Metalcatto
Some would argue—and be kind of right—that pure Black Metal with genuine quality is kind of dead. Let me tell you that I sort of agree with this statement. However, that doesn’t mean we’ve given up the hopeless search. Enter Doodswens‘s self-titled album, a project that is still in diapers but promises a lot. In fact, everything about this thing screams commitment to the craft. Yet, I’ve been let down so many times before that I don’t want to hold my breath.
Alright, so Doodswens is more pure than I expected. Name any Norwegian OG—Gorgoroth, Kampfar, Satyricon, Carpathian Forest—there’s a bit of all of that here, with the exception that you can actually hear everything that is going on. The production is devoid of white noise, just like your bank account is devoid of funds. That doesn’t mean this is a cute ride. It’s sad, harsh, and unforgiving. Think about Hulder, but instead of the woods, someone is bleeding all over the place. The atmosphere is cold and desperate, the kind that makes you pull your coat tighter even indoors.
It’s pretty smooth how everything comes together. These musicians can write songs—I’ll give them that. Doodswens has a lot of return value, which means you can come back to the album and notice more things every time. Even in its less accessible moments—and there are a few, but I’ll talk about that in a moment—focus on how those riffs and heart-wrenching vocals transport you to a mysterious land full of uncertainty and dread. The tremolo picking is razor-sharp, the drumming is relentless without being overbearing, and the whole thing breathes with a kind of dark authenticity that’s hard to fake.
Okay, so the real difficulty with this album isn’t anything particularly weird, dirty, or even unoriginal. You see, the tracks are freaking long. Before you try to smack me, saying they’re not Proggy long, let me explain: the tracks do go over a few ideas a bit too much for my taste. This is how you know this is really pure Black Metal, because it plays that hypnotic riff too many rounds. But jeez, you can do that with a minute less, right? The repetition serves the atmosphere, sure, but at a certain point, it starts testing patience rather than building tension. A little editing would have made the experience tighter.
Yay—no letdown this time. For those of you who want something fresh in your Black Metal but still want guitars that have that cheese-grater tremolo style, Doodswens is a good option. Even if you dislike the subgenre, I believe this album could be a way for you to hate it less. I know the idea of Black Metal that makes you feel less hateful is less edgy, but your mental health could use something constructive here and there.
Label: Svart Records
Release date: 17 April, 2026
Website: https://www.doodswensband.nl
Country: Netherlands
Score: 3.5/5.0
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