the listening of the whole album. I bet you would have a different opinion on the track if they imaginative just called it "intro" :B
superfacialwounds 1 year ago
@superfacialwounds That's a very good point, wounds. When every single song between "Fainting" and "Chalk" is a legitimately awesome single, these two frame the album well. But I still don't find myself listening to these two "songs" all the way through because they're each quite (unnecessarily?) long for intro/outros. Plus, Ethan Kath is so fucking capable, I kinda wish he'd just throw something else there instead -- like "YES NO", or something. I'm for less coherency and more playability!
Zarathustra06 1 year ago
I believe you have severely underestimated this album. Giving this album a 7/10 is a joke. "For the most part, the album is a pretty chilly, reserved experience, saving most of its aggression for the track 'Doe Deer.'"
Really? This album is FILLED with a seething rage, and it emulates itself in the chorus of Baptism, Fainting Spells, I am Made of Chalk, etc. This album is a sonic vortex of pain and alienation. This album has serious bite to it. Moreso that you give it credit for.
10/10
grule3212 1 year ago
Has anyone else noticed that Celestica, Baptism, and Suffocation have the same melody?
HexxHK 1 year ago
Everytime I hear the sample in the opening of Vietnam, my heart jizzes a little bit.
steviethellama 1 year ago 22
@steviethellama HAHAH. Exactly.
Zarathustra06 1 year ago
haven't heard the entire album yet, but if the rest of it sounds as trash as doe deer than ill be sure to stay far away.
theredkatana 1 year ago
I liked it but honestly I can't figure out why. sometimes when I listen to this say...with another person in the room it sounds pretty bad
Kubiak04 1 year ago
Nice review. Just wanted to make sure you knew that Robert Smith is featuring in 'Not in Love', singing the vocals for the new single!
rabbitboy100 1 year ago
I loved the entire except for I am made of Chalk
mike2928 1 year ago
i love this album. more and more, everytime i hear it.
misty666 1 year ago
with all due respect to their fans, i was very unimpressed with this release. it just bored me. sorry.
MrBlairblack 1 year ago
Personally I disagree with a few things you've said, although it's not a bad review. Their first album revolved heavily around the 8-bit sound whereas the second album has really evolved from that less mature sound that they've become so well known for. Of course there's a few tracks that keep their signature sound, however I think they've come a long and it's a really nice progression into a more mature sound. You didn't mention Violent Dreams which I think is one of the best tracks on there.
DJIGGZ92 1 year ago
@DJIGGZ92 Also, if liking 10 tracks on an album isn't enough to get it a really high-end review.. then you most blindly love a lot of albums lol. I can only think of one album in which I like every single song, except one. It's a grower of an album too. Definitely worth a re-listen.
DJIGGZ92 1 year ago
my favorite album since 2 years. 10/10
kokodoriskoko 1 year ago
Nice story video-bro. Crystal Castles 2 is a masterpiece whether you like it or not.
korey9000 1 year ago
crystal castles suck an unfathomable amount of chode.
MyDiamondStarCar 1 year ago
Pap smear is so chilling and intense and wonderful. But thats all i felt. The first album just seemed so much more fantastic in my opinion. :D
xolemonlime2 1 year ago
Very articulate, I agree fully, thanks for the vid.
Antwonability 1 year ago
Doe deer rapes my ears but pap smear is some good shufflin music
infinity6655 1 year ago
Comment removed
GREENWARRI0R 1 year ago
the clicking on celestica never annoyed me. i had a feeling the first time i listened to it, that people would get uptight about it and try to complain. but it turned out to be my favorite song on the album. followed by the somewhat relatable suffocation. great cd.
smokelakes 1 year ago
Sounds new and fresh. Way better production.
perrynelson777 1 year ago
Haha 'Birds' is my favourite track on the album!
kiwifaraway 1 year ago
Baptism was around before the first album was released. It was one of their live only songs, which is why it's similar. I dunno if anyone clarified that or not. I preferred the debut at first, but after a few more listens, It did grow on me. There's a big difference in their sound, and not a lot of groups can change it up and still be just as good if not better. And hey, Birds had a great distorted bass.
Ravemecaptain 1 year ago
i used to hate crystal castles cus i got annoyed of em haha there lol okay now
virginkiller777 1 year ago
Pap Smear anyone? Guess I'm the only one who's fav song is pap smear...
TampaTypeS 1 year ago
hey, love your reviews. thought i'd say i agree that the first album was better, and new release more cohesive. i would go further to say that i feel they more clearly defined their style in this release, and with it sacrificed the catchy content we are used to. i respect the effort, and in fact like the direction it is going. it is evolving, and it can be argued that it didnt evolve enough, but i feel it was a step in a good direction.
peanutbutterdisco 1 year ago
they are a little shitty live to be honest. Shes cool but gets wasted at every show i saw and just screeches and writhes around. Fun studio band but bunk on stage. Kinda a MGMT parallel on how they can make some production magic but don't have it when its their time to shine
KJansen00 1 year ago
@KJansen00 I disagree I saw them live just last night and they put on a hell of a show.
wtficantgetanamewtf 1 year ago
@wtficantgetanamewtf im glad to hear it i really enjoyed they albums and was sad to see them so dreary in concert
KJansen00 1 year ago
It's the second time i've seen a video review. Stumbled on this by mistake. The last time was the Mono LP review of To The Immortal Wind. I now rate you highly , i wish publications were as wide spread and even read as they used to be in the 70s as i think you would be a huge writer/editior in this day and age.
The world wide web is the future however, keep up the good work!
(Character limit i shall post over this)
solarwinter86 1 year ago
i liked some of the new album songs more than songs from the first one,,, but there's also songs from the new album that i totally dislike. so the light 7 its a perfect score.
padfootwatchtv 1 year ago
I know what you mean by "Birds" stabbing needles while you listen. I actually liked this album as much as the other one. But I like it a little bit more because the songs on here sounded less like gameboys sounds thrown on a track. Although, I hope in the future they find new sounds to play with because thats what makes them Crystal Castles
MrDonnie245 1 year ago
I love this album the only song i hated was birds and the start of I am made of chalk im surprised that you didnt say anything about that track, the 1st song on the track was good and i thought the last album was just as good as this one
Vote1Jimmy 1 year ago
Crystal Castles - Year of Silence
illumineon 1 year ago
the song i am made of chalk will only sound good under the influence, buht i do l0ve tha new album! ;]
midnghtriott 1 year ago
@midnghtriott
If you can't hear the musical qualities of this album without drugs that is fairly shallow.
Sure it might be enhanced by them but without it is still a wonderful piece of music.
Adamozomg 1 year ago
Hey mate,
Great review I think the album personally is fantastic I have come to the conclusion it isn't better then the first one but still awesome. It is very "druggy" so to speak and a lot softer and slower. Doe dear, fainting spells and baptism are the only tracks that are quite hard but I think it's cool they mixed it up. Fainting spells I actually think is a fantastic opener to the album and they actually have been opening with it at their recent shows. But great review thank you.
dantheman108 1 year ago
Personally i love this album, and this band. Crystal Castles [2010] is much more coherent than the first LP, and has a real flow. I loved, and still love the first LP, but it sounds like a collection of tracks, rather than an album. This is definitely an album. The songs flow, and while there are stand-out tracks (like Doe Deer) that don't quite fit, as a whole the album gels, and excels above their first LP.
curly430 1 year ago
Crimewave has 55 plays on my itunes, my most played song.
briano1983 1 year ago
do not put mgmt and crystal castles in the same sentence EVER
Crystal Castles > Mgmt
bubblepopelictric 1 year ago 52
@bubblepopelictric Strongly agree.
kbs1212 1 year ago
@bubblepopelictric I'm gonna break your fucking rule.
Crystal Castles and MGMT are both really great bands.
IHATE3v3ry1 1 year ago 2
@bubblepopelictric MGMT and CC are both amazing dipshit. fucking sick of musical snobs like you.
Darin847 1 year ago
@bubblepopelictric lol what an ignorant statement. they're both unique and great in their own ways.
WhytRabbits 1 year ago
@bubblepopelictric lmao! WHAT? oh god..
X3745X 9 months ago
@bubblepopelictric lmao! WHAT? oh god..
X3745X 9 months ago
@bubblepopelictric they are very good but mgmt are a different class
StokeCityFC44 8 months ago
@bubblepopelictric Odd, I thought you were going to go MGMT > Crystal Castles :P
Really I don't think they're too similar though other than both use electronics...
scarletrobin 8 months ago
I personally didn't like Crystal Castles all that much when they blew up and everyone thought Crimewave was the sound of God's fart. But when this album came out I gave it a chance, and I personally liked it better. Probably because it sounded more druggy. I was a little sad you didn't talk about Violent Dreams, it's my favorite track from this one. :(
Jalkotsu 1 year ago
Both albums are just as good. They're for different moods. Oh and I couldn't disagree more about Fainting spells. After some listening it really draws you in with it's almost psychedelic head trip. Best use of only four measures of beats towards the end.
ChesterAsucka 1 year ago
I love your intros they're so hilarious
wtficantgetanamewtf 1 year ago
guess you like comfortable music as i watched some of your vids
shit311 1 year ago
Fainting Spells is one of my favorites. i think it's beautiful. really.
feldmanspotatoes 1 year ago
Hahaha (runs across screen) Crystal Castles.
Love it Fantano :)
daydreaming92 1 year ago
your review sucks! of course the 2nd album is gonna be different from the first who makes albums all the same...
phantomgrrl20 1 year ago
I thought this album was a step up actually from their last album a lot more of a finished sound yet I liked the grim and the grittiness of the first album. I would agree it's a lot more chilled out than the first album, but I think that works in their favor. My favorite songs would have to be Baptism, Empathy, and Vietnam. I would have given it a 8 or a 9 but that's because I'm gay for these two.
jcxc13 1 year ago
Wow, you did a really good job with this! I did a review of the album as well, I liked it a lot as well. :D I personally liked this one better, but I definitely appreciate the reasons you gave.
IAmNotATitan 1 year ago
I gave up @ 2:45
Hadouken65 1 year ago
i think they moved a step forward, even if its a tiny step
i love the album
kidamnesiac11 1 year ago
Fainting Spells and Doe Deer<3 I agree with you, btw, that the 1st was better then the 2nd.
lion246lamb 1 year ago
It's amazing. Because crystal castles is amazing.
maddiluvsJohnnyDepp 1 year ago
its just alright. they sample themselves again and again though. so your like 'i heard this song already' when in just got lazy and couldn't think of what to do so used it again.
RedDress 1 year ago
The only track i don't suggest in this lp is violent dreams. but you're so true about the sound being almost similar in some tracks.
90nizam 1 year ago
Dear Mr. Fantano, Ive been giving the new CC a lot of listens and I must say that with the exception of Doe Deer (hate it), this album is brilliant. It retains that classic signature CC sound whil creating a full LP of new songs, new vocal manipulations, new crazy and wackk CC 8-bit sounds effects. Its hypnotic, druggy, and above all, I can listen to it over and over again, at bottom, isnt that what makes an album great?
rockman22 1 year ago
Solid review. Funny I didn't notice that noise you mentioned in Celestica until you mentioned it and of course now that I'm aware of its presence I find it annoying as hell. Track for track the songs that are better on the first album are better then anything here. Magic Spells, Vanished, Courtship Dating, Knights, 1991, Crimewave. Obviously it's personal taste, but I thought there was a lot more emotion in these songs. Still the new album has its moments, and is far from terrible.
fadplastic 1 year ago
I disagree. The first album had more throw away songs than this one. You're not honestly going to tell me you liked "Xxzxcuzx Me", are you? Really? I think it's slightly better than the first one, but admittedly not by much and the high points of both albums sound similar. You totally messed up on the review for Swim though, but I'll forgive you because you introduce me to Papercuts.
AMNEeSIAC1 1 year ago
@AMNEeSIAC1 how can you not love "Xxzxcuzx Me"???
GREENWARRI0R 1 year ago
intimate + vietnam....the 2 best songs on this lp, imo.
thienly 1 year ago
@thienly suffocation, baptism, year of silence, emphaty also
tamales458 1 year ago
get a life
kaptanmagaraadami34 1 year ago
I actually like this album better then the first one..it was a better listen on the first time//why was your website and blog shut down? even your twitter? its tough to find your new reviews just on youtube..
jdguitarplayer 1 year ago
i completely agree with you anthony. not as amazing as the first but its still good enough to not be horrible. i do miss the hard/make you wanna mosh to techno/omg my ears are bleeding from these obscene sounds type a stuff but all in all it still crystal castles. and they are 1 of a kind :D
kile777 1 year ago
love love love 10/10 !
TheKalebKouture 1 year ago
That better be just a solid Earth shirt, I can't see the bottom.
turtledeerbirdinsect 1 year ago
Forgot to mention that "Not in Love" is my favorite song from the record. Crystal Castles being saccharine, or at least their attempt at it, always gets me.
hightimesbruce 1 year ago
I loved a lot of this record Anthony. Thanks for reviewing it!
hightimesbruce 1 year ago
For me, definitely not as good as the first but it solidly quenches my electro-trash duo thirst. Light 8 for me. And I love the beeps on Celestica. BEEP BEEP!
blackwhale 1 year ago
that's me on the lp cover
jerkstore 1 year ago 23
bro you didn't review the song I am made of chalk. :c (one of my favorite songs on this album)
JohnnyFoxDarko 1 year ago
yeah man crystal castles. back and forth. forever.
insertcolorhere 1 year ago
I'm giving this a strong 8. Birds, Celestica, Vietnam, Pap Smear, Doe Deer, Intimate, Baptism, Year of Scilence, and Empathy are awesome. Blows away their debut IMO.
WolfataDoor 1 year ago
I really like what you are doing, that you review a lot of different stuff, like rock, punk and metal, i can identify with that, cuz when like me you like The Pixies as much as Insect Warfare you get a lot of bullshit, keep it up man.
Oh and i got the Vektor - Black Future awesome shit.
cristoinhumano 1 year ago
the "beep beep" doesn't bother me. I attribute that to a thick love for Oval's 'Ovalcommers'. But yeah, the beep beep just sounds to me like a reminder of the intensity that is found on other tracks in the album. It's like the tension belongs everywhere.
finalmattasy 1 year ago
like it! there is definently no song on this as strong as my favorites from the last album such as untrust us or courtship dating however i still really like most of the songs. i think that maybe upon listening to this album i was judging a little to harshly because i was comparing the songs to the last album, but now that ive listened to it more im really enjoying it.
bishicutu 1 year ago
I'm freaking obsessed with the damn album =/ I love it, every single song... nice review fella.
jakoblangley 1 year ago
CC > MGMT
louisunderwood 1 year ago
This and MGMT are my favorites of 2010.
WolfataDoor 1 year ago
hahahahhaha i love all the introductions
adonepelagree 1 year ago
I agree with most of your opinions.
and yes... the friggin beep beep on Celestica drives me crazy... it TICKLES!
great review.
andilu01 1 year ago
I like the more mellow tone to the new one, I can do homework to it without freaking out into a pencil-on-book drum session or misspelling things.
afranda 1 year ago
BEEP BEEP
MaxwellMurderx7 1 year ago
holy crap you play bass
StickManga 1 year ago
I loved this album, and I know a lot of people who are totally obsessed with it.
SirAllAboutMusic 1 year ago
my favorite of 2010 so far... just takes u places :)
angelomfg 1 year ago
LOVE IT!!! "Baptism" is amazing.
archimmes 1 year ago 2
i respectuflly disagree. i ike the second album better
Tomaldinho9 1 year ago
do your neighbors ever wonder what the hell it is your doing with a camera in your yard lol?
dwelman1 1 year ago
'Not in Love' being my favorite track: dreamy vocals with a simple beat. Probably the most basic track on the LP. No surprises
8/10 *I'm too kind.
Velitaris 1 year ago
The first album I felt was repetitive and overrated, this one is more dynamic, I like dat.
africathecountry 1 year ago
Best intro ftw!
SequelToThePrequel 1 year ago
What a horrible album cover.
chazgcg 1 year ago
@chazgcg agreed
mrwiggles2000 1 year ago
Crystal Castles is kinda that band you need to listen to once in a while. i liked their first one, there's a LOT of good songs.
their second album they did pretty good....well ok....not as good as their first one. but a SIGUR RÓS SAMPLE?!! YOU MUST SURRENDER YOUR SIGUR RÓS-Y SAMPLES TO ME CRYSTAL CASTLES SO I MAY DIGEST THEM WITH MY EARS!
NeonFoxLetsPlays 1 year ago
great great review. also the intro was hilarious
gingerrokker 1 year ago
Didn't listen to the new LP that much, just sorta let it play in the background for one time. From what i've heard, the new album didn't get my attention so far... However, I'm just back from the live show they did in switzerland, it was fucking amazing! Actually my first electronic concert, that was a nice experience.
timmy41 1 year ago
Actually I'm liking this one more than the first album. I'm not really a fan, personally, of the heavier/noisier songs with the "screeching vocals", but more the laid back Electronica one like Suffocation and...Celestica. I don't mind the *beep*, I think it somewhat adds to the song.
SuperPoweredMan 1 year ago
At first I wasn't won over with the new LP, but it sure grows on you. I saw them in Amsterdam Friday and Alice Glass is one of the best frontmen in the world.
shabba286 1 year ago
I like this album a lot. Nice cover of Doe Deer, that was awesome.
WolfataDoor 1 year ago
Also, the cover art is fucking creepy.
WolfataDoor 1 year ago
i love this album, it just sounds amazing
wizardofxenia 1 year ago
I find it funny that a band like this samples another song and they get surrounded by controversy, but when Daft Punk does it, every finds it awesome and not bad at all. Whatever. :P I still love both artists.
TheSenileFeline 1 year ago
CC forever.
tpsisokayiguess 1 year ago
pretty much felt the same way you did :)
TheDevilBurning 1 year ago
poop
MAXIMUSMISCHIEF 1 year ago
@MAXIMUSMISCHIEF doo doo
theneedledrop 1 year ago
1:47 FTW!
by the way, Baptism sounds like they were sampling My Love by Justin Timberlake
KingWi11 1 year ago
This review is pretty darn spot on. I still enjoy the first album more, but i am definitely digging this album.
Keep reviewing and ill keep watching.
zphillis 1 year ago 6
@zphillis keep watching and i'll keep reviewing.
theneedledrop 1 year ago 3
@theneedledrop i hope your gonna review the interpol record when its out..
carbonkid 1 year ago
@zphillis
exactly
Souperfro 1 year ago