“Our influences are diversified as classic 80’s thrash metal to the old school southern blues of Blind Willie Johnson, Lemon Jefferson and Willie McTell,” says Black. “We came to Austin to form a band with a single vision and though we’ve played in different bands with a range of styles, after jamming together, we found our footing in what we do best.” Balancing full-time jobs at coffee shops and bars around town forced the group to be very disciplined. “Austin’s a great city to develop and hone your skills musically,” admits Black. “Every genre can be found here from blues and jazz to punk and hardcore.” In 2010, after years of slogging it out in the Austin scene, Scorpion Child gained peer recognition with critical praise from local and regional press while selling out high profile gigs at SXSW. The stage was set for the band’s recording debut.
After songwriting sessions in Nashville, the band spent last year recording their self-titled album with Grammy-nominated producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith known for his work with The Answer, Jet, And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Dax Riggs, and many others. The result is a hybrid of nine, hook-filled heavy-psych classics that breathe new life into a stale hard rock market. Their music erupts with big drums, thunderous guitar riffs and dangerous soul ridden bass lines. Black’s powerful rock vocals convey a sexiness and swagger not heard since the days of Free and Humble Pie. A surge of electricity bursts from the first notes of “Kings Highway” to the pummeling drive of “The Secret Spot” and the highly addictive open-chord “Liquor”. Built for the big stage is “Salvation Slave” which hearkens back to a time when guitar rock ruled the airwaves and made going to a concert the ultimate main event.