I have been peripherally aware of the Dutch black metal duo Doodswens for some time. I even caught the second half of their live set in Tilburg recently, opening for Marduk (traffic was a bust, or I may have caught the whole show). But it wasn’t until I laid my filthy kvlt paws on a copy of their debut full-length, Lichtvrees – released on vinyl on 28 January 2022 – that I actually took note of them to the extent that they deserve. Part of my reluctance stemmed from the band’s press, which over-emphasized their gender: an all-female black metal band is hardly news in the country where Asagraum was born, after all. As such, I was concerned that the hype was limited to their chromosomes but a few spins later, and I could honestly not care less whether Doodswens identify as female, male, tea ...