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Born from the grips of the pandemic, Shine are the newest brainchild of Hazael’s Tomasz Dobrzeniecki, and their first album Wrathcult leaves no doubt that a new force in Polish extreme metal has awakened. Inspired by the likes of Emperor, Bathory, Morbid Angel, Entombed and Dismember, Dobrzeniecki’s new outfit channels that lineage into something raw, relentless, and unmistakably its own.
“‘Shine’ for me is a sheen of a sword’s blade, the last thing that your foes see in their lives. You can also relate it to the Promethean light given to people that enlightens or sometimes blinds us. It can also be a glare of rage stemming from the resistance towards the unnatural rules forced upon us,” explains Dobrzeniecki when asked about his new unit’s name. “Our music is full of references to ancient rules and rituals and times when people lived in accordance with nature and cosmos using the primeval knowledge.”
Dark Descent Records will handle the release, having previously collaborated with Dobrzeniecki on the reissue of Hazael’s classic opus. Wrathcult continues in similar thematic territory, invoking forgotten ancestral knowledge and tapping into primal forces, and mythic echoes of a pre-Christian world.
“Lyrics for the album are mainly inspired by the pre-Christian spirituality and mythology of our forefathers and based on such books as Bestiariusz Słowiański, Mitologia Słowiańska by J. Bobrowski and M. Wrona, and Słowiańska Czarownica (Slavic Bestiary, Slavic Mythology, Slavic Witch). The lyrics pay homage to nature and higher powers in order to upkeep the memories of the beliefs that once shaped our heritage. We live on the borderline of three cultures that blend together in some way – Germanic, Norse and Slavic mythology have quite a lot in common.”
The album was recorded at Heinrich House Studio in Legionowo, Poland – a small city on the outskirts of Warsaw that holds an important place in metal history, being the hometown of Daray (Dimmu Borgir, Vesania), Orion (Behemoth, Vesania) and Heinrich (Vesania, Decapitated). “Me and producer Heinrich (Filip Hałucha) have known each other for about 20 years. If you want to record a metal album that 100% meets your expectations, I think he’s the only person that I trust.”
An uncompromising slab of ancient fury awaits! “See you in Valhalla! I’ve heard the parties there are worth dying for,” exclaims Dobrzeniecki.
1. Ancient Chaos
2. The Lamb Against the Wolf
3. Kneel Before the Serpent
4. Oddajcie co moje
5. The Cult of Oak
6. The Horror of the Night
7. Witch’s Prophecies
8. Wrath of the Hammer
9. The Necklace With Runes
10. Ancient Spirit
