NOWA EX-TRADYCJA

Highly recommended! This extremely original group from Poland, plays specific complex music based on deconstructed themes from Polish and Ukrainian ethnic music. It is not simple prog-folk-rock but rather Avant-Ethnic-Progressive rock. Music is eclectic, and difficult to classify. It seems not to be easy-to-listen by ordinary folk-fan, but is also intriguing and attractive. There are a lot of strange sounds, trance rhythms, archaic home-made instruments and lyrics (in Polish and Ukrainian) deeply submerged in sex and slavic mythology (witches and demons) completed with metal guitar sound, partially agressive and partially smooth female vocals, and even something like socio-political, poetic rap ("Zywiolak"). Group members propose the humorous term "polska muzyka neo-ludowa"("Polish neo-folk music") as a good denomination of their music. In my opinion, weaker point is vocal-style, which sometimes impedes the understanding sophisticated lyrics - of course it is a problem only for Polish-speakers. It is easy to recognize by perceptive listener the musical kinship with other, highly recommended polish ethno-progressive band "Kapela ze wsi Warszawa" - song "Femina" is just an rearranged version of the song known from one of its album with different lyrics. Four stars.