A dark, vintage-infused sound like this could only emerge from Poland—especially from the eastern regions, where the misty and cold punk tones have deep roots and break through in this Białystok variation on dark wave and new wave.
Dorian’s Steaming Shadow, a quartet hailing from Białystok, Poland, has released their debut album, Frozen Nightmares, on October 25, 2024, under the independent quality label Antena Krzyku. Formed in late 2022 during the post-pandemic era, the band blends dark gothic vibes with contemporary post-punk influences, drawing inspiration from 80’s gothic rock, new wave, and modern alternative music. Today, we dive into their work deep, through a special track by track commentary below.
The band’s origins trace back to the creative duo of Kuba Totczyk (guitar) and Kamil Sołowianowicz (vocals, lyrics). Soon after, bassist Marcin Gliński joined the lineup. “Initially, we played without a drummer, with a drum machine handling the rhythm section—that’s when the initial version of ‘Frozen Nightmares’ was created,” the band recalls. Later, drummer Maciek Iłenda replaced the drum machine. “In this lineup, over 2022 and 2023, we created all the material for our debut album Frozen Nightmares.”
Their music is influenced by bands like Bauhaus, Joy Division, The Cure, Depeche Mode, as well as contemporary acts like IDLES, A Place To Bury Strangers, and Fontaines D.C. The sound is characterized by “a dark and melancholic atmosphere, based on spacious guitars, a pronounced rhythm section, and a deep baritone vocal.”
The lyrics, penned by Kamil, reference politics, history, literature, social phenomena, and personal experiences, often infused with a dose of surrealism, allowing listeners space for individual interpretation.
The album was produced in a DIY spirit. “We recorded all the tracks ourselves, except for the drums, which were recorded at Qultura Studio in Sokółka with the help of Michał Gieniusz,” the band notes. They place significant emphasis on live performances, having already played several concerts in their region, as well as in Warsaw and Łódź. “Next year, we plan to tour further across Poland to promote our debut album.”
The creation of the album’s cover was a collaborative effort. “The authorship of the front can partly be attributed to each member of the band,” they explain. “Regarding the graphics—Kuba designed its form, although the sculpture that served as the base was handmade by Marcin.” When conceptualizing the cover, Marcin came up with the idea of a figure. “Initially, the sculpture was supposed to be colorful, but ultimately it remained in a cold form—a man’s head with eyes staring into the distance.” The writings on the fragments of canvas are excerpts from the album’s lyrics, reflecting the themes we address.
“We photographed the figure from several angles, and eventually, Kamil selected a fairly symmetrical perspective, which perfectly suited placing it centrally and for the graphic editing done by Kuba.” The final design of the entire physical CD release was completed by professional graphic artist Paweł Iwaniuk.
Track-by-Track Commentary
Endless Spiral
“We decided to open our debut album with this track. The sound here has a more tribal and trance vibe, which may evoke associations with bands like New Model Army,” the band describes. “Wild bass and drums, a rasping guitar, and an anxious, aggressive vocal conveying a wide spectrum of emotions—all this builds tension and is intended to somewhat overwhelm the listener.”
Lyrically, the song has a dystopian tone but also touches on current topics of the post-pandemic world. “Ongoing conflicts in various parts of the globe, rapidly developing technology—for some, a regression of humanism; for others, progress. AI entering different areas of our lives, including workplaces; climate crisis; or the resurgence of nationalist movements—all these anxieties have been somewhat condensed in this track. It’s our ‘Zeitgeist Song.'”
Frozen Nightmares
“This track, in a way, defines the album; perhaps that’s why we named the entire release after it,” they note. “A pulsating rhythm section, blurred guitars, and some sound walls, vocals transitioning from subtle and calm tones to aggressive and shouted ones—you can hear all this on our album.”
Lyrically, the song tells how ultra-right politicians manipulate society by ‘thawing’ various corpses, demons, phantoms, or nightmares from the past. “It’s nothing more than sowing demagoguery and feeding on the simplest human feelings, thereby instilling fear to achieve the best election results. This track is a middle finger directed at nationalists and xenophobes.”
Hold On to Me
“The cool atmosphere of the track is definitely our tribute to bands like Joy Division, The Cure, Killing Joke, or Siekiera,” the band explains. “However, the whole has been filtered through our own lens without any blatant imitation. We are aware that comparisons are inevitable, and we don’t shy away from our inspirations. However, we set the bar quite high for ourselves and strive to always be Dorian’s Steaming Shadow.”
“‘Hold On to Me’ is definitely an anti-war song, condemning all imperial ambitions. The lyrics were written under the strong influence of the situations both beyond the eastern border and in the Middle East. The madness of war is described from the perspective of various people, including children. It’s a track about surviving at all costs, written in tribute to the victims whose lives spiraled out of control.”
Stray Bullet
“Time for gothic disco!” the band exclaims. “Although the track has a fairly danceable rhythm, we still remain with a sad theme. ‘Stray Bullet’ is, in terms of lyrics, somewhat a continuation of ‘Hold On to Me.’ The war is described here from the perspective of an observer—a person in a safe place, where thoughts are not obsessively disturbed by the nightmare of war. How thin can the line be between indifference and mere helplessness, resignation, or the awareness that sometimes so little can be done?”
Limbo
“Time for darkness and existentialism! ‘Limbo’ is the track on the album that is closest to gothic rock, although halfway through we also engage in a tentative romance with shoegaze thanks to a light guitar wall,” they explain. “With the first snare hit and octaver, the track begins to have a suffocating and claustrophobic character. A somewhat hidden cold synthesizer deepens this mood even more. Singing the verses, I wanted to give the song additional anxiety or even a Kafkaesque atmosphere.”
As for the lyrics, they are written in a more personal way, exploring feelings related to anxiety about the future. “There’s less politicking and analyzing social phenomena here. The words have a universal enough tone that many people can identify with them.”
A Place for a Spirit
“A track about technological overstimulation and the search for spiritual experiences in the modern world. The rapid flow of information and quick access to it has, in a way, devalued the very concept of knowledge—that was the starting point for writing the lyrics,” they share. “Lyrically, the track also touches on many other issues, including feelings of isolation or alienation.”
“We created an ethereal and even intimate atmosphere here, to the point that we decided not to remove recorded sighs or other ‘side sounds.’ Despite its rather experimental nature, the track was created relatively quickly. And this time, it was definitely not the result of improvisation in the rehearsal room. It all started with Marcin’s hypnotic bass; later, we added individual elements such as ambient streaks on the synthesizer or acoustic guitar sounds, which you won’t hear much of on this album. However, we weren’t entirely satisfied with the track’s overly dreamy atmosphere, so it ends the way it does—euphorically and turbulently.”
World Coming Down
“‘World Coming Down’ is, above all, our concert banger that can never be missing,” the band states. “We don’t even know to what extent it’s still apocalyptic post-punk or decadent punk rock; in any case, we condensed maximum frustration and Dorian’s anger here, while having a great time.”
Lyrically, it’s a reckoning with social indifference, conformity, and classism. “We believe that rock ‘n’ roll should address uncomfortable truths, and there’s no escaping that it hurts.”
“‘World Coming Down’ is our other side—raw and rough. The track is fast and aggressive from start to finish, without a moment’s respite along the way. I’m glad it’s a strong part of Frozen Nightmares and that it has been so well received by our audience.”
Mannequins on a Thin Ice
“A cool and dark track with a rather abstract title. The starting point for writing the lyrics was the book 1984. It was about describing the relationship between Winston Smith and Julia and their fear of surveillance: ‘Big eye in the sky will separate us…'”
“This track is quite unconventional because it’s the only one without a chorus, giving it a loose and open form.”
“A solid and expressive bass keeps the more surreal rest in check. Guitar stains and echoes add even more anxiety, making it seem like you’re in a place rather than listening to a song.”
Embrace and Tame
“Sometimes we’re in an unpleasant moment in life that we can compare to a dark, stuffy room. One day, however, the light turns on and reveals the omnipresent, depressing dirt. As long as it was dark, we somehow managed to adapt to certain difficult situations; we lived not so much with problems but with problems or ran away from them, seeking substitutes for happiness. However, when we confront reality and suddenly the room is no longer dark, we know that it can’t go on like this. Such thoughts might have accompanied writing the lyrics to ‘Embrace and Tame.'”
“Musically, it’s a dark ballad that moves towards a dramatic climax. What’s also characteristic here are the calm verses, more based on spoken word, which contrast with a strong chorus. After the second chorus, it gets even heavier, and then the track ‘weakens’ again. Creating this song, we were inspired by, among others, Portishead, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Screaming Trees.”
Ugly as March Snow
“And we’ve reached the end. The tenth track that concludes our studio debut is ‘Ugly as March Snow.’ It’s a melancholic, spacious ballad with a direct and somewhat pessimistic tone.”
“The first verse is a conversation, or rather a monologue. With whom? Let everyone interpret it in their own way. The lyrics for the second verse were written after a visit to the State Museum at Majdanek. It refers to depressing reflections on human cruelty.”
“The last line of both the track and the entire album: ‘We are wrecks, we are young…’ tries to capture the spirit of the times, describing young generations who have inherited not only a better quality of life but also a climate crisis, civilization diseases, wars, and uncertainty about the future.”
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