Crystal Castles at Electric Factory

If nothing else, the packed floor at the Electric Factory on Wednesday was proof that Crystal Castles' notoriety has served them well. On recordings, the Canadian duo are known for their violent and confrontational sound, vocalist Alice Glass crushed between the opposing walls of Ethan Kath's symphonic synths and glitchy Game Boy beats. Live, the spasmodic spectacle of Glass writhing and screaming her way through the friction has earned the pair a reputation for putting on one of the most energetic shows electronic music has to offer.

Thanks to the touring Hard Fest's generous lineup, the anticipation in the room on Wednesday had time to build even further over five hours of opening DJ sets - including a stellar showing from the British dubstep fiend Rusko.

But shortly after Crystal Castles finally hit the stage, it became apparent that they had forgotten to bring a performance along with the energy. While Glass' voice is at the center of the band's music, her talents are greatly compromised by her flailing theatrics, and the duo seem to know it.

Whenever the song called for a vocal melody, she was left to bleat uselessly over a recorded loop of herself, and even then she was painfully out of tune throughout. Kath's backing beats also suffered crucially, the finer details and emotional nuances that distinguish songs like "Celestica" and "Empathy" either barely audible or absent entirely.

A live drummer tried to add some dance-punk muscle to the mix, but wound up only further feeding the cacophonous mess that swallowed the band's set whole.

It was the kind of off-the-cuff frenzy that might cut it in a tiny club - and if the band's stop in Philly was any indication, that might be where Crystal Castles' live act belongs. Aside from the few front rows Glass frequently used to crowd-surf, the pair refused to acknowledge the audience, and spent the entire set shrouded in darkness, except for the blinding light of the strobes.

While these measures were no doubt employed in the interest of mystery and intrigue, they only further damned the band's shrill and shambolic performance.

Without any substance behind its cooler-than-thou detachment, Crystal Castles seemed not to be above its audience, but merely afraid of it.