When plagued with a lust for the almighty groove, hard rock will set your soul on fire. Scorpion Child burns white hot in that area with ‘Acid Roulette’, an album full of rock music that melts the walls with lysergic-fueled dreams. The band hails from Austin, TX and is made up of Aryn Jonathan Black (vocals), Christopher Jay Cowart (guitar), Jon “Charn” Rice (drums), Alec “Caballero” Padron (bass), and Aaron John “AJ” Vincent (keyboards). Together, they have crafted an outstanding hard rock album that conveys a tale of loss, betrayal, and a game of chance designed to awaken the third eye.
The album opens with “She Sings, I Kill” which sets the tone for the rest of the songs to follow. The production is immaculate with great clarity, while retaining the raw power of the music. The gritty guitar tones of Christopher Cowart raise the hairs on your skin. In a refreshing change of pace, Alec Padron’s dynamic bass guitar is right up front in the mix, giving each song on this album a visceral punch.
All the great musical influences of Scorpion Child are boiled and brewed with the essential soul of each musician on this record. ‘Acid Roulette’ lets you breath in the sweet smoke of the familiar and realize that the band has given you something new and exciting.
There is the galloping beast of early Maiden and Priest within “Reaper’s Danse”. It is a tune that screams out a ritual of black leather and denim. The blues power and supernatural bite of Deep Purple is also baked into such songs as “My Woman in Black”, “Acid Roulette”, and “Might Be Your Man”. The distorted edge on AJ Vincent’s keyboards conjures the Hammond organ of the great Jon Lord; this is most evident in the extended jam on the title track. The muscular tone and sexual desire of the Cult shines through on “Twilight Coven” and “Moon Tension”. Each song is driven by the cracking drums of Jon Rice, who punishes the skins while locking the band into a nut-cracking groove.
One of the most interesting songs on the album is “Survives”. The vocal prowess of Aryn Jonathan Black radiates on this tune, evoking the ghost of Freddie Mercury. Aryn’s range and unrestrained vitality combined with the absorbing song-writing lift each song on ‘Acid Roulette’ to breathless heights.
Scorpion Child soars above and beyond their self-titled debut with an astounding album that embodies everything you love about hard rock music. The outstanding songwriting and monstrous musical performance make ‘Acid Roulette’ a bewitching album. This is rock music at its best and should be at the top of everyone’s list of must-have albums for the year.