PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Anniversaries are important occasions, no matter their context. This June marks an important one for Northern Ireland hard rockers The Answer, as it will be ten years since the release of their debut album, ‘Rise’.
It proved to be an album which lived up to its name, catapulting the four young musicians from the sleepy County Down seaside town of Newcastle very quickly onto the international stage, mainly thanks to a support slot on AC/DC’s ‘Black Ice’ world tour. Another four albums in just six years, coupled with almost incessant touring and too numerous to count festival appearances have earned The Answer the reputation of one of the hard working bands on the scene.
Recently, however, they paused for breath… well, as much of a pause as they allow themselves, as they have been working on a special tenth anniversary edition of ‘Rise’, which will be released as a 2CD hardback digipak, 12” hardback book, 180g vinyl, as well as in a series of special bundles. Fully remastered, it will include 2004 demos, rare acoustic versions and exclusive mixes of tracks that never made the original album.
Simultaneusly, the band are working on their sixth studio album. So, there seemed no more opportune time for your PM Belfast team to catch up with charismatic frontman Cormac Neeson to talk about both ‘Rise’, and its associated PledgeMusic campaign, the forthcoming trio of tenth anniversary shows, touring with AC/DC (including his thoughts on the band’s recruitment of Axl Rose), and how we can expect a few surprises from the new album – as well as his own side project, The Unholy Gospel Band…
https://youtu.be/uBgH4TVQorY
The Answer will play ‘Rise’ in its entirety at the following special tenth anniversary shows:
Tuesday 24 May – London, 100 Club
Wednesday 25 May – Manchester, Deaf Institute
Friday 3 June – Belfast, Limelight 2
Support in London and Manchester will come from Aaron Keylock, while Screaming Eagles will open proceedings in Belfast.
The Answer also play ‘Rise’ in full at the Steelhouse Festival in Ebbw Vale on Saturday 23 July and the Ramblin’ Man Fair in Maidstone on Sunday 24 July.
The tenth anniversary edition of ‘Rise’ will be released on 17 June.
The Unholy Gospel Band perform most Sunday afternoons at the Aether and Echo, in Belfast city centre.
