Black Snake Moan
Fire/what You See
Born under the sign of reverb, Black Snake Moan is a sound research project with deep roots in the atmospheres of blues and psychedelic rock. Atypical to most one-man bands, Italian artist Marco Contestabile is inspired by a broad spectrum of artists, which culminates in a sound threaded with spiritual evocation. Much of his inspiration comes from his homeland, the realm of the ancient Etruscans, a region permeated with mystery, where the cult of death and belief in the afterlife and supernatural events were part of everyday life, reflecting the spirituality of ancient cultures throughout the world. While encompassing a new vision of the legendary sound of the 1960s, both songs also reflect the innovative songcraft of the pioneers of the psychedelic genre, including The Beatles, Love, and Jefferson Airplane. With its driving organ and Morrisonian baritone, 'Fire' also evokes The Doors and Iron Butterfly, while 'What You See' integrates a jangly, 12-string guitar and desert rock vibes that reflect the dreamy West Coast vibe of The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield. As a metaphor, 'Fire' represents the Dark Night of the Soul and expresses a moment of absolute spiritual desolation in which one feels totally lost yet connected to a story in the process of being told. The song delves into the deep sense of something vital missing from our lives, and the purification that comes with the revelation of the soul's true identity. We are in darkness so that we can understand the meaning of Light and Truth, lighting the path of our way back to finding our true nature.