‘Night of the Vampire’ was written by Roky Erickson and first released in 1980. It is a song that has been part of the inner canon of the fuzz and psychedelic genres ever since, and has been covered by artists including Ty Segall and The Fuzztones. It is no surprise that Tornet are now tackling it, but the way they do so is worth noting.

Whilst the original bears the hallmarks of Erikson’s raw and somewhat fragile garage-psych, Tornet takes the song in a more grandiose and theatrical direction. The familiar guitar riff is there, the energy is there, but the arrangement is richer and has more weight. Vocalist Martina Svärd delivers with complete conviction, and it is her voice that makes the song actually work in Swedish. It’s not a given that an English garage classic can be translated without sounding artificial, but here it works perfectly. Swedish has a certain sombre and dramatic quality to it that suits the vampire theme surprisingly well.

Tornet have been treating Swedish audiences to impressive live performances since 2014, and are a powerhouse of collective talent creating proto-psychedelic retro rock. Their sound can be described as dirty, fuzzy doom in the vein of Uncle Acid, crossed with desert psych à la Mondo Drag. *Natt För Vampyrer* fits perfectly within that universe.

The last time we heard anything new from them was ‘Domedagar’, and it’s been a few years since then. This single is shorter and more straightforward than what the band usually delivers, but it does the job and leaves you wanting more. Tornet have been confirmed for the Krökbacken Festival 2026, which takes place from 23 to 26 July in Gagnef. Krökbacken is Sweden’s number one fuzz festival, and Tornet are exactly the sort of band that belong there. Anyone in Sweden this summer should make the trip.