Welcome to another magnificent journey through the dark side
Technically their second album, “Storm Clouds” is the follow up to the wonderful “Heart Against The Feather”, but the use of the word “technically” is pretty apposite here. The debut was to all intents and purposes a solo work from frontman Magdy Abdel-Rehim – the son of an Egyptian he literally is the Cairo Son.
This one, though, sees the band in a very different place. Now is not the time for the retelling of the story of how the three got together – that’s here for those who care about such things. Instead, now is exactly the right moment to glory in “Storm Clouds” because it’s absolutely phenomenal.
The six tracks here – and despite its brevity in terms of tracks “….Clouds” is very much an album, clocking in at over 40 minutes – take as many twists and turns as they choose, but there’s actually a pretty cohesive thread of a massive groove running through the whole thing and it arguably ends up as a slightly more cohesive and focussed work than “…. Feather” was.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the fact that Abdel-Rahim uses his lyrics as catharsis. The debut was so raw and claustrophobic that at times it was like you were reading the diaries of the man singing it, this is perhaps more subtle, but peel back ever so slightly and you will be peering into some emotional pain.
Whichever one you choose there’s something lurking there: “welcome to the dark side of mind/no angels here to make things right” goes the key line on “Devils Tongue”. While “My Brain” makes things a little more explicit: “The world I see is full of hate, it destroys any love that I feel” it suggests at one point, before asking its simple, plaintive question: “is there something wrong with my brain?”
The wonderful skill of this band in general – and this album in particular- however is that the quality of the song writing and musicianship on view throughout means that the record can be enjoyed on whatever level you choose. On a purely visceral level, when Magdy roars like Chris Cornell on the opening track “Lost In The Shadows” fists in arena sized venues could clench in unison, the huge, swaggering groove offered up by the astonishingly good “Lion In A Cage” is even better and when “Give Me Strength” soars there is a very real feeling that this band will not be denied.
Three incredible musicians – new drummer Dave and bass man Rico are in fine form here – they set about proving it to the world on the title track. A ten-minute piece of something as brilliant as it is ambitious, as does whatever it chooses before really cutting lose with some real sonic gymnastics as it builds to its end and becomes the eye of this storm if you will.
A thoroughly compelling and often brilliant collection, “Storm Clouds” is very much the announcement of what those that have seen them already suspected: Cairo Son are very special indeed.
Rating 9.5/10
