THE ANSWER TO OUR LONGING TO SEE AC/DC OR LED ZEPPELIN LIVE
Remember Silvertide? That band was fucking awesome, and it’s a shame they disappeared after releasing only one album. Thankfully now we’ve got The Answer, a Northern Ireland quartet who, like their American predecessors in Silvertide, have barely changed a thing from the ’70s hard rock formula that had its heyday before the band members were born. On their four-song debut EP Never Too Late (The End Records) these lads rock with plenty of AC/DC meat and potatoes bombast and the melody of Led Zeppelin, mixing it with a more modern (relatively), hard-hitting, Black Crowes-y sensibility. Vocalist Cormac Neeson’s wail undeniably calls Robert Plant to mind; if Led Zep do go on to tour without Plant, they should surely give Mr. Neeson a call. Meanwhile, guitarist Paul Mahon wails like Page or Hendrix possessed — the dude can fucking PLAY — while the rhythm section of Michael Waters (Bass) and James Heatley (Drums) holds it down with plenty of energy and power.
As with most throwback bands like this you know what to expect, so there ain’t much in the way of surprises; but that’s just fine when you’re opening stadiums and arenas for AC/DC on their Black Ice tour. When these guys do finally get around to recording a full-length I imagine it’ll sound just like a longer version of this 4 song EP, and if they’re fortunate enough to get to the next one, that’ll probably sound the same too. If it ain’t broke, why bother fixing it?
-VN
(three and a half out of five horns)
