Birds of Nazca - Pangaea

Birds of Nazca are a French stoner/doom/psych band who are quite interesting.  The band is actually a duo, consisting of just a guitarist and drummer—their sound is quite huge despite not having vocals or a bassist.  They formed in 2019 and released an EP in 2023.  As far as I know, this is their first full length album, entitled, “Pangaea.”

I’m impressed at how heavy this album is but is still able to maintain a free-flowing instrumental ride.  It’s quite dynamic and there are a lot of little details across the album that demand repeated listens.  However, with that being said, it isn’t a complicated album but instead focuses on being fun listening with depth, sans the pretentiousness. 

Not having a bass guitar does nothing to soften their blow as Guillaume still has that all important low end–the guitars are toned perfectly to accommodate such needs.  Romuald’s drums are a rhythm machine, both beastly and clever all at once. 

“Batagad’ka,” kicks the album off with a punch to the throat, riffs hammering down while being pushed every forward by the momentum of the drums.  The song quickly settles into a groove:  the fuzz is strong with this one and the head banging is mandatory.  Both musicians know exactly when to pull back during the song or when to pour on the power.  It’s a smart choice for an opening song.  The clean passages are just as effective and add a nice twist to the songs, a little off the beaten path enough to screw with the brain.  Essentially, it’s trippy and atmospheric without going overboard. 

“Racetrack Playa,” combines doom with the psych, the opening notes generate an urgent swath of guitars and drums that are also hypnotic.  It’s a frenzied whirlwind of notes that leads into a slower tempo passage that’s just as much of a trance but this time vibrating with a crushing but warm heaviness.  The tempo flows back to a faster pace, ending the song with unrelenting waves of riffs, riffs, and more riffs.

“Incahuasi,” is my favorite on the album.  I like the buildup: steady but with rising action, the anticipation of what is about to come being just as important as what is already there.  The music drops down to the depths before the two-minute mark, the drums hitting hard and pushing the song deeper and deeper.  Then it expands in a subtle way, the slight hints of progression adding little nuances in the music.  These rich details make the song quite the journey, these constant little discoveries begging the need to be explored further.  The latter half of the song has an unique vibe, atmospheric and even ambient to a degree.  It’s an explorative experience, one not soon forgotten. 

The title track is a good way to end the album. It’s not quite as bright or up tempo as the opening song so it's a much-needed capstone that offers a different perspective.  The drums are good here, building up the structure of the song while being a foundation for the guitars to form off from. This is a dark, heavy song with a bit of an ominous feel. 

Birds of Nazca's "Pangaea" is an impressive album that doom fans will enjoy because of its sheer heaviness but it’s open and eclectic for music or rock fans in general to get much enjoyment from this sprawling instrumental opus.

Rating: Great