CAIRO

This is an impressive debut from Cairo. From the outset, you know you are in for an interesting ride. The opening track, "Conception", is almost a fanfare, with a bit of Middle East flavor. Then the first full song, "Season Of The Heart" begins. This song reminds me a bit of Utopia, after they became a quartet, but before they went pop. The singer, Bret Douglas actually sounds somewhat like Kasim Sultan. The bass (Rob Fordyce) and drums (Jeff Brockman) are great, and the guitar (Alec Fuhrman) is everything you want in symphonic prog. But the real star here is keyboardist Mark Robertson. If ever there was a reincarnation of Keith Emerson, this is it. His synthesizer tones and phrasing are positively Emersonian, and when he starts on the Hammond organ, look out!

The vocal sections of the songs border on arena rock, but Robertsons fills, for the most part, keep the music firmly on the prog side. And the last track, "Ruins At Avalon's Gate" is a 22 minute epic that often sound like it belongs on a classic ELP album.

A worthy listen. 4.5 stars.