EXCLUSIVE: Listen to an 11-minute preview of The Answer's new album 'Solas'

The tantalising taster showcases the Northern Irish at the top of their game and sees them effortlessly flit between musical styles from unadulterated hard rock gems to bluesy dirges to sonorous rock anthems and plaintive, emotionally raw numbers. 

Hear a one-minute snippet of each and every track right here:

Taking its name from the Gaelic word for “light” and boasting the singles ‘Beautiful World’ and the album title track, ‘Solas’ is released via Napalm Records on Friday 28h October.

The recording of the album followed a traumatic time for the band, and in particular frontman Cormac Neeson whose son was born three months prematurely with multiple health issues.

Reflecting on the four months that followed, which saw his son Dabhog fighting for his life, Cormac said: "I look back at that time of my life as a darkness I didn't know existed.

“It felt like all the lights in the world had been dimmed and weren't ever coming back up again. I emerged from that whole experience a different man. The world was never going to look the same again but at least I could start to think about stuff I hadn't thought about in a while.

“’Solas’ arrived at just the right time for me because I felt strongly that I had a lot to say and to get off my chest."

The band set up their own home recording studio and shut themselves away from the world to record 'Solas', with guitarist Paul Mahon acting as engineer and sending files to London-based producers Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh.

“We initially sat there looking blankly at each other. It became apparent that we would have to approach writing in a completely different way; It was certainly disconcerting to move away from our traditional approach but we had to embrace a new process.” Paul recalls.

“We didn’t want to limit ourselves and as well as exploring our Celtic roots wanted to explore roots music in a broader sense. There may have been some conscious resistance at first but it felt we were being guided down a much more atmospheric, surreal and cinematic path and I think that is reflected in the final album.”

The ‘Solas’ track-listing is as follows:

1. Solas
2. Beautiful World
3. Battle Cry
4. Untrue Colour
5. In This Land
6. Thief Of Light
7. Being Begotten
8. Left Me Standing
9. Demon Driven Man
10. Real Life Dreamers
11. Tunnel

The Answer are also hitting the road next month on a fervently awaited co-headline tour with The Dead Daisies.

You can find the dates and buy tickets from Planet Rock Tickets now.