Amnesty (I)

Crystal Castles - Amnesty (I)
Critic Score
Based on 25 reviews
2016 Ratings: #874 / 1004
User Score
Based on 515 ratings
2016 Rank: #732
Liked by 22 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

80
The Young Folks

There is no denying that Amnesty (I) marks a new and rather daunting post-Glass era for Crystal Castles and its long-held fans. However, in spite of those realities, it is also an endlessly playable record that could just be the start of something much more promising than expected.

80
Exclaim!

At its core, Amnesty (I) maintains the crux of what made Crystal Castles so great: ethereal electronic soundscapes, glitchy melodies, piercing vocals and cacophonous outbursts just jarring enough to keep listeners on edge.

75
The Line of Best Fit

It doesn’t feel as exciting or dangerous as their previous albums - it’s still a rewarding listen, despite it being the first post-Glass ... but it seems that no matter how good the music here is, nothing can stop Glass’ spectre from haunting the album, as she was such a monumental loss to the band.

70
XS Noize

Amnesty is a great comeback from the threatening brink of extinction for Crystal Castles. The dealing in of Edith Frances on vocals has no negative effects on the release. Kath’s apt producing and guiding of the content leads to a satisfying release that will thrill their fans.

70
PopMatters

All in all, Amnesty (I) is a good album, but not an album that stacks up to the first three that Crystal Castles put out.

70
AllMusic

Even if Amnesty lacks some of the intensity of Crystal Castles' earlier work, it accomplishes the tricky task of providing common ground and a fresh start.

70
Under the Radar

Like him or hate him, Kath can compose stirring electro-maniacal rhythms like no one's business. And Frances captures and carries the tortured exclamation of the first three Crystal Castles albums with conviction.

70
Clash

The truth of the matter is that, as long as it's Ethan Kath behind the mixing desk, it doesn't really matter who the singer of Crystal Castles is.

70
Uncut
Kath pillages heartily from Belgian new beat, braindance, electroclash and EDM cheese to forge brutally effective industrial lullabies.
68
Pitchfork

The first Crystal Castles album without vocalist Alice Glass is also the first safe album from an act that once would have recoiled at such a thought.

67
Consequence of Sound

It might be the most durable Crystal Castles has ever sounded, pushing things forward whereas Kath and Glass used to pull from ‘80s pop and 8-bit sounds.

60
Slant Magazine

The album meets all goth-adjacent indie-dance needs squarely. It doesn't, however, ever transcend those needs.

60
Dork
It’s not a bad album, it just pales in comparison to what came before.
60
The Observer

Glitchy beats, heavily treated vocals and passages of pulverising electronic noise are all still present, and there’s an abiding mood of kohl-eyed gloom.

60
Northern Transmissions

Crystal Castles without Glass has revealed itself to be little more than a vanity project.

60
God Is in the TV

Without Glass, Crystal Castles has become diluted and Amnesty (I) feels like an awkward side-step, rather than a forward leap.

60
Mojo

Amnesty's dark, metallic electro-pop creates an overwhelming Strum Und Drang.

60
The Guardian

An album that, while impressively intense, lacks the human urgency of their earlier work.

60
DIY

While this record is an enjoyable nod to their legacy, it could have given a bolder account of itself.

60
NME

Crystal Castles always were an uncomfortable band, but the bumpy conception of this album and the awkward introduction of new ideas dampen even its most teeth-chattering moments.

60
Drowned in Sound

Amnesty (I) is an odd affair; the sound of a band reborn out of pure necessity yet one where all component parts ring meticulously familiar.

58
Pretty Much Amazing

The first product from Crystal Castles 2.0 is a mixed bag of nostalgia, proficiency, and carefully staged continuity. 

50
No Ripcord

What do you get when you strip Glass out of the equation? A competent Crystal Castles record without the message, and competent is a bit of a stretch considering Kath is trying to step into the zeitgeist with the sort of electronic styles they would’ve otherwise dismissed.

40
NOW Magazine

At 11 tracks, it's tight like a pop album should be. Unfortunately, none of the songs leap out as highlights in the catalogue.

40
The Needle Drop
Crystal Castles did a new thing, and I don’t much care for the thing.
cstuart
73

it’s honestly not bad … still fuck ethan

gec2isabella
20

This album is boring.

Kept on the other hand is for me atleast. The best thing the band ever made and one of the best songs in general.
It is a dissociative anthem for the digital anthem which is somehow slow and mile a minute. It contains multitudes in it's soundscapes.

ShoegazeJake
80

Good music made by shitty guy

SkyHigh696
61

Ayo fuck ethan kath all my homies hate ethan kath

jjlovessomegru
74

Honestly, it's not that bad for a Crystal Castles album without Alice Glass. It can be boring, repetitive, and sometimes so overblown in its sound, but it still feels like Crystal Castles and sometimes it's really catchy. I kinda like the simplicity of this album, because it reminds me of their experimental, simple sound from their first album, with a small hint of the atmosphere that we got for the third album. And I'll also give this album extra points for including one of my favorite Crystal ... read more

GloobLikesMusic
60

Crystal Castles seems to lose itself without Glass.

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Track List

1Femen
2:32
69
2Fleece
2:35
76
3Char
3:08
86
4Enth
3:29
72
5Sadist
2:30
64
6Teach Her How to Hunt
1:55
61
7Chloroform
3:08
68
8Frail
2:49
77
9Concrete
3:16
75
10Ornament
4:07
70
11Kept
4:04
92
12Their Kindness Is Charade
3:45
74
Total Length: 37 minutes
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Added on: June 30, 2016