An Answer Can Be Found (stylized as an Ånswer can be found) is the third studio album by American rock band CKY. Recorded at studios in California and New York City, it was produced by guitarist Chad I Ginsburg and released on June 28, 2005, by Island Records in North America and Mercury Records in Europe. The album reached number 35 on the US Billboard 200, the highest position achieved by the band to date.
Originally named The Butcher's Hand, An Answer Can Be Found was written by vocalist and guitarist Deron Miller with assistance from Ginsburg, and featured a number of songs from early in the band's career. Again, the album featured the core lineup of Miller, Ginsburg and drummer Jess Margera, with Miller and Ginsburg playing bass on the record in addition to guitars and vocals.
At the time of its release, An Answer Can Be Found was presented by CKY's members as the band's magnum opus; however, the album received mixed reviews from music critics, who offered contrasting views on whether the band's music had evolved or not. "Familiar Realm" was released as a single on May 24, 2005, reaching number 32 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Recording and production
Recording for An Answer Can Be Found took place at 4th Street Recording in Santa Monica, California, Paramount Recording in Hollywood, California, and Sony Music Studios in New York City; sequencing, editing and mastering took place at Masterdisk in New York City. Recording began on April 7, 2004. Production and mixing were handled by guitarist Chad I Ginsburg, with Pablo Arraya assisting with engineering, Roger Lian working on sequencing and editing with Ginsburg, and Howie Weinberg mastering the album. The title of "Behind the Screams" is a play on words, referring to both the presence of the song on a behind-the-scenes feature on the Haggard DVD release and the fact that the song comes after "Tripled Manic State", which ends with a scream. "Familiar Realm" was the only single released from the album, reaching number 32 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, although "Tripled Manic State" was included on a free split release with The Bronx, released by Fat City magazine in May 2006. "As the Tables Turn" was featured on the 2005 video game Burnout Revenge.
In promotion of the album, CKY joined the 2005 Rock Adio Tour, sponsored by skateboarding company Adio Footwear, alongside Fireball Ministry and The Knives. The tour ran throughout North America between August and September 2005, and included a headline performance at the festival Skate Fest in Worcester, Massachusetts. Following the tour, the band toured in the UK with Clutch, and later supported Avenged Sevenfold on the Cities of Evil Tour between January and February 2006. The group also performed on NBC show Last Call with Carson Daly on November 11, 2005, performing the songs "Suddenly Tragic" and "Tripled Manic State".
Miller claimed in October 2015 that a new lineup of CKY (dubbed "Mecha CKY") would be re-recording and re-releasing the album.
Title and packaging
CKY's third studio album was originally planned to be titled The Butcher's Hand, which is a lyric from the song "As the Tables Turn"; this was later changed to the final title, An Answer Can Be Found, which is a lyric from the album's opening track, "Suddenly Tragic". Gigwise described the album's lyrics as "angry yet positive". The lyrics of "Tripled Manic State" are about the idea of experimenting on humans, and the song is a sequel to Infiltrate•Destroy•Rebuild track "Inhuman Creation Station", which was written about a hypothetical factory which manufactured humans.
Music
The music of An Answer Can Be Found has been compared to that of previous album Infiltrate•Destroy•Rebuild, but has also been identified as an evolution from the 2002 release. AllMusic's Rob Theakston noted that the album followed much of the same formula as the band's previous album, but claimed that it is "more heavy metal than it is punk", identifying the influence of GG Allin on the record. Alternative Press writer Rob Ortenzi highlighted the "slowed-down death-metal riffs and midtempo backbeat that've become CKY's trademarks". A review on Blabbermouth.net summarized the album's style as being typified by "massive riffs, a full-bodied production style, and an interesting combination of stoner esthetics with futuristic leanings", while Gigwise described it as sounding like "a cross between Weezer and Stone Temple Pilots with the song sensibilities of Linkin Park". According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album sold 27,786 copies in the United States in its first week of release. According to Deron Miller, as of August 2015 the album has sold over 153,000 copies, making it the third-best-selling CKY album behind Infiltrate•Destroy•Rebuild and Volume 1.