This is most pronounced on “Sadist”, a title that, for long-time Crystal Castles fans, would signal hope that it’d be yet another noisy masterpiece. Instead, Kath works well with the new vocalist, molding the production to fit her style. She sings a single line over paranoid synths that, production-wise, harkens back to the first installment of Crystal Castles, but her vocals are notably less aggressive than Glass’. This feeling doesn’t last long as the next song, “Fleece”, marks the first appearance of Frances on the album. A lone ghostly vocal sample is looped and warped as trap hi-hats and a bass that pops in on occasion, providing an uplifting start for a band whose most notable songs have usually veered towards the destructive. The album opens with “Femen”, a number whose greatest influence is simultaneously Clams Casino and the Soundcloud aesthetic that producers have been cultivating this decade. On Amnesty (I), however, Kath’s production often veers towards a calming ambience even when new vocalist Edith Frances unleashes a haunting performance. They could be characterized as synthpop, sure, but so could Phoenix, and it’s difficult to see where the overlap between those two bands lies. Glass especially was known for her willingness to overlook injury or danger in favor of putting on a truly visceral experience. With a new record, Amnesty (I) announced, the question was obvious: How pronounced was Glass’ impact on the band? As the album proves, she played a massive role in the first iteration of the Crystal Castles aesthetic.Ī core component of the Kath/Glass Crystal Castles lineup was that the abrasiveness of their best songs translated into equally raucous live shows. Producer Ethan Kath threw shade at Glass on Soundcloud reading, in part, “it should be rewarding for her considering she didn’t appear on Crystal Castles’ best known songs.” Understandably, Glass retaliated on Twitter, defending her contributions to the band ranging from the lyrics to vocal melodies and the band’s overall aesthetic. But in April 2015, when a new Crystal Castles song was released, “Frail”. Months went by and it seemed that that was that, the unfortunate end to an innovative pairing. In October 2014, singer Alice Glass announced that she was leaving the band for “professional and personal” reasons, marking the end of one of the most exciting duos the late 2000s and early 2010s had produced. As break-ups go, Crystal Castles’ was quick but with a slow-burning aftermath.

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