Le Donne Magiche

The Italian heavy metal band La Janara release their new studio album titled Le Donne Magiche (The Magical Women) which will be distributed and produced by the historic Genoese label Black Widow Records.

La Janara (pronounced /iaˈnaːra/) is a heavy metal band with strong folk and singer-songwriter influences, formed in 2015 in Grottaminarda (AV). The band's name derives from the mysterious witch who for centuries has haunted legends and folklore from the Irpinia region. The band, led by guitarist and songwriter Nicola Vitale (who writes all the music and lyrics), singer Raffaella Càngero, bassist Rocco Cantelmo, drummer Antonio Laurano, and keyboardist Giovanni Costabile, blends the electric experiences of Italian hard rock and heavy metal with singer-songwriter rock. They draw inspiration from local popular culture, ancient beliefs, superstitions, and mysterious legends rooted in the psyche of the Southern people since the dawn of their history. While "Tenebra" – their previous 2019 album – explored themes of the darker side of the human soul, the inevitability of succumbing to evil, and the suffering of women who, throughout the centuries, have borne the weight of a culture that humiliated and oppressed them (and who only through pagan rites and occult invocations reclaim their rightful place in society), Le Donne Magiche is set in an ancient and rural Irpinia and focuses on the rebirth of life and emotions following grief and suffering. It is a celebration of the vital and fertile power of women, where love, including carnal love, is no longer a tool of revenge but a key to survival and the affirmation of life over death.

Recorded and fully produced at Blackness Sound Studio by Rocco Minichiello in Grottaminarda (AV), Le Donne Magiche emerged from a long process of writing and arranging – extended due to the pandemic and personal events involving the musicians. This allowed the band to explore various musical paths that were only hinted at in previous songs.

Guest appearances include Simone Pennucci (Bird, The Dhaze), who played electric guitars and synths on "La Notte è Buia", and Ricky Dal Pane (Witchwood), who contributed percussion and backing vocals on "Mò che Viene Agosto".  The album is dedicated to the memory of the Poet, musician and friend Domenico Carrara.