For those of you who’ve never heard of Arizmenda, the members of the band are part of the Black Twilight Circle, a movement in Southern California that wish to distinguish themselves from the rest of the black metal scene. Black Twilight Circle is comprised of mysterious entities active in the release of black metal records that push the boundaries of the genre and often feature strange melodies and uncompromising experimentation. What makes Arizmenda different from hordes of black metal bands simply comes down to the music, with intense, raspy vocals; riffs that at times sounds progressive, catchy or discordant; a fitting and original concept; an atmosphere that sounds like an extension of how we perceive the physical form, thus sounding transcendental in ways that the Black Twilight Circle members wish to create in music both authentic and unusual.
There are no punk influences here. No pictures depicting scenes of sadomasochism. The music takes you to another world and is the only point of contention involved in the listening experience. Music, after all, should be heard, not simply fortified by other means of perception, images being integral in the formulation of an opinion about the record. Some of the dissonance found on Arizmenda’s Stillbirth in the Temple of Venus weave in and around riffs that sound memorable. Haunting dirges that a listener may find characteristic of progressive elements in black metal, such as that of Svartidaudi and Deathspell Omega, are in abundance. The riffs are central to the compositions, and are unusual and original, but never disharmonic or out-of-sync. It might blow by you like some black metal records do, but listen intently and the sound of Arizmenda’s music encapsulates and captivates, allowing for a rewarding listening experience difficult to put into words. The screams, as mentioned, sound absolutely demented on Stillbirth in the Temple of Venus. The vocalist does a good job of tearing his larynx into splinters as he rasps and screeches in a manner only relative to persons who suffer deep-seeded emotional and mental anguish.
The song titles pique my interest, resulting in an attempt to search for any conceptual relation between music and designation. Often, a conclusion is reached that the music surpasses any preconceived notions that belie the use of such unusual names. Concepts, no doubt serving as inspiration for the music, aptly accompany the compositions in ways that marry the gruesome titles with the discordant melodies. Some ideas are basic to the composition of music: writing riffs that sound cool, but original. In fact, the members of the Black Twilight Circle stress that their collective output rings in the minds of listeners not out of recognition of the music, but instead that it stands out for the collective in ways that satisfy the artist first, never adhering to trends that dictate to casual listeners interested in records for whatever perception exists outside of the music. This is a record for fans wishing to experience a different style of black metal. Listen with headphones and let the melodies wrap around your thoughts for one blissfully maddening moment, until you find yourself in another world.
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