Doodswens - Doodswens (2026)

After a highly acclaimed debut release, “Lichtvrees”, Doodswens is back with their eponymous sophomore release with a mostly new line-up but with the same vicious and raw sound. Featuring seven tracks and over 37-minutes of pummeling raw Black Metal, this release is very ferocious and punishingly raw. With I taking on vocals and drums, and P from Dödsrit taking on guitars and additional vocals, the band continues their path spewing some of the most crushing and unfiltered BM in the scene.

Opening with the crushing drumming and savage riffing of “ Driven by Death”, we get a very gritty sounding track that continues the band’s musical path while showing additional levels of brutality. I’s vocals are unrestrained and raw, giving tracks like “Verrot” and “The Black Flame” that little extra to push them over the top as they unleash masterfully riffing and crafty tempo changes while leveling everything in the way.

As our favorite tracks in this release, the hellish “These Wounds Never Healed”, and the slower “She Carries The Curse”, both perfectly deliver harrowing vocal performances against more restrained tempos. We particularly enjoy how these longer songs develop to deliver a vicious and more atmospheric side to the band. However, never letting go of their savage core, tracks like the “Devils Stone” and “Vlaamse vloek”, have that old-school Black Metal grittiness that many bands try to emulate, but only a handful can pull off like these guys.

Overall, “Doodswens” is a pretty solid sophomore release from a highly promising band that even when reconfigured, can still deliver the goods. There are tons of old-school and retro Black Metal bands, but only a handful, like Doodswens, make the music their own enough to have a clear identity and purpose. If you are looking for raw and uncompromising BM with a vicious edge and masterful execution, this is a release to not miss out on.

Rating: 95/100