The White Wheel
[Brennus]

All I could think when I first put this disc in was WOW! This is great melodic rock! Nazca have a unique name for any rock band, and they actually hail from a small rock out in the Indian Ocean named Reunion Island. The songs are fairly diverse throughout, but never lacking key guitar elements. They also overflow with fascinating intros including the piano tinged ‘Papers and Screens’ while birds chirping in a garden are used to initiate the melodic ‘Child Of Guyana’ which often borders on AOR rock due to the melodic vocals displayed by Blanc.

‘Reaching Your Soul’ is the song where Nazca really try exploiting their musical diversity with the eight minute (plus) creation that touches on a love theme, but the song is never slow or doleful, and the extended soloing towards the end by guitarist Xavier is stellar. The bonus track ‘Strange’ is also a longer (over 6 minutes) instrumental, and a great way to end The White Wheel. You can really hear how Nazca have an ear for little touches to make their songs appear special and highly technical.

Nazca’s sound is probably soft if you are a fan of strictly power or traditional metal, the heavier fist-pumping type of material, as this does have many AOR sounding leanings. But if you want classic rock elements mixed with progressive tinges, Nazca is entertaining. They created a disc that I highly enjoyed. The White Wheel marks a great debut release from a stellar 5-piece unit who are very proficient at their trade, and they have a definite future in the melodic rock/progressive rock world.