The one and only Black Cats are back again with not only a new album, but also a new lineup! A 3-year transition from their previous release “Scream of the Cats” in early 2006 has led to the departure of soul and jazz singing Kamyar to the new Cats on the block Eddie and Sami.

In all honesty, I was beginning to lose all hope of enjoying the Cats like I did in their glory days. I felt like too much internal strife was leading to the decline of the once glorious group; the future of the Cats looked a little cloudy. Kamyar, the latest in a long line of vocal “add-ons” was gifted with a fantastic voice, but as the new lead vocal replacement, he did not fit the mould of the Cats and seemed out of place. Their “Scream of the Cats,” except for 1 or 2 songs, seemed like a rushed attempt at keeping the name of the Black Cats in the musical headlines…

However, in late 2008, “Dardeh Sar” debuted and I for one was pleasantly surprised. The production was fantastic, the two new faces of Sami and Eddie brought about a rejuvenating feel to an already aging group, and I was eagerly anticipating what these new Cats had to offer. Their newest work, and the first to feature Eddie and Sami, is “Dimbology” which contains 8 tracks and was released by Caltex Records.

1. FAGHAT TO (DIMBOLOGY OPUS 2009) [Feat. Firoozeh] – The album kicks off with a rather interesting track that incorporates Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. I instantly fell in love with this piece. The combination of classical music and the strong use of instrumentals (mainly the horns and orchestral pieces throughout the track) made this opening number become almost epic in its feel and construction. The lyrics were very touching and the surprise appearance by Firoozeh cemented my love for this song even more. She fits in perfectly and made the song even more, dare I say it, adorable. Fantastic lead-in to the rest of the album and a strong vocal performance by Sami and Eddie give us a nice preview of their abilities to come.

2. EY DAAD [Feat. Firoozeh] – This track starts off with another appearance by Firoozeh where she pulls out her claws and lets her inner tiger stand its ground against Black Cats leader Shahbal. Instantaneously, the track morphs into a dance floor filler with its pulsing percussion and brass sections and doesn’t let up. This song is a great (almost dueling sounding) piece between the two new members and Firoozeh. The vocals sound very aggressive and piercing, but work fantastically within the construct of the song.

3. YEKI BOOD, YEKI NABOOD – This track calms down the aforementioned aggression and tries to smooth them out with a very retro beat sounding very Baabaa Karam-like in its construction. Another perfectly executed track with its retro vibe and it’s sure to be a great dance floor filler. The chorus is the main highlight for me and the song is an overall perfect pop gem in the album.

4. KHAANOOM – Electric guitars rip through the beginning of this song with a few “yeah, yeah, yeahs” reminiscent of Kamyar’s vocal stylings. Immediately you are taken into another gheri and aggressive sounding track with heavy percussion beats and electric guitar instrumentals. The Cats don’t want you to sit down at all and intend to keep you moving. The vocals on this track seem to hail back to the good old days and keep the song in line with the sound of the old Cats music. The song has a fantastic production and showcases superb vocals by the new members.

5. DARDEH SAR – This is the song that cemented the Sami and Eddie legacy. Being the first real “single” off the album, this track showcases what the new Black Cats are all about and shows a drastic change from their previous album. The electric and eclectic beat make this piece a true stand out. The rhythm is probably the most commercial sounding of the tracks on this collection, but it works and it works well. This is another great track to just get up and dance to. Great use of vocoder on the vocals and the beat doesn’t give up for a second.

6. DIDAAR – I love the intro to this song; it is very unique sounding, very playful, and very innocent in its development. The song transforms into another gheri number and is another great piece in the collection. The songs overall playful nature makes it very appealing and I enjoyed the repetition of the melody of the intro throughout the piece, however, the songs most interest moment is a rap break in the middle…

7. BORO – Guitars and a piano introduction lead into the next song. This sort of introduction made me think that this song would be the true ballad of the album, however, when the electric guitar started to riff the song transformed into another dance number. Not quite what you would expect from an upbeat number but nonetheless it was another good piece and the unique key changes throughout made the track very retro. The electric guitar riffs in the middle were great and the feel of the song is very anthem-like… Very different, very unique.

8. NASIM [Feat. Firoozeh] – The Cats new album comes to a close with another upbeat track. This track features Firoozeh joon in her third appearance and feels very reminiscent of the Cats’ more classic works. The song’s spring and Norooz theme make it a unique addition to their album, a little out of place, but still a strong track.

This album by the Black Cats was a masterpiece. I can say that out of all of Cats’ albums, this is my absolute favorite. Why you may ask? Well from beginning to end, I enjoyed every moment of the collection and was amazed at the solid vocals and musical arrangements (sounding very crisp and fresh and updated).

The new members were key to the albums success as well. Sami and Eddie seemed very in tune with the songs, image, and message of the group and seemed to fit in perfectly. They are a solid addition to this team and have proven themselves worthy of carrying the Cats name. They did not sound too over the top or overproduced and I also really enjoyed the use of Firoozeh as a guest artist on a few of the tracks (her addition made some formulaic tracks jump out).

After listening to “Dimbology,” I felt that a lot of time and effort was put into this album and that the group honed their talents to give us a great collection of songs. I wish these two new artists (Sami & Eddie) the best of luck in their futures and would like to say that taking the extra time out and not rushing for the sake of releasing an album was what made this a solid addition to the Cats album catalogue. Here’s looking to the next Black Cats album…