Resonance - Doodswens - Heiden
- Sparky
- May 3
- 2 min read
Doodswens- Doodswens 9.5/10
After their incredible debut Lichtvrees in 2021, and the live release Het nieuwe licht in 2024 the Netherlands trio of Doodswens (death wish) return with their sophomore full length self-titled album.
Album number two is intense, raw and simply awe inspiring. It is stripped all the way back to the intensity, emotion and the purity that that is extreme black metal. It is an uncomplicated sonic minimalistic ritual that revels in the shadows of darkness that is nihilistic driven by the inevitability of mortality.
Lead by I. and her bombastic percussion and vocals Doodswens is an album that comes at you with its immediacy, yet on every listen (and there will be many) the layers and sub textures reveal themselves that only add to the auditory experience that is as relentless as it is heavy. These Wounds Never Healed and Verrot create a tangible sense of anguish and hopelessness, whilst The Black Flame is pure black metal excellence, the lack of light is pure and real, its fury tempered by the briefest moments of respite and fragility, an atmosphere that is the result of natural hostility.
Raw primordial and pure definition of aggression that is haunting and all encompassing. Superlatives are unnecessary, just let the force and power of Doodswens overwhelm and consume you with its authenticity and emotion. Cold and unforgiving Doodswens is simply Superb.
Heiden – CMA 8.5/10
From their beginnings in 2004 Czechia’s Heiden return with their tenth full length album the unparalleled CMA, A direct continuation of their previous chapter, the mighty Andzjel. CMA uses the Carpathian Mountains to create a reflection of memory, remorse and fear merged into a singular entity that is driven by pure creative force.
CMA celebrates two things, the creation of atmosphere and the intensity of structure that builds to a crescendo that threatens to overwhelm the listener with a vibrancy and a sense of urgency that lingers throughout the album. It is avant garde black metal that cares little for convention, just the creation of sonic soundscapes that are at times relentless yet also memorable yet always exciting bordering on undefinable. It is symphonic, unabashedly extreme, yet also carries a deft touch of melody and post rock sensibility.
Buoyed by a production that is rich, full and intense CMA builds a tangible sense of tension that lingers long after its finished, it is a descent in to the shadows where the darkness is all consuming and inescapable, the riffs thick and cloying, the percussion the representation of a hammering heart that has no respite, the harsh vocals driving the momentum, the voice a reflection of regret and reminiscence that cannot be silenced, defiant and personal yet always uncompromising .
CMA is a sophisticated journey thought the netherworld of intense atmospheric black metal that surprises with its many layers and textures, memorable yet listenable, the result is a stunning display of musicianship and authenticity.
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