Andrew Danso

‘What a bunch of head cases’ you might say in response to hearing the EP played back in your kitchen. Not that they’re a little madcap or that the music echelons into the candid territories of white-noise, it’s just that somehow, they’ve put their adlib and improvised riffs into fully structured, metal tracks. It’s convincing. Tied in knots like the metal-cum-jazz fleeting Ephel Duath, Castles pull off their complications with a great amount of aplomb, staying toe-to-toe with some kind of structure; but they're more an unpredictable animal, the more you try and conform their sound to a single buzzword or schmaltzy phrase.

‘The punk end of hardcore metal with a capital P’ is probably the best you’re getting out of this snobby critic. Or, the most therapeutic migraine you’ll get, for under a tenner. Take your pick.

9/10 Powerplay #140