Band:  RUNIKA
Country: Poland
Title:  Pradawna Moc
Label: Art of The Night Productions
Year: 2018
Style: Folk Metal

Review:
From the first sounds it can be heard that Runika, when preparing her debut debut, set the high quality of recordings. It correlates well with the material contained in  „Pradawna Moc” ("Ancient Power”). Pieces known from many of Runiki's numerous concerts at gigs called "Folk Metal Night" (in Poland in bigger cities and towns) sounds fully professional. The album combines many styles of music that are connected by widely understood folkmetal. We have here and oldschool influences of Metallica from the time of "Kill'em All", a lot of gothic-rock and metal sounds thanks to the solid work of the keyboardist, in the background penetrates discreet, hidden behind the fog, a pinch of black metal. But still, this is the background music for the great female voice of Aminae - from the melodious to the predatory claw. This works very well with the poetics of thought-out and original texts - author's but with distinct folk, mythological and battle influences (especially in the works "Fire and Water", "Aquarius", in the title "Ancient Power" and "Perun’s  Flower"). Great diction of the singer causes the text to come into the head, without the necessity of supporting a book with lyrics while listening. Runika escapes unambiguous stylistic cartouches, here penetrates the world of ancient Slavs and Germans (in means: Vikings), here exist (and complement each other) together ancient beliefs and contemporary nature spirit - it's like gothic, thrash, black and folk interact here creating a new quality . The record's tracklist is arranged perfectly, building the mood and guiding the climate from ballad through feast to uplifting or encouraging to action. The disc was created thanks to the crowdfinding action - thanks to this, it appeared in the basic version with a black cover and for donors with a white cover. The song "Biesiada" ("Medieval Party") is a certain delicacy which, with a pinch of salt, approaches the atmosphere of discotheques and banquets with a pinch of fantast and the ending album, a very moving song "Nawia" („Slavic Pagan Heaven”). The official premiere of the album took place in Brenna during the open air folkmetal fest "Slavic Folk Metal Night" on July 7, 2018.
Reviewed by Vilcin
Rating: 9.5/10

Contact:
facebook.com/Runikaband