GYPSY PISTOLEROS – The Mescalito Vampires +2 (2021)

As unique as you can get in rock music, GYPSY PISTOLEROS mash-up hard rock, flamenco, glam, sleaze, and even western film score styles into a hell of an engrossing album. Each song is a story and fits into the overall epic. Well, 2021 and lockdown sees them reborn with new new line-up that consists of Gypsy Lee Pistolero (vocals/guitars) Mark Westwood of Shadowland (guitars), Gaz Le Bass (double bass), Jan Vincent Vellazco (drums) and Kris Jones (trumpet) and hopefully some shows to come!
These fictional names are from experienced musicians from the Prog Rock scene, taking this side project to create something different. “The Mescalito Vampires +2” is their new album, and a lot of fun.
How would an Eagles classic sound making the basis of a Gypsy Pistoleros song? “’The Mescalito Vampires (Welcome To The Hotel De La Muerto)’ does just that. Taking a little bit of ‘Hotel California’, a lot of Hanoi Rocks and Mexican twang, helps to make on the album’s many highlights.

The mash-up action comes thick in the form of ‘Lost In A Town Called Nowhere’, ‘Viva La Revolution’ and ‘Soho Daze, Just Another Friday Night’. The latter has a nice hard rocking 80’s flavor, Guns N’ Roses vibe to it.
It is not all breakneck paced though as the ballad ‘The Name’s Django’ shows the Gypsy Pistoleros have a few tricks up their sleeve. Starting off as a gentle ballad, complete with gentle guitar before midway through it goes fast paced, no holds barred punkish, then ending as quietly as it began.

Songs like ‘Cisco Kid’ and ‘Gonna Die With A Gun In My Hand’ have the listener imagining Wild West shoot outs or gunfighter duels in the hot sun at midday. These songs would be perfect for any Tarantino Western soundtrack.
Then there’s the mariachi-fueled Punk rock of ‘Roses, Gallows and the Wild Preachers Daughter’, and the Flamenco party of ‘Forsaken’ two that really get it spot on as fusion goes.

‘Wild Is the Wind’ isn’t a Bon Jovi cover but it brings to mind Jon’s ‘Young Guns’ album, and even adds some melodic hard rock to the Gypsy Pistoleros’s pastiche.
The album ends with a superb cover of the Love classic ‘Alone Again Or’. The acoustic guitar on this is stunning, as is indeed the band’s take on the song, going for a mellow vibe which works really well.

Imagine the house band from Robert Rodriguez / Tarantino film ‘From Dusk Til Dawn’ jamming with early era ZZ Top, a youthful Guns N’ Roses and the Gypsy Kings, and you get the Gypsy Pistoleros.
It’s fun, it’s original, it’s entertaining… what else do you want?

 

01 – Lost in a Town Called Nowhere
02 – Viva La Revolution, Viva Zapata
03 – The Mescalito Vampires (Welcome to the Hotel De La Muerto)
04 – Soho Daze, Just Another Friday Night
05 – Roses, Gallows & the Wild Preachers Daughter
06 – The Forsaken
07 – The Name’s Django!
08 – Cisco Kid
09 – Wild Is the Wind
10 – Alone Again Or
11 – Sangre On The Roses (Bonus Track)
12 – Gonna Die With A Gun In My Hand (Bonus Track)

Gypsy Lee Pistolero (vocals/guitars)
Mark Westwood of Shadowland (guitars)
Gaz Le Bass (double bass)
Jan Vincent Vellazco (drums)

 

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