Band: DERWANA
Country: Poland
Title: Czary Modły
Label: Independent
Year: 2019
Style: Melodic Folk Metal

Review:
Magda Przychodzka, the leader of the Derwana formation, did not hide in a friendly conversation with us that she listens to a lot of soul and pop along with folk and metal. And, in fact, Magda is a vocal manner (and not only) musically combines these two, quite distant from each other worlds musically. The "Czary Modły" (“Heathen Rituals and Prayers” album begins with the melodic, gothic-rock piece "Zmora" (“Incubus”), broken by folk metal’s flow. Next track, “Topielica” is very good known song from Youtube, took on this album in new, better version. Magda turned up the song with a voice styled like... rap melorecitation. The next song “Rytuały” ("Rituals") reveals the darker face of Slavic myths and Slavic fantasy but it is soothed by the melodic folk rock love song "Marysieńka" (“The little Mariah”). 
 Then the title "Heathen Rituals and Prayers" (with elements of growl in additional vocals in the background) make the final catharsis, and this is ideally suited to the next hit of this album – called “Nierządnica” ("Harlot"). And after it comes the equally tempting but definitely more dangerous "Południca" (a person of slavic myths), so it is necessary to say "Gusła" (“Witchcraft”)  and pray  to "Ku Płomieniom" (to the flames) so as not to suffer any damage to life or health - here I mean compliance with Slavic beliefs, superstitions and superstitions. These themes were perfectly reflected in the lyrics by Magda and the band dressed well in broadly understood folkrock sounds! And on the end, elements of gothic rock and medieval folk are combined with heavy metal guitars and a pinch of poprock (“Nie płacz dziewko” - "Don't Cry Virgin", “Jaskółeczka” - "Little Swallow"), and the really ending of this  album “Dukaty” ("Ducats") is definitely a potential hit to play on radio stations putting in the foreground rock sound.
Reviewed by Vilcin
Rating: 8/10