Coming out of Switzerland, Gentle Beast are back with their second album, Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier, a follow up to their self titled debut from 2023, and if you are a fan of rock music with the fuzz cranked up to eleven, the psychedelics flooding through its heart, and lyrics about Vampire Witches, Planet Drifters, Space Machines, and Mammoth Hunting, then, brothers and sisters, this is the album for you.
Yhe press release says Gentle Beast are;
“Inspired by genre masters like Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Truckfighters or Red Fang, the five-piece from Basel, Switzerland, has dedicated itself to low-tuned guitars, raw vocals and heavy psychedelic sounds.”
And there is no doubt that those bands, and the desert rock scene they spawned from, are deep within the DNA of Gentle Beast, but there is more to this band and this album than a carbon copy of a single genre.
Their music also rolls along the 1970s highway, taking in atops at Masters of Reality Avenue and Snowblind Lane, as well as dining out in Blue Cheer Burgers and stopping for a drink at Hawkwind Bar and Grill. There are a lot of influences that run through the veins of Gentle Beast and not just the obvious ones.
My first thought when Planet Drifter kicked in like a double-dipped White Lightning – if tou knoe, you know – to send me on my Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier journey was how Timo Dinter had a touch of The Cult’s Ian Astbury hanging out with Rob Zombie in a smokey strip-club, about him and yes, my therapist says that that is a natural fantasy so shut up!
Sorry… where was I?
On Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier, Gentle Beast lays down a tapestry of intricately woven music that can kick ass – such as they do on Revenge of the Buffalo – hit you with a luscious groove – as seen on Witch of the Mountain – or just mellow you iut so much that you can slip into a coma. Yeah, Lodestone is gonna be my go to track whenever I need to shut out the world for a while.
A few days ago – at least, at the time of me writing this – the BMA became a full-time job for me and among the changes we are making across the board is that we are going to review everything we get sent and offer constructive criticism where and when it’s needed.
Well, that is gonna have to wait today as Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier by Gentle Beast has zero flaws. At all.
It is a brilliant rock record and if you have a taste for the stoner side of music – though I always hated that tag – and know your Kyuss from your Red Fang, then this is for you and, quite frankly, even if you don’t, it doesn’t matter. T
This is a proper record and if you’re a fan of rock with a deep groove, plenty of heavy ass riffs as well as chilled the fuck out melodies, and a singer that is just as comfortable with a husky growl as he is with a clean sung tune, then get Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier by Gentle Beast in your collection today.
Out Now via Sixteentimes Music. Available in both digital and physical formats.
