The Answer
New Horizon
Napalm Records
30 September 2013
The band:
Cormac Neeson - lead vocals
Paul Mahon - guitars
Micky Waters - bass guitar
James Heatley - drums
The songs:
1. New Horizon
2. Leave With Nothin
3. Spectacular
4. Speak Now
5. Somebody Else
6. Concrete
7. Call Yourself A Friend
8. Baby Kill Me
9. Burn You Down
10. Scream A Louder Love
These heavy rockers from Northern Ireland have been around since 2000 but it took them until 2006 for their first album, Rise, to be released. Better late than ever since they've gone from strength to strength with each new album full of modernized heavy classic rock. And now wax number 4, New Horizon, is upon us and holy shit folks what an album it is!
Heavy, big riffs hit me straight in the face as the title track, New Horizon, opens up the proceedings. Guitarist Paul Mahon is on fire delivering a short blistering solo in between all the razor sharp riffs while Micky Waters and James Heatley keep the bulldozer rolling on bass and drums respectively. And this is before singer Cormac Neeson has entered the fray with his awesome raspy, bluesy voice. A fantastic start to a fantastic album indeed. An almost funky beginning to Leave With Nothin suddenly explodes in the chorus as the band definitely tears it up. Heavy and in your face it gives way to the first single, Spectacular. A thick nice bass line permeates throughout the song with Paul keeping the guitar soaring when he is not shredding it to bits. Speak Now is a slower, darker track where Cormac shines brilliantly with some amazing singing. It beats me that he and the band aren't bigger than they are. Somebody Else reminds me of The Quireboys in their humble beginnings mixed with Thunder at their very best and Marc Bolan & T. Rex, in other words it's fucking amazing!
An earth-shattering bass, led-heavy drumming and a riff-fest galore is what kickstarts Concrete. Add Cormac on top of that and you have one of the best heavy rockers of 2013. The Answer slows it down on Call Yourself A Friend. The vocals are really desperate and haunted as they can be when you're betrayed by your best friend. They pick up the pace slightly about halfway through the song and hit a real top speed crescendo at the end. Funky, groovy and full of glam Baby Kill Me is a great party starter which leads into Burn You Down, a stomping rocker if there ever was one. Ending on a real high note Scream A Louder Love definitely showcase what The Answer is all about. This is classic 70's rock of the highest order brought to life in a modern take and they couldn't have picked a better album closer. That's why I keep it on repeat....hour after hour after hour!
I've followed the progress of the Northern Irish lads since the release of their debut way back when and like I said in the beginning, they have only gotten better by each album. Having been brought up on a huge healhty diet of 70's rock it's so refreshing and uplifting to hear a younger band nourish that heritage. The Answer are by no means a throwback band but they know how to blend their influences with their own material and create some fucking bad ass music in the process. We all have our preferences to how our favourite music should like and I am fine with that. Still I will call you all fools if you won't give these guys a chance. Go get it!
Håkan Nyman
Thanks to Jon @ Freeman Promotions for sending a promo to review. Much appreciated dude.
Check The Answer from the links below.
Official
