Album Review: Doodswens – Lichtvrees (Svart Records)

Founded in Eindhoven in 2017 by Fraukje van Burg (vocals and guitar) and Inge van der Zon (drums), Doodswens initially erupted into the underground scene in 2019 with their demo.

Now, Svart Records is proud to unleash the debut album from Dutch female black metal duo Doodswens! “Lichtvrees” (translation: fear of light) will be unveiled to the world on the 3rd of December 2021.

A hellacious listen, Lichtvrees is old-school, raw black metal channelling bleak emotions and negative thoughts into 8 tracks of savagery. The sound of an underground band emerging with a bloodlust and evil intentions.

In this world, you need to get listeners attention quickly and succinctly, which is exactly what Dooswerns do with the crawling horror and chaos of In Mijn Bloed. The slow dropping of the tempo sees it go out in doomier fashion when compared to the frantic start.

Very harsh on the mind, the first of two interludes arrive next and can be best described as baffling. Called Onplaatsbaren, it features a man ranting in a language not understood here (presumably Dutch?) with some background noise like cars driving, a distant ambulance and seagulls. What?

That then bleeds into the morose tone of Zwarte Staar, the sorrowful melody eventually joined by the howling vocals and rawer instrumentation. Before it eventually transforms into something far more scathing and mentally assaulting.

The longest track on the album, two seconds short of 9 minutes, is the abrasive Eindzicht. A drawn out and slow-moving effort, brief swells do little to ease the pain this track causes. Before the second interlude, IJsheiligen goes for more atmosphere with haunting, horrifying vocals that build to a screech before the track turns into a terse black metal attack.

Two more nasty numbers, Het Zwartewaterland and the title track follow, as Doodswens continue to spread their bleak sound around with veritable glee. Their skill and ability to make abject miserableness so appealing, is utterly admirable.

Before Lichtvrees II ends things with a short outro that is naturistic and peaceful sounding.

Future superstars of the black metal scene. That much is for sure based off this album.

Doodswens – Lichtvrees Full Track Listing:

1. In Mijn Bloed
2. Onplaatsbaren
3. Zwarte Staar
4. Eindzicht
5. IJsheiligen
6. Het Zwartewaterland
7. Lichtvrees
8. Lichtvrees II

Links

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