A Question of Skill and Timing

By Joe Kavanagh

Many years ago, I read an article in a music publication that drew parallels between heavy metal music and acne, given that both are usually at their most prolific in people's lives period during their early teens, before gradually fading away with the advent of adulthood.

Given that I was both a teen and a fan of heavy metal at the time of reading, I can even remember my extreme indignation at the notion, as I swore that I would forever remain a loyal acolyte of the genre no matter what some stupid journalist had to say.

Needless to say I was wrong, and time proved the article to be accurate, as whatever adolescent fairy dust that drew me to the genre has long since worn off.

There are, of course, some acts associated with heavy metal whose magic endures due to the brilliance of their songwriting and there will always, always be a massive market for the genre, no matter how many times musical snobs attempt to declare it dead.

How else to explain the explosion of interest in AC/DC, whose first album in almost a decade swept to the top of the charts around the world last year, despite little or no promotion.

Additionally, acts like Iron Maiden, Kiss and Metallica are some of the most popular acts in the history of music, considered classic rock acts and institutions in their own right, with fanbases whose loyalty is nothing short of remarkable.

In Thin Lizzy, Ireland has its own representative at this hallowed table of rock gods; an act of truly sublime talent and importance whose name is spoken in sacrosanct terms by hard-bitten rockers and spotty-faced kids sporting mullets, alike.

Now another act threatens to break through into this rarefied air, as highly-touted northern Irish act, The Answer, release their eagerly awaited sophomore album in the US this week.

Downpatrick, Co. Down, is nothing short of remarkable in terms of its musical legacy in recent times.

Despite being home to a shade over 10,000 people, in the last decade or so it has given birth to indie-darlings, Ash, edgy-rockers, Relish, and now the band that promises to be the town's most accomplished creation to date.

In truth, The Answer, have somewhat of a stronger pedigree than the other two acts, in that guitarist, Paul Mahon's father was a trumpeter with the storied Irish showband, The Freshmen, who released three albums on CBS Records, toured with the Beach Boys and even served as an inspiration to a very young Rory Gallagher.

Given his father's success, Mahon truly believed that he could secure a living in the industry with the right blend of talent and hard work, and found a willing accomplice in bass player Micky Waters.

Seeking only the best musicians for their project, the pair hunted down local vocalist, Cormac Neeson, only to find out that he was living in New York, slinging slices of pizza by day and singing in bars by night.

Unperturbed, Mahon wrote to him, outlining his ambitions and asking him to join upon his return, and while Neeson did agree, the two had lost contact by the time he returned to Ireland.

In one of those moments that make you believe in the possibility of fate, however, Neeson signed up with a local university upon his return, in order to pursue a degree in ethnomusicology, and began talking to the person next to him in his first class, only to discover that it was Mahon, and the band was born.

Continuing their policy of seeking out the best musicians available, they approached drummer James Heatley, who was finishing up a degree in psychology, but upon completing his exams, happily joined the band in late 2000.

Taking their influence from hard rocks acts such as Led Zeppelin, Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Rage Against The Machine and local heroes, Therapy?, they also looked further into the past for inspiration in blues players like Son House and Robert Johnson, and spent their first year rehearsing and writing material.

Initially, the band was almost exclusively a local phenomenon, although the release of self-financed EPs like Breakdown Honey, End Your Day on a High and Come On Free Me, soon began to filter across Ireland and the UK, drawing the attention of fans and critics alike.

Eventually, one of them found its way to hugely-influential deejay, Steve Lamacq, who was sufficiently impressed to pass it on to a friend named David Bedford, who worked with other hard rock acts.

Bedford was blown away by what he heard, booking a flight to Belfast to catch the band live and immediately signing on to become their manager.

In 2005, the four-piece exploded onto the scene in spectacular fashion when they beat out competition from names such as My Chemical Romance and Trivium, to win Classic Rock Magazine's title of Best New Band, even as they were in the studio recording their debut album.

Led off by the single, Into The Gutter, their debut album, Rise, appeared in 2006, selling an astounding 10,000 copies in Japan on its first day and going on to sell over 100,000 copies worldwide.

At their most lively the band are a bluesy ball of energy, also capable of soulful moments of repose, drawing extremely favorable comparisons to the likes of the Black Crowes and even Led Zeppelin, particularly given Neeson's Robert Plant-like vocals and stage presence.

Lofty comparisons indeed, but the band lived up to all the hype, with Classic Rock Magazine, going to far as to name the album the "best rock debut of the decade" and Kerrang handing them the award for Best British Newcomer.

As their profile rose, so too did the quality of the acts they found themselves supporting, as they shared stages with legends such as Deep Purple, Whitesnake and Paul Rodgers (a personal idol of Neeson's).

They even received one of the highest stamps of approval available to any rock act when legendary Zeppelin guitarist, Jimmy Page, announced himself as a fan of the band.

They were also asked to appear at a tribute concert to Phil Lynott, by his mother Philomena Lynott and, in a poignant moment that was tantamount to passing the baton of Irish hard rock to a truly worthy successor, Micky Waters became the first person to open Lynott's bass guitar case since his death, as he used the legendary front man's renowned black bass during the gig.

If such a moment were not enough of an endorsement, they went on to open for both The Who and Rolling Stones, in 2007, where they played to crowds of up to 80,000 people each night.

Their astounding momentum gained pace last year, when they signed with US label, The End Records, and introduced themselves to the American public with the Never Too Late EP, last spring.

Their most momentous achievement of the year, however, came when they were hand-picked by AC/DC to open for them on over 80 dates during their US and European tours.

Driven by the rave reviews of smitten critics, they played to almost 90% of the attendance, which translated into the region of 20,000 people per night, and frequently walked off stage to standing ovations, a veritable rarity for most opening acts.

They even capped off their American invasion with an appearance on the Late Show with Letterman last November, as US interest in the band continued to grow exponentially.

This week they return with Everyday Demons, an album that has already met the expectations of fans and critics alike since its release in Europe two weeks ago. With praise ringing in their ears from all quarters and tours to the four corners of the earth arranged for the coming months, in the best tradition of Jeopardy, if The Answer is the question then the correct response is: what new band is set to become the biggest name on the block in hard rock?