Tension

Black Snake Moan is Paige Lawrence Black Snake Moan is the heart and soul of every human being-from the self-examination of life's turmoil to the twinge of hope for a better tomorrow. The brainchild of San Francisco-native, singer/songwriter Paige Lawrence, local industrial favorites Black Snake Moan unleash a much too realistic series of thoughts, on a music industry under-siege with commercial depravity. Guided by a solid rock/metal foundation, Black Snake Moan fuses electronica with neo-industrial stylings to create a body of work that not only mirrors today's socio/political climate, but asks some very loaded questions of its listeners.

     Lawrence first gained notice in the SF Bay Area club scene, as a guitarist for such notable acts as Murder Death Kill, Burning Down and Spitkiss, opening for Lacuna Coil, Godhead, Christian Death, Hate Department, Spahn Ranch, and a slew of other local and national acts. After his previous projects ran their course, Lawrence decided to throw his hat in the ring as a front man and songwriter creating Black Snake Moan; a hybrid of Nine Inch Nails, Tool and Dead Can Dance, guided by a driving, powerful lyrical force. With a rotating lineup of stellar musicians, the band's live performances drew immediate praise from audiences and interest from promoters and the press.

     The band's latest self-produced endeavor, Tension (EP), is a series of well-stated portraits-from Curtains, a rant about the politics of the music business, to Faces, which confronts deeply seated fears, to Caterpillar, which examines the mental road to addiction. Lawrence's vocals are well-framed by a steady stream of bass thump, synthed-out electronica lines and driving guitars-all in the name of exposing the darker side of the human mind.

     The album's sound begins where the band's live show ends-capturing the group's blistering live performances, while embracing the concept of a modern, three-dimensional, musical experience. It is strong and aggressive, with liberal use of keyboards and samples-creating a certain amount of danceability, which contrasts nicely with the overly aggressive lyrical themes. Adding another dimension to the album is a hint of indigenous, tribal-style percussion that is punctuated with samples and synth-based melodies. After emerging from seven months in the studio recording Tension, Lawrence, ...finally captured the fury inside my head. It was the first time I really believed the voice I heard coming out of the speakers.

     Catapulted by interest from Zero magazine and Powerslave.com, Lawrence is on yet another binge-and-purge songwriting excursion. In the heart of his computer-centric home studio, Blue Bayou Studios (Berkeley,CA), Lawrence has already begun pre-production on Black Snake Moan's next full-length album, as well as remixing tracks from Tension. Sure to be a deeper look inside himself-and the society around him-Lawrence's next effort will take the willing listener on a ruthlessly honest journey of self-examination and evolution.
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