Doodswens – Lichtvrees
Release Date: 3rd December 2021
Label: Svart Records
Pre-Order
Genre: Black Metal, Extreme Metal, Death Metal.
FFO: Mayhem, Satyricon, Marduk, Darkthrone, Anaal Nathrakh, Dimmu Borgir, Burzum.
Review By: Jay Creepy
You know that moment when you’ve waited your whole metal loving lifetime for something special, and along it comes? One of those moments for me was the discovery of a solid black metal female band. I know there’s Arch Enemy (not really black metal though) and their screaming monster of a vocalist, and there’s maybe others, but I haven’t chanced upon any ‘til now.
Doodswens (Death Wish) are a duo of evil Dutch ladies hellbent on bringing us the old school sound of early Mayhem and Darkthrone. Fast frantic drumming by Inge van der Zon, doom casting guitars along with and above all Fraukje van Burg’s insane vocals.
Track one, In Mijn Bloed is just pulse pounding, resonating with that beautiful echo that is sorely missed that used to vibrate from the classic metal tapes from Norway, raw and uncut without keyboards and orchestral epic sounds dominating proceedings.
To listen to Doodswens let’s make one thing clear, once you first see they are two girls, then forget that otherwise you are placing them almost as a novelty act without realizing because I have to say, Doodswens are serious (also their live shows and even photo shoots reveal this) and are probably one of the hardest and brutal methods of ear torture I have heard in years. Track two is a lengthy scene and interlude which I have absolutely no idea what the bloke is saying, then song three, Zwarte Starr has more melody in the darkness, slower and the rhythms move you to close your eyes. Oh, my dark lord, Fraukje is a marvellous vocalist, she really has resurrected the decayed cadaver of old school black metal, I am almost in tears hearing this, truthfully I am. Just past the four-minute mark, there’s a change up, and I cried out, well gasped, because it is perfect.
So I thought that may have been the peak, I mean what else could happen? Eindzicht and IJsheiligen step right up, grab my throat, whatever. This is gloomy doomy and nasty, even slowing the noise down doesn’t change a damn thing in their power. The echo and the rolling drums are amazing, Het Zwartewaterland has another change midway and I was done, I cannot comment on the songs any more because I do not want to spoil anything for whoever may seek blackness and shadows down the lanes and passages. I will just say however that the title track is in two parts. You wait until you hear them back to back, incredible.
One of the first smash yer face metal albums I ever heard was Cannibal Corpse’s ‘Butchered at Birth’, then around seven or eight years passed, Gorerotted ‘Her Gash I Did Slash’ appeared in my home and I have never forgotten the feeling. Midway I found my way in the inky black to Mayhem, etc, thanks to an old second hand record shop nearby owned by a bloke who kept a few weapons under his counter plus a bottle of pills in the back “In case things get a bit too much” he used to say. Soon after, Anaal Nathrakh unleashed ‘The Codex Necro’ (in my mind they never peaked that debut) Can anyone who reads this recall that emotional rush when they first heard that one, if they’ve heard it? Doodswens capture that same rush in a black bottle, then throws it into the side of your cranium, leaving you dazed and bleeding. This is deranged, showing no mercy, out to pick off survivors afterwards.
Lichtvrees is emotional, the subject matter is apparently depression and Doodswens have layered so much atmosphere over the solid shell that it is an armoured tank. They deserve to be in every home alongside a copy of the Satanic Bible, plus ancient volumes of magick and rituals. Doodswens are essential! I have pre-ordered a copy of this debut, wishing to own the CD by any means necessary. Ladies, you have brought my faith back in the modern scene! The duo are currently causing chaos overseas having toured with a few bands, they are getting noticed and remembered.
(5 / 5)
