I covered Arizmenda just a few days ago for their debut album. I enjoyed that album but found it to be somewhat of a difficult listen, and more of a wall of noise than anything. It had few, if any, dynamics.
I am not really sure what changed in the five years between that album and this one, but Arizmenda have improved leaps and bounds. It does not help that I have not heard the album that was released in between these two. Maybe the evolution was more subtle. Maybe not. I do know that this album is terrific.
For the first half of the album, there are minor differences from what came before. The production is significantly better, allowing the musical elements to truly be heard, which is a massive improvement. But while much of the chaos from the previous release is still present, Arizmenda has reined it in somewhat and introduced a fair amount of melody, particularly in the second half of the album. The songs are still lengthy and somewhat repetitive, but Arizmenda have mastered crafting a dark and imposing atmosphere to the point that the repetitiveness comes across as horrifyingly nightmarish, like a bad dream from which one cannot wake.
This is a mammoth of a record, one that is at the very top of what the Black Twilight Circle offers. After reviewing so many of the albums in the last several days, plus a few more, I can honestly say that this is probably my favorite of the bunch, just barely surpassing the Odz Manouk release and the Volahn full-length. So, if anyone is interested in checking out this scene, those are probably my top three recommendations.
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