Band of the week 13/2026
Origin: Eindhoven, Netherlands
Genre:Black Metal
Hier geht’s zur deutschen Version.
The band about themselves:
Doodswens is a Dutch Black Metal band formed in 2017 by I. Live she performs the drums and vocals combined, supported by R. & P. on bass and guitar. Doodswens translates to Deathwish, but the meaning and heavy load to the word in Dutch translated better to: Driven by Death.
Their performances are ceremonial and ritualistic, which has been reported to be as uplifting as they are devastating, depending on the demons you bring them to offer. Whatever you carry with you will be exposed. They like to confront instead of bringing comfort.
Editorial commentary:
If we look at it through a historic lens, Dutch art was and is a living embodiment of stark contrasts and beautiful madness, all in a truly wonderful form. Visual art and literature are just as fascinating as they are out of place in this article, which is why I’m keeping my comments on the subject to a minimum.
But not without mentioning one of my favourite Dutch people, since at least one reference to literature or other forms is to my Band of the Week—texts as beer is to Bavaria: they simply belong together. Secondly, various paintings by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, who has thoroughly earned his epithet helse brueghel (modern german: Höllen-Brueghel aka Hell-Brueghel), seem like a quite fitting historical-visual equivalent of dark to grotesque niche black metal. And they definitely should adorn corresponding album covers far more frequently. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, Mr. Brueghel’s complete works are an excellent example of the curious coexistence of multifacetedness and distinctive recognizability, that is found time and again in Dutch art – including the (black) metal scene, as Bennis’s competent (german language) overview here vividly illustrates.
Thanks to this, I can move right on to further shine a light on bands Benni mentioned in his article that, in my opinion, deserve more recognition.
First up is Doodswens.
Doodswens is interesting on multiple levels. One-woman projects seem quite a bit more rare in black metal than their male counterparts; and the fact that the drummer is also the lead vocalist doesn’t happen too often as well. In the past, (live) musicians from Wesenwille, Helleruin, and Goat Torment, among others, were involved; since 2024, the lineup has been expanded to include founder I., joined by R. (formerly a live musician with Nordjevel, among others) on bass and P. (Dödsrit, among others) on guitar.
So much for the technical-musical level, which already gives some indication of the musical direction.
For me, the more important level is usually the one concerning emotional impact, aka how the music „feels“, which things it makes me associate it with and so on. Well, on this level, the music is certainly an intense experience.
Personally, I find Doodswens to be very atmospheric and expressive in regard to different moods and emotions. Well, that applies to pretty much every band I enjoy listening to. But the specific appeal of this project for me is the fact that this immense atmospheric density and emotional expressiveness comes across as absolutely uncontrived, straightforward, and authentic – in every facet. Whether it’s classic dark-demonic black metal, atmospheric, or DSBM: everything’s in there and can be recognized somewhere, but never as just another splash of color that is identical to the most common shades, but rather as a nuance that is part of a decidedly independent, intense, and saturated hue.
At this point, I’d like to suggest the entire first album, Lichtvrees, as a music recommendation. For one thing because it illustrates what I’ve written far more accurately and directly than any attempt to somehow put such abstract impressions of experience into words that actually do them justice. Secondly, because it’s a really, really good album that unfolds most beautifully when you listen to it in one sitting. That’s why I recommend this approach, especially for people who happen to also enjoy music with an interesting emotional or psychological pull.
Actually, I recommend it to everyone else, too. The album is just over 36 minutes long, depending on one’s personal disposition, it can feel anything from unsettling to soothing, it pairs perfectly with walks in the woods or mountain landscapes, and it doesn’t even leave you endlessly longing for more because the second album is set to be released on April 17 of this year.
There are truly worse ways to spend a good half-hour.
The band at Dark-Art:
Music recommendation:
Links:
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Band of the week is our weekly posting about a band we recommend and is posted every Tuesday at 8pm (CET). These are bands that are just at the beginning of their career and that we think should receive more attention.
You can also find all the bands we’ve featured this year in our playlist on Spotify!
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