Everyday Demons, the second album from Irish neo-classic rock band the Answer, is such unbridled old-school fun that you might dismiss it as derivative or assume it's a joke. But while Everyday Demons certainly takes its cue from two generations of no-bull bands (Led Zeppelin and the Black Crowes), there's nothing tongue-in-cheek about this quartet's approach to long-haired hard rock. With flair -- and lots of burning-rubber guitar solos -- the Answer recall arena rock's crank-up-the-volume giddiness of yesteryear. Just because the album came out in 2009 instead of 1975 doesn't make it any less of a blast.
The Vocalist With the Golden Pipes
The Answer are led by singer Cormac Neeson, a vocalist who can wail and growl with the best of them. (He doesn't have quite the pipes of a Robert Plant or a Paul Rodgers, but he's got the rock-god frontman thing down pretty damn well, without the obnoxious narcissism.) There's a lot of credit to go around for the success of Everyday Demons, but a good chunk of it should be directed at Neeson, who refuses to let these backward-looking rock songs become merely nostalgic. It's his urgency that can turn lines like "Everybody's got demons/Demons in the night/So you'd better start believing/Every day's a fight" in "Dead of the Night" into a stirring rallying cry. And it's the yearning quality to his vocals on "Comfort Zone" that makes the song's romantic longing so powerful. Because Neeson warmly embraces larynx-shredding high notes, the Answer don't recall many contemporary rock bands whose vocalists come across as sensitive or lumbering. That may make the Answer seem like a throwback to 30 years ago, but the truth is they have a lot more ingenuity and energy than many of their contemporaries.The Answer's Wall of Guitars
At a time when too many listeners check out new albums through iTunes or on a MySpace page -- convenient outlets that nevertheless offer less-than-superior sound -- Everyday Demons makes a great argument for having a good-old-fashioned stereo or great car speakers. Everyday Demons demands to be experienced through a sound system than can really fill the room -- how else to fully enjoy Paul Mahon's cascading wall of guitars or bassist Micky Waters and drummer James Heatley's fierce rhythm section? Producer John Travis, who has previously worked with Kid Rock and Buckcherry, helps songs like "Demon Eyes" feel like two-ton monsters, but at the same time, Everyday Demons swings with a sexy swagger -- the album is a fun combo of power and finesse.No Disrespect
One of Everyday Demons' greatest attributes, beyond its ace musicianship, is the fact that, unlike so much modern-day hard rock, it's completely free of the moronic misogyny that corrodes so many current bands. In the world of the Answer, women are equal partners, a far cry from groups like Hinder (not to mention AC/DC, who the Answer recently toured with) where females are usually sex toys or nuisances. To be fair, Neeson's lyrics aren't exactly poetic odes to the fairer sex -- he prefers sweeping, vaguely banal sentiments that sound great complemented by Mahon's guitar -- but Everyday Demons is one hard rock record you can enjoy without feeling guilty because of its disgusting attitudes.The Answer's 'Everyday Demons' - Bottom Line
Slightly reminiscent of the full-bodied hard rock enthusiasm of Eagles of Death Metal, without that group's winking machismo, the Answer's Everyday Demons will be adored by those who worship the classic rock of the 1970s. But rather than just imitating their elders, the Answer deliver large, loud, emphatic songs with plenty of juice and muscle. And that's no bull.Best 'Everyday Demons' Tracks:
"Comfort Zone" (Purchase/Download)"Demon Eyes" (Purchase/Download)
"Pride" (Purchase/Download)
"Dead of the Night" (Purchase/Download)
"Tonight" (Purchase/Download)
Release date -- March 31, 2009
The End Records
