Selbst – Selbst (2017)

After completely blowing us away with their 2015 EP  “An Ominous Landscape”, Selbst returns with a vengeance with their demoralizing full-length debut release. Featuring over 45 minutes of expertly crafted Black Metal, this release is a strong candidate for BM album of the year. With a similar ravaging style to bands like Nightbringer and Watain, this Venezuelan/Chilean duo will ravage your speakers for months to come.

Opening with the bleak atmospheric riffing of “…Of Solitary Ramblings”, the mood is instantly set. Changing vocalists did not slow down this band, as Nicholas Onfray delivers some of the most powerful BM vocals we have heard in a while. The songwriting is quite diverse and while sometimes focuses in building up the atmosphere, some other times like on “Visions of mankind withering” it just focuses on pummeling the listener into submission with piercing aggression.

As the album progresses, tracks like “Instrument of my own destruction” perfectly showcase the band’s versatility as it starts with very moody and atmospheric riffs and it slowly transforms into all-out war with blistering blast beats and violent riffs. Other tracks like “Wandering through grief” like to play around with more melodic and demoralizing riffs that feel desolate and soul crushing. M’s musical abilities perfectly combine many types of Black Metal into devilish tracks that are a pleasure to enjoy once you unravel all the details.

Closing the release with the brutal “Despised and Forgotten” and the mournful “Nefasto calvario” we are left blown away by how punish and harsh, yet refined this self-titled release is. All instruments are on point with the bass guitar providing some playful highlights to the violent guitar and drum work. Overall, Selbst has managed to deliver on all expectations and has put out one of the best Black Metal albums in the history of South America.

Label: Sun & Moon Records

Release: July 10th, 2017

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Venezuela / Chile