THE VINTAGE CARAVAN – Portals (2025)
Retro-fueled rock trio THE VINTAGE CARAVAN return with their sixth studio album, ”Portals”, set for release on September 26, 2025 via Napalm Records. The band’s previous studio album, Monuments, hit #21 on the German charts, marking a milestone in their evolution, and the new offering continues to solidify THE VINTAGE CARAVAN’s reputation as torchbearers of contemporary classic rock.
”Portals” kicks off with the haunting, soulful album opener ‘Philosopher’, diving deep into introspective realms while elevated by the unmistakable guest voice of Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt. The track bridges generations of progressive rock as Åkerfeldt’s iconic melancholy unites with the vibrant THE VINTAGE CARAVAN sound.
The band’s development shines through without losing their retro sound, the emotion filled lead guitar work of Óskar Logi Ágústsson would induce tears in appreciation, his voice envisages the classic tones of years gone by, the Coverdales and Gillans of the world.
“Portals I” is a brief, 36 second interlude of birds tweeting and flute before that groove kicks in again on “Days Go By”. Heavy and pulsating is the order of the day here. Another brief interlude called “Portal II” leads us to “Here You Come Again” which starts with a tidy, soft tapping of drums and bass before Óskar’s fretboard erupts.
“Current” just oozes the blues. Superb! “Give and Take” gets the swagger back before the brief “Portals III” leads us into “Crossroads” where we again hear nice runs on the bass and the stop / start feel lending credence to the progressive tinges to the music. “Alone” contains an instant singalong chorus with the imploring lyric of “I don’t wanna be alone no more”. And that guitar solo. We need to catch our breath so “Portal IV” provides that 27 second respite.
“Freedom” keeps the groove a groovin’ and the feet a tappin’ before “Riot”, the first single from the album, with its thumping stoner rock pulse shakes foundations. “Electrified” keeps the pace, only with a slightly lower tempo in the verses, a background organ filling out the texture. Call the Fire and Rescue Service as fretboards are seriously red-hot here.
“The last interlude, “Portal V” leads us to the beautiful acoustic guitar of “My Aurora” with backing flute and emotional vocals, this one has potential to be The Vintage Caravan’s stairway to superstardom.
The final track, “This Road” with its driving pace and pumping rhythm rounds out a simply stupendous release. All through the album there is a great retro feel to the production, evoking an accompanying graphic of retro coloured kaleidoscope. There are clear traces of influences from Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Doors, and similarities to modern purveyors Graveyard, Blues Pills, Rival Sons, and Kadavar, and the solidification of The Vintage Caravan as leaders in their field.
Swoon at the musicianship and let the talent of the band take you on a trip. For those who enjoy heartfelt music coming from the soul, marvel at the freshness of The Vintage Caravan’s take on retro.
While 2025 may have had some fine albums released, The Vintage Caravan is in strong contention for releasing album of the year, superior songwriting, paying homage to the influence of the 70s but forging ahead with their own take, presenting a unique tablet of undoubted originality and progression forging miles ahead of any contemporaries. This album surely blows them away.
Highly Recommended
01 – Philosopher (feat. Mikael Åkerfeldt)
02 – Portal I
03 – Days Go By
04 – Portal II
05 – Here You Come Again
06 – Current
07 – Give and Take
08 – Portal III
09 – Crossroads
10 – Alone
11 – Portal IV
12 – Freedom
13 – Riot
14 – Electrified
15 – Portal V
16 – My Aurora
17 – This Road
Óskar Logi Ágústsson – vicals, guitars
Alexander Örn Númason – bass, backing vocals
Stefán Ari Stefánsson – drums
Pre order:
napalmrecords.com/english/the-vintage-caravan-portals-digipak-cd.html
