| Scorpion Child | |
| Origin: | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Genre: | Hard rock, psychedelic rock, blues rock, heavy metal[1] |
| Years Active: | 2006–present |
| Label: | N/A |
| Current Members: | Aryn Jonathan Black Asa Savage Ryan "Cinder Lurker" Henderson Garth D. Condit Adrian Arostone |
| Past Members: | Christopher Jay Cowart Shawn Alvear Chris Hodge Shaun Avants Jeremy Cruz Dave Finner Erick Sanger Tom "The Mole" Frank Jon "The Charn" Rice Alec Padron AJ Vincent |
Scorpion Child is an American rock band from Austin, Texas, active sporadically since 2006. Singer Aryn Jonathan Black has been the group's only consistent member. Their most recent album, Acid Roulette, was released in 2016. Their music has been compared to Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, Rainbow, and Black Sabbath,[2] and the band has cited Pentagram, Lucifer's Friend, The Sisters Of Mercy, and Bauhaus as influences.[3]
Scorpion Child was formed in 2006 as an acoustic duo, consisting of Aryn Jonathan Black and guitarist Asa Savage. The band's name came from a song by the English rock band The Cult. They signed with the Nuclear Blast label and worked with Grammy-nominated producer Chris “Frenchie” Smith on their first two albums.[4]
Savage departed in 2010 and Black expanded the lineup. Scorpion Child released their self-titled debut album in June 2013, featuring a lineup of Black, lead guitarist Chris Cowart, rhythm guitarist Tom Frank, bassist Shaun Avants, and drummer Shawn Alvear; with contributions from previous guitarist Chris Hodge. One reviewer described Scorpion Child as "a heavy-riffing behemoth that takes the current glut of guitar-slinging retro-copyists and punches them through the pavement."[5] The album reached #31 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.[6] [7] The song "Polygon of Eyes" was featured as the iTunes single of the week in June 2013.[8]
Frank, Avants, and Alvear all left the band in 2014. Jon “The Charn” Rice, previously of the death metal band Job for a Cowboy, joined on drums and Alec Padron joined on bass. Instead of recruiting a new rhythm guitarist, the band added keyboardist AJ Vincent in early 2015.[9] This lineup released the album Acid Roulette in June 2016. The album was noted for being heavier and more progressive than its predecessor, thanks to the strengths of the new lineup,[10] while one reviewer noted the album's "Lizzy-meets-Maiden riffage."[11] Acid Roulette reached #19 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.
Scorpion Child went on hiatus in mid-2017. Drummer Jon Rice left the band and joined Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats.[12] [13] Bassist Alec Padron and keyboardist AJ Vincent also departed during this period. In late 2018, Black and Cowart reformed the band with former guitarist Asa Savage and former drummer Shawn Alvear, plus new bassist Garth D. Condit. This lineup partially completed a new album. In February 2020, the band announced on social media that they had broken up the previous year. In 2021 the band reformed yet again with Black, Savage, and Condit joined by new members Adrian Arostone on guitar and Jonas Wikstrand on drums (formerly of Swedish band Enforcer). The drummer position was then filled by Ryan Henderson. Their third album I Saw the End As It Passed Right Through Me, indicating a shift from hard rock to dark wave sounds, was announced for release in early 2025.[14]
Current members
Former members