Tenebris, one of Poland’s most original and long-running metal bands, has signed with Pagan Records, and announced their new album, entitled Kochanowski, is already recorded and is scheduled for release on 7th November, with the single ‘Popiel‘ taken from it and out now.
‘Popiel’ is an excerpt of Juliusz Słowacki’s epic poem Król Duch. The lyrics tell the story of a spirit incarnating in the bodies of Polish kings, beginning a journey of madness and magic with Popiel. The track’s intense narrative is a perfect representation of Tenebris’s unique sound, blending their death metal origins with progressive and jazz influences.
This new record is a musical continuation of the ideas explored in their EP, Legendarna, while the album title references the Polish poet Jan Kochanowski.
The concept for a Polish-language Tenebris album dates back to 2013, when the initial framework for the song ‘Wieleci’ was recorded. The creative process was extended over several years due to lineup changes. In November 2018, after further personnel shifts, the band was finally ready to start working on what would become Kochanowski.
Initially, the idea was to create an album based on Juliusz Slowacki’s poem Król Duch. However, as time passed and new literary paths and ideas emerged, the band’s focus shifted. It became clear that Slowacki, along with other prominent Polish poets like Adam Mickiewicz, was deeply connected to the figure of Jan Kochanowski. This connection was fully realised after reading Joanna Salomon’s book Latarka Gombrowicza.
The band’s frontman, Szymon, immersed himself in Kochanowski’s writings and came to the belief: Kochanowski’s epigrams (fraszki) were a deliberate labyrinth based on Pythagorean numerology, which in turn was derived from Hermes Trismegistus. This new perspective transformed Kochanowski from a simple, pastoral poet into a practitioner of what might be called magical arts. The idea of Kochanowski as a prophet figure, transcending even Mickiewicz, became central to the album’s unapologetic title.
The album cover, a sketch by Jan Matejko depicting his vision of Jan Kochanowski, further supports this narrative. It suggests that popular, historical figures are often flattened in mass narratives, hiding a wealth of unexpected stories behind them.
The lyrics to Kochanowski feature poems by Jan Kochanowski, Juliusz Slowacki, Olga Jackowska and Adam Mickiewicz, adding to the album’s rich, literary tapestry. The album also features special guests: Maciej Pasinski (ex-Sirrah, currently Pincer Consotrium) on backing vocals, jazz clarinettist Pawel Szamburski and Sylwia Levy.
Formed in Lódz, Poland in 1991, Tenebris is considered by many a cult Polish metal band. They began as a death metal act before incorporating progressive and jazz influences into their sound.
The current lineup consists of Przemysław Szymaniak (Vocals, guitar), Bartek Polny (Bass guitar), Przemysław Dominiak (Guitar) and Grzegorz Graczyk (Drums).
Tracks featured are: ‘Kochanowski’, ‘Kosy’, ‘Popiel’, ‘Sarmacya’, ‘Perunowy’, ‘Duch’, ‘Wolarz’, ‘Kreon’, ‘Wieleci’ and ‘Szmaragdowy Somnambulik’.
‘Popiel’ and ‘Perunowy’ are fragments of Juliusz Slowacki’s work, Król Duch. ‘Sarmacya’ is part of Jan Kochanowski’s Porporzec, and the end of ‘Wolarz’ is a piece from Adam Mickiewicz’s Dziady.
