THE VINTAGE CARAVAN – Gateways (2018)
THE VINTAGE CARAVAN are back with “Gateways”, their new album released today which is forty-eight minutes of bluesy, retro Hard Rock. This three piece have a penchant for fuzzy guitars and driving rhythms which early hard rock bands such as Thin Lizzy, Humble Pie, and Deep Purple championed in the ’70s.
“Gateways” is the band’s fourth album and finds them sticking to their formula of crafting riff riddle rock that swings.
It is a familiar sound, and one which they have got down to a tee. The hard rocking, forceful numbers like ‘Set Your Sights’ and ‘Reflection’ draw you in immediately – with the tour de force riff of the latter reminiscent of Ritchie Blackmore’s work in Deep Purple and Rainbow.
These riff-based rockers form the spine of the record, with the catchiest amongst them being the hook-heavy ‘Reset’ and the oft-told tale of life on the road ‘On The Run’.
‘All This Time’ has a wonderful slow burning groove to it, a relaxed rocking stomp which is inspired by the loud-mouthed gun aficionado Ted Nugent and his classic ‘Stranglehold’.
The tail end of the record is where the Icelandic trio mix it up a tad. ‘Nebula’ is a multifaceted beast, starting off mellow and quiet but quickly growing in stature. The quavering vocals adds a note of enchantment to a song that dreams within a purple haze. The entire arrangement of the song is stellar with a blistering guitar solo to bring it to climax.
‘Farewell’ is firmly rooted in the blues, with short-lived Jon Lord like keys ushering you in, and as happened on the band’s previous albums, “Gateways” is ended by a long, bluesy epic – this time in the shape of ‘Tune Out’, which builds and builds the longer it goes on.
The Vintage Caravan take us on a cruise in a fastback Mustang time machine to a world of heavy riffs and smoking grooves here, and as with their previous albums, the band showcases outstanding musical chops to create an album that revels in classic guitar driven hard rock.
“Gateways” is a great display of classic rock that harkens back to its Seventies heyday; bluesy, immediate and catchy.
Strongly Recommended
01 – Set Your Sights
02 – The Way
03 – Reflections
04 – On the Run
05 – All This Time
06 – Hidden Streams
07 – Reset
08 – Nebula
09 – Farewell
10 – Tune Out
11 – The Chain
Óskar Logi – Guitar and vocals
Alexander Örn – Bass and backup vocals
Stefán Ari – Drums and backup vocals
BUY IT !
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