Known around town for their long hair, seventies style clothing, and heavy rockin’ riffs, Austin’s own Scorpion Child have recently announced their signing to legendary metal record label Nuclear Blast. Through Nuclear Blast, the boys will release their debut, self-titled album in May. Along with the announcement of their signing came the release of the lyric music video for the band’s first single, “Polygon of Eyes.” Bringing back memories of old school rock and roll as well as delving deep into an exciting new sound, “Polygon of Eyes” is full of catchy hooks and heavy riffs.
For those who have been following the band’s career since the beginning, the new single is darker than their past recordings, shifting the focus from a more blues-influenced rock vibe to a thick crafted proto-metal hard rock style. The sound is massive, the lyrics are psychedelic, and the instrumentation and vocals reminiscent of the early seventies – the band did record their entire album on analog tape – yet the track remains relevant in the music sphere of today. Scorpion Child is succeeding in breathing new life into a genre of music that is both old and new, suave and dirty, and carefully crafted yet carefree all at the same time.
The first time I saw Scorpion Child was in March of 2010, during a SXSW day party in a backyard once called The Typewriter Museum in east Austin. I had heard a few of their recordings before and thoroughly enjoyed them, which was why I walked all the way out to their show, but it was their live performance that I fell in love with. I’m lucky enough to have seen Scorpion Child grow as a band and to have witnessed the individual members grow as musicians over the years – with each show that I attend being even more jaw-dropping than the last.
Vocalist Aryn Jonathyn Black commands the stage like the frontmen of days gone by, easily capturing the attention of the audience as he jerks and wiggles and moans and moves like a shaman possessed. Old school guitar riff-age and flying solos also fill the air, bringing the band’s music up to soaring heights, thanks to the dual guitar team of Chris Cowart and David Finner. And while the vocals and twin guitars take us ever higher, the listener is brought back down to earth through the heavy grooves laid down by a rhythm section so fine we can’t help but dance along at a breakneck pace to the strong, driving beats of drummer Shawn Alvear and the deep, funky bass lines of Shaun Avants. When you see them, keep an ear out for the “Polygon of Eyes” single as well as the fan-favorite track “Liquor” which will also be released on their debut record – it has grooves so infectious you may not be able to stop yourself from dancing until the sun comes up.
A Scorpion Child show is one that begs to be witnessed. You can buy tickets in advance here for their next Austin concert, where the boys will be tearing the roof off of Stubb’s Jr. along with Burning Avalanche on Friday, February 15th.
– Brittany Bartos