Band's third studio album with full immersion in ancient Slavic theme. Release 28 June 2026 on Napalm Records label.
Motanka presents the third studio album 'Pagan Roots' on 28 June 2026 on Napalm Records label. This is a 9-track LP (total duration 54 minutes) in which the 5-member folk-metal group from Kropyvnytskyi fully immerses in ancient Slavic mythology — previous albums ('Motanka' 2017 and 'Hloria' 2021) explored mainly general pagan aesthetics without geographic focus. Conceptually the album is 9 'portraits' of deities and spirits from ancient Slavic mythology: I. 'Perun' (7:30 — god of thunder and lightning); II. 'Veles' (8:42 — god of cattle and the underworld); III. 'Mokosh' (6:55 — Mother-goddess, of fertility); IV. 'Stribog' (7:18 — god of wind); V. 'Dazhbog' (8:30 — Sun-god); VI. 'Lada' (5:42 — goddess of love); VII. 'Kupalo' (9:14 — longest track, summer solstice rite); VIII. 'Malanka' (6:30 — carnival spirit of New Year); IX. 'Motanka' (8:15 — finale, ritual protective doll). Recording took place at Frequensa Studio in Lviv throughout 2025 with production by Chris Brown (also worked with Stoned Jesus — see separate PR6 news). The album features authentic Slavic instruments: bandura, tsymbaly, floyara (vertical flute), bodhran (frame drum), kozyrky (whistles), kolomyiski sticks. The recording enters the format: digital streaming, CD digipack, double LP vinyl in glow-in-dark green variant (limited 1000 copies, price 65€). Presentation concert — 30 June 2026 at Atlas (Kyiv) in Kupalo-night format.
