Acid Roulette: CD

Scorpion Child’s sound invokes a time when guitar-driven rock ruled radio’s airwaves, when being hypnotized by a band in a concert arena was one of life’s ultimate main events.

A five-piece from Austin, Texas, Scorpion Child have spent the last few years perfecting both their songwriting and stage show. Guitarist Chris Cowart delivers his finessed attack with experience older than his years and lead singer Aryn Jonathan Black fronts the psychedelic rock cavalry with a passion and voice reminiscent of the early eras of Robert Plant and Ronnie James Dio. “I’ve always wanted to hear new musical ingredients within a classic heavy sound,” states Aryn. “The heavy-prog sounds of Uriah Heep and the epic delivery of early Rainbow showcases these crossovers brilliantly”

Scorpion Child’s self-titled full length debut, produced and arranged by Chris ‘Frenchie’ Smith (The Answer, Jet), used analogue recording technology to organically capture a hybrid of ten hook-filled chapters of heavy psych rock. From mountainous first single ‘Polygon Of Eyes’ via the funk-fuelled ‘Liquor’ and the sun-soaked, acid-infused ‘Antioch’, Scorpion Child join an elite few, including The Sword, Graveyard, Wolfmother and Rival Sons, who celebrate a warm Marshall and liquid feedback while still pushing boundaries.

Once again the band recorded at The Bubble in Austin, TX with Chris ‘Frenchie’ Smith with mixing by Dave Schiffman (The Mars Volta, Rage Against The Machine). From the electrifying opener ‘She Sings, I Kill’ (released last November to coincide with their UK tour alongside Crobot), via the Maiden-esque groove of ‘Reaper’s Danse’ to the soaring, uplifting melodic delights of ‘Moon Tension’, ‘Acid Roulette’ is Scorpion Child more impassioned than ever. As Aryn neatly sums up, “the songs exist to drive home the full power of human emotion.”

Tracklisting
1. She Sings, I Kill
2. Reaper’s Danse
3. My Woman In Black
4. Acid Roulette
5. Winter Side Of Deranged
6. Séance
7. Twilight Coven
8. Survives
9. Blind Man’s Shine
10. Moon Tension
11. Tower Grove
12. I Might Be Your Man
13. Addictions