After a debut album that scorched the turntable, Scorpion Child is back. The question is will the ‘difficult second album’ curse strike? Of course not…
Opener ‘She Sings I Kill’ hits nice and hard and kicks off the album in the best possible way reminding you instantly of the debut yet somehow instantly upping the ante in a psychedelic snowstorm of a song. Just to rub it in further ‘Reaper’s Danse’ (the first single) jumps off with a machine gun riff and blistering lead over a great rising NWOBHM meets Power Metal melody. We like it.
And the further you get the more you like this fiery retro-rock mayhem makers. There’s more bite and Metal and an expended palate for album two, and it just feels so good on the ear. It’s hard to believe that three of those that made the debut have now moved on and the rhythm section that sounds so like the debut is entirely new.
There’s a bluesy classic rock fire burning in the fine ‘My Woman in Black’ and a real power and swagger to the Hammond-infused title track and the great penultimate ‘Might be Your Man’. Elsewhere you’re reminded of so many other bands but so fleetingly the overall feel is of a band that knows what they want and knows what works to form a great rock track.
Amongst the muscular rock though there are moments of real revelation like the delicate range-challenging ‘Survives’ that can only make you think of early-era Queen as it bursts into life after a torturingly plaintive opening. It’s a great track but then so are the rockers and ‘Survives’ comes after all straight after one of the best in ‘Twilight Coven’.
With not a weak track in sight ‘Acid Roulette’ is a real contender for album of the year.
TRACKLIST
She Sings, I Kill
Reaper’s Danse
My Woman In Black
Acid Roulette
Winter Side Of Deranged
Seance
Twilight Coven
Survives
Blind Manâ’s Shine
Moon Tension
Tower Grove
I Might Be Your Man
Addictions
