And so within 140 characters, it came to pass that one of the boldest and most exciting music projects of the late noughties ceased to exist. Whilst it's important not to get too bogged down in hyperbolic "I CAN'T LIVE ANYMORE" stuff , one should take a moment to reflect on the life of Crystal Castles and appreciate what they brought to the table.
To the outsider, Crystal Castles were basically that band who sounded like a video game with some girl screaming. To the initiated, Crystal Castles were a relentless electrical typhoon of excitement. Ethan Kath commanding the storm from his synths with Alice Glass surfing it on her sadistic-punk screams and eyeliner. Crystal Castles created a sound so original that it was hard not to get involved. The music produced across all three albums is utterly captivating.
A short amount of time on Youtube and you'll realise just how upsetting it is that in the foreseeable future, there will be no more Crystal Castles shows. Alice Glass is so full of energy, commanding the stage and your attention by making it impossible to ignore her. Whilst she's still going to be around, it's a shame that we won't see her in the Crystal Castles context again. I would've loved to have seen them whilst they were still around and it's quite sad that the chance to do so has gone. Just look at their Glastonbury 2008 set and feel sorry for yourself because you weren't there...
In their time as Crystal Castles, Alice Glass and Ethan Kath released songs that should now be regarded as anthems for this generation. Tunes like Baptism and Untrust Us are firmly cemented as modern classics. I, II and III contain some of the most innovative, interesting and excellent All good things have to end at some point but it's always sad when they do. Especially when that thing is as twisted, violent but strangely beautiful as Crystal Castles.
