ALBUM REVIEW: Lichtvrees – Doodswens
The Netherlands has long been fertile ground for black metal, and subtly unconventional varieties have tended to flourish there. CARACH ANGREN and URFAUST have certainly done their part to cement that reputation. There is also a thriving underground scene there, and while half of those projects probably belong to Maurice de Jong, there are plenty of other innovators to explore beneath the surface. In recent years, one name keeps reappearing: DOODSWENS. So far they have reaped underground infamy on the back of a self-titled demo and a split single with fellow Dutch occultists ADVERSARIUS, but their potential is best seen in their live performances where their expansive-yet-raw sound can be felt as well as heard. Their appearance as part of the Svart Sessions series at last year’s Roadburn Redux gave us all a tantalising glimpse of the duo in action, and a string of other European festival sets soon followed. Vocalist and guitarist Fraukje van Burg and drummer Inge van der Zon found time to write and record their debut full-length Lichtvrees, which saw the cold light of winter last week.
DOODSWENS‘ approach to creating black metal is, on the face of it, assuredly traditional. Apart from a few samples and guitar effects here and there, no extraneous elements encroach on their orthodox style and sully the solemn purity of it all. The duo forsake even the bass guitar in conjuring their bleak vision. This stripped to the bone ensemble allows DOODSWENS to be exceptionally versatile in their songwriting and agile in its delivery, and it’s here that they become exceptional. The chilling emptiness of Zwarte Staar, which builds slowly into the mid-paced misery of Eindzicht, is simply not possible when too many musicians try and impose their talents on a piece. Having just three elements to work with, DOODSWENS have nowhere to hide: the strength of the material and its performance must speak for itself.
Judicious use of reverb and delay draw out van Burg’s guitar tone to make Lichtvrees sound much larger their demo, and considerably less thin than the In De Schaduwen Der Levenden single. It’s more representative of their live sound, which is by no means a bad thing, and fans will certainly appreciate having that atmosphere captured for posterity. Van der Zon’s drumming, meanwhile, is practically virtuosic within black metal’s limited framework. The double bass attack is there to provide its propulsive rhythm, but there is much more creativity at play here than we’ve come to expect from extreme metal drumming. Small nuances and fills flesh out necessary repetitions, and her ability to drop in and out of a mid-paced rhythm provides the variety which makes Lichtvrees compelling from start to finish.
DOODSWENS have studied and rehearsed the foundational elements of their style to exhaustion, and this duo excels at delivering that cold and bleak core to a very high standard. Unlike most debut albums, no apologies or qualifications need to be made here for youthful exuberance or inexperience. Lichtvrees has that rare quality of practiced restraint, which puts it head and shoulders above the overhyped underground black metal albums which tend to disappoint. DOODSWENS have exceeded even the highest expectations with Lichtvrees, which will lend a chilling black edge to your anti-festivities this year.
Rating: 9/10
Lichtvrees is out now via Svart Records.
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