Hailing originally from Venezuela and now residing in Chile, mysterious Selbst mainman N has been making distinct and superior black metal for nearly fifteen years now, and latest full-length Despondency Chord Progressions is a fine place to jump aboard for those new. Joined here by Aversio Humanitatis drummer Jonathan Heredia, this is an intense and emotional form of black metal, at times surprisingly uplifting considering the very dark topics explored. Dead babies are always uncomfortable artistic territory, even without thorns growing out of their heads, and yet the mournfulness of the package comes through clearly once you listen to the music. Driven by often melodic guitars and depressive shouts from N and the multi-limbed technicality of Heredia, this is gripping from the start.

You can hear the influences from the likes of Deathspell Omega and Mgła yet Selbst is clearly its own beast in many ways. It's more small p-progressive as the rockstar guitar wails at the opening of When True Loneliness is Experienced alone make clear, a droning post-black wall of sound thereafter enveloping the listener. Yearning clean vocals make Akercocke a point of reference, as does the near melodic doom guitarplay before speeding back up toward the end of the eight minute piece that doesn't feel it. A smooth and seamless transition to Third World Wretchedness builds on the melodic doom vibes before ramping up into atmospheric blackened raging with near-orchestral grandeur.

There's plenty of straightforward black metal spirit too, opener La encarnación de todos los miedos and Chant of Self Confrontation both built upon heavy blasting even with the dissonant melodies beneath. Yet as the album continues it's easy to see the focus narrow to the more melodic and melancholic explorations, as with Between Seclusion and Obsession's acoustic emotional outpouring, quite like Voices' most dramatic moments, or The One Who Blackens Everything which approaches post-metal at points even as it lives up to its title with intense rushing blasts. By the time the closing Stench of a Dead Spirit rolls in with epic and melodic waves of guitar, among the prettier moments on an album that shows how beautiful black metal can be, it's hard not to be convinced by Selbst's take on the genre. It won't please everyone, but Despondency Chord Progressions shows that even the most marginal of groups can have their own underground style and do well with it, and for those interested in the melodic end of darkness, Selbst are well worth investigation.