The Polish group Shine step into this week’s Meet The Band spotlight. Formed by Hazael guitarist Tomasz Dobrzeniecki, their debut album is Wrathcult. Dobrzeniecki introduces us to his band.
Chad Bowar: Give us a brief history of Shine.
Tomasz Dobrzeniecki: The beginnings of Shine date back to 2021. It started with a situation that had nothing to do with music. During that time, I had a planned surgery, but the pandemic postponed it by two years. In that period, I was completely cut off from normal life. There were two options: to give up or to fight. My fight for normality, for not falling into stagnation and emptiness, was music. I played a lot, recorded a lot – I wasn’t planning to make an album at the time, I was simply playing. There were many emotions during that period, sometimes very extreme, and I translated them into sounds. Turn weakness into strength and stick with it. Act – that was my motto during that time.
Describe the songwriting process for Wrathcult.
Over two years, I gathered a lot of musical ideas. During that time, I talked a lot about music with our current drummer, Paweł Duda. One conversation led to another, and a plan emerged to turn my ideas into several songs. Despite the large emotional and stylistic diversity of these recordings, they had one thing in common – you could hear emotion in them, anger. Guitarist Mateusz Waśkiewicz joined our project. I began putting these ideas together, recording demo versions of the songs. We met at my house, talked things through, and worked on arrangements. Slowly, finished tracks started to take shape. The more we played, the more it all came together into a coherent whole – it was material for an album.
Then Wojtek Gąsiorowski, our current bassist, joined us. His playing style became another important component of our sound and musical mindset. With this lineup, our music took on a very concrete form, close to what can be heard on the album. The remaining question was vocals. We had no idea what we were looking for or what kind of vocal atmosphere would fit our sound. I reached out to my friend Marek Krajcer, sent him the material, and he recorded vocals for it. That was the missing element. He fit perfectly into the music, added what was lacking, and everything came together exactly as it should.
What will be your strongest memory of the recording of the album?
It was definitely the moment when we added guitars to the first track after the drums had already been recorded and roughly processed. Even though we knew this material from rehearsals and had some idea of what our sound might be like, what we heard coming from the studio monitors exceeded those expectations. It took on an even more striking, intense character than we had anticipated. There was that specific “something” in it, ominously emphasizing our music and giving the whole thing a dark atmosphere.
What was the biggest challenge in its creation?
A major challenge was balancing the instruments in a way that kept the message clear while not stripping it of its distinctive dirty, cold atmosphere. We didn’t want technique to dominate emotion on the album. There is a lot of interplay and chasing between the instruments in these songs – at times we play very densely, only to suddenly change the mood completely. In the end, I think we managed to achieve the intended effect, but it required a lot of work.
How would you characterize its style/sound?
Of course, you can try to put it into a box. The main goal was emotion, atmosphere, and brutality, and we use various means of expression. On the album, you can find elements of death and black metal coexisting with moments typical of classic heavy metal or gothic. This album is our shared debut – we are getting to know each other as musicians through it. The sound and style are the result of everything each of us brought into this material.
What inspired the album title?
The album title reflects the emotions contained in the music, the lyrics, and within ourselves. We do not suppress anger on this record. Anger is a natural, primal trail, a reaction to things that do not sit right with us. It is a physiological “fight or flight” signal that mobilizes the body to act and, when used constructively, allows us to defend our own autonomy and values.
What lyrical topics do you cover?
The album’s lyrics draw largely from pre-Christian spirituality and the mythology of our ancestors, taking inspiration from books such as Bestiariusz słowiański, Mitologia słowiańska by J. Bobrowski and M. Wrona, and Słowiańska czarownica. The lyrics pay tribute to nature and higher powers, preserving the memory of beliefs that once shaped our heritage.
We describe times when man fought against gods, when he was powerful and brave, and magic and higher powers were part of everyday life. Today, only legends and stories describing those times remain. Magic, though forgotten, endures in hiding. We believe that days will come when we once again stand proud and powerful, ready to face a final battle against that which stripped us of our primal identity and strength.
How did you come to sign with Dark Descent Records?
I’ve known Matt since the reissue of Hazael – Thor, which was released by Dark Descent Records. We talked a lot about Shine, both musically and in terms of image. We share a similar approach to working with music, promotion, and commitment to a band. The result of that was releasing the album under the wings of Dark Descent Records.
What are your goals and expectations for the album?
In the place where we live, three ancient cultures intersect: Nordic, Germanic, and Slavic. The beliefs and rituals of these cultures intertwine, creating a colorful, sometimes dark and brutal, but also romantic and magical, story. On this album, we want to tell listeners our ancient story, guide them through a world that may be forgotten, but which we believe is very interesting and worth paying attention to. We want to take listeners on a journey through dark lands bound by ice, abysses burning with the screams of the fallen, where they will witness epic brutal battles in a world where magic hidden in the shadows of the past lurks at every turn. We hope that our message will appeal to listeners and that we will continue this journey through the dark corners of our history together at concerts.
Do you have plans to play live to support the album?
Yes, absolutely, we already have several major festivals lined up, and we’ll also be playing club concerts. We’ll bring our story to the stage to wreak havoc together with our audience.
How did you get started in music?
Very early on. When I was about 11 years old, in elementary school, I read an interview with Rob Halford from Judas Priest. I still remember how moved I was by his words: “If others can do it, so I can.” He was referring to his favorite band, and even as a teenage fan, he was already planning his future musical path. I carved my first Flying V out of pieces of plywood and pretended to play concerts. Then I got a real guitar and, step by step, honed my playing skills. In 1989, Hazael was formed, and in 1990, as debut, we played our first concert at the Shark Attack festival.
Who were your early influences and inspirations?
From my first encounter with metal music, what was important to me was the atmosphere created by a given band and where it took my imagination. As a teenager, I listened to Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Mercyful Fate. I matured musically and was drawn to the more extreme sounds of those years, listening to Venom, Celtic Frost, Messiah, Kreator, and Morbid Angel. At some point in my life, I discovered the Scandinavian scene, and I am a lifelong fan of Emperor and Bathory. For a very long time, I was fascinated by the Swedish sound, Entombed, Dismember, Grave.
I wouldn’t take inspiration literally. Each period of life, each musical fascination, piece by piece, builds us based on these experiences, processing what we have lived through and what we have listened to. We try to create something that will be ours, characteristic of Shine. Since this is our debut, we are learning about ourselves as musicians, looking for our own way of expressing ourselves and our emotions, because without them there is no music.
What was the first metal concert you attended?
The first big concert in my life was Overkill at the Metalmania festival in 1987. It was like being hit over the head with a hammer. I swore then that I would devote my whole life to metal music, and I still do.
What are some of your non-musical interests and hobbies?
We enjoy quite extreme adventures such as mountain climbing, martial arts, and kayaking. We also like old classic cars with large engines, and we spend a lot of time restoring these vehicles.
Anything else you’d like to mention or promote?
We are eagerly awaiting concerts, as they will verify the quality of our musical message. We want to feel our impact from the stage and meet people in this shared madness. We invite you to listen to our album and follow our Facebook page.
(interview published January 31, 2026)
Listen To Shine – “Kneel Before The Serpent”
