Tooled up with an arsenal of drums, guitar, synth bass and loop pedals, Cairo Knife Fight pack a riff-driven punch that has seen them hold their own against the title holders they"ve shared stages with - names like Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures and Queens of the Stone Age.The collective back-story of drummer/main vocalist Nick Gaffaney and guitarist/loop guru Aaron Tokona reads like a brag sheet of some of New Zealand"s finest musicians including Anika Moa, Fat Freddy"s Drop and Dimmer, as well as Tokona"s own former contenders, rock outfit Weta. It"s as a duo however that they"ve blazed their very own trail, finding new ground between the power of Led Zeppelin and the fearlessness of Radiohead.They returned from the sessions with II, a brand new EP that bottles their supercharged sound on four blistering cuts. As a first look on what"s to come, II"s first single "The Origin Of Slaves" rings out like a warning shot, all drum loops of death and buzz saw guitars sauced with slithering falsetto. "The first EP was just a taste," says Tokona. "This one sounds like we are on our way somewhere - we"re taking more risks and we are way more fearless." With II set to drop Monday 15th August on Liberation Music, this year will be a big one for the Christchurch-based duo. First up there"s a nationwide tour with Head Like A Hole, plans for a brand new long player are in the works, and return tours of the US and Australia are in the pipeline. 1. The Violence Of Action2. The Origin Of Slaves3. The Opiate Of The Living4. The Secrets of Sin