Polish extreme metal outfit Shine, led by Hazael’s Tomasz Dobrzeniecki, are making their entrance in dramatic fashion with their debut album, Wrathcult. Even a cursory listen of the debut, which you can enjoy below, reveals a deep well of influence, ranging from death metal staples like Entombed, Morbid Angel and Dismember to epic black metal acts like Bathory and Emperor.
“’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,” says Dobrzeniecki. “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.”
Expanding on the concepts behind the songs, he says:
“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.”
There’s something primal about Wrathcult, perhaps in the way each member attacks their instrument with such zeal and a natural ear for the epic that elevates each track. Regardless of what the reason is, 2026 has found its first great album in Wrathcult. Stream it below and score a physical copy via Dark Descent.
The post Full Album Stream: Shine – “Wrathcult” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.