To those that thought Crystal Castles was a wrap after Alice Glass quit in 2014, Ethan Kath fires back hard. Amnesty (I) is the Canadian outfits first album in about 4 years, and its an aggressive, noise-filled amalgamation of witch house, electro, industrial, beats and goth pop thats reminiscent of the groups best, past efforts. Losing the de facto face of Crystal Castles could have been detrimental, but Kath enlists Edith Frances, whose enigmatic, controlled vocals sit extremely well with his chaotic, raved-out productions that often defy categorization. Listen to Char, an emotional, melodic tune that highlights Frances voice, or the slower, trap-inspired opener Femen and Sadist. Fleece is a menacing electro-punk smasher, and Enth is another potent rager that reminds listeners of Crystal Castles earlier material.

• music label: Fiction Records 2016

reviewed by donut savage 10/2016