The Answer Everyday Demons
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
Irish rockers The Answer — who are perchance more fortunate than they even realize for landing the opening slot on AC/DC’s Black Ice tour — are ready to strike in North America with a blazing new studio release. Everyday Demons is the band backing up their impressive live conquering of the U.S. with an album that belies the band’s brief and enviable struggle as they inexorably rise to fame. Make no doubt about it: the stars have aligned for this band overtly influenced by the Gods of Rock, Led Zeppelin. The entire globe is foaming at the maw for music that is unsanitized, non-corporate, and “real,” and The Answer’s response is Everyday Demons.
Everyday Demons jets off with “Demon Eyes,” and immediately, you’ll understand that singer Cormac Neeson is a follower of Robert Plant. While not as obvious as Lenny Wolf was on Kingdom Come’s debut, Neeson does channel Plant on almost every song. Guitarist Paul Mahon finds his influences outside the Led Zeppelin range, as you’ll hear Clapton and even Hendrix in his anthemic style, and less Jimmy Page. In this case, the song doesn’t remain the same, because “Demon Eyes” is just a straight ahead blasting composition fueled by angry exuberance and talent to spare.
Drummer James Healey bellows on the drums at the beginning of “Too Far Gone,” a song that begins with a pre-chorus and tears into chunky, noisy riffs from Mahon. You’ll hear a definite shout-out to Free, with bluesy vocals and guitar leads. Neeson is a serious vocal talent; it’s impossible to teach someone to sing this gritty, dirty and honest if they don’t have it in their pipes to begin with.
“Cry Out” brings you back to hippy guy hair, flower shirts, doobies, free love and probably STDs. Neeson flaunts his impressive vocal range at the onset, hitting notes like a youthful Plant. With the tempo changes and mood swings during the song, it’s like experiencing a good and bad trip all at the same time.
The swagger comes at you full force on “Walkin’ Mat,” another bluesy, freakishly danceable anthem. “Throw your stones and break my back, curse my name for all you lack,” orders Neeson. Sure, it may lean closer to Led Zeppelin for some folks’ comfort, but it’s still amazing.
While their rapaciously paced tracks will bring them notoriety, the final track on Every Demons, “Evil Man,” may be what they do best. It’s their ability to change tempos two to three times in a song without confusing the listener that is a testament to their understanding of composing. The chorus is by far the most melodic on the entire release, as the entire band gets behind Neeson with deft musical harmonies. Mahon’s guitar solo here is the most metallic on Everyday Demons as well; it makes you look forward to hearing how good he can become in the future.
If The Answer has to worry about anything, it is if the public decides their sound is contrived instead of authentic. The aforementioned Kingdom Come dealt with that fallout for a decade, weren’t taken seriously by critics, but kept on keepin’ on and even today continues making laudable and damn good Rock music. Those critics are long gone today, so The Answer is going to meet a more naïve but less grunge-forgiving critic base in 2009. As stated, the stars have aligned, and for all those crackheads who spouted that The Darkness is the answer a few years ago … no … The Answer is the answer.
Label: The End Records
Track listing:
1. Demon Eyes
2. Too Far Gone
3. On & On
4. Cry Out
5. Why’d You Change Your Mind
6. Pride
7. Walkin’ Mat
8. Tonight
9. Dead Of The Night
10. Comfort Zone
11. Evil Man
HRH Rating: 8.1/10