[MUSIC NEWS] THE VINTAGE CARAVAN Announce New Album
Icelandic retro-fueled prog rock trio THE VINTAGE CARAVAN have announced their return with their sixth studio album, entitled Portals, set for release on September 26, 2025 via Napalm Records!
“We proudly present our sixth studio album, Portals. It’s our most diverse, dynamic, experimental album and in our opinion, our best effort yet,” the band states. “Portals was recorded at Arda Recorders in Porto, Portugal in October 2024 with Axel ‘Flexi’ Árnason, with whom we worked on Voyage (2012), Arrival (2015) and the Monuments Tour (2023). This is the first time we recorded on tape and we are so happy with the results. We feel that this time we really managed to capture our live energy.
The title of the album is a nod to the city of Porto and connecting the songs are a series of interludes which we call “Portals” that set the mood and bring you to the next track. We can’t wait for you to experience the journey that is Portals!”
Today, the charismatic band have released a music video for first album single “Riot”, a track dripping in the trademark THE VINTAGE CARAVAN sound, rich in bluesy psychedelia infused with modern intensity and irresistible riffs.
Watch the music video now premiering HERE:
“’Riot’ came to me in a dream. It’s the only time that has happened to me, ” singer and guitarist Óskar Logi Águstsson reveals. “I woke up around 7 am humming the first two riffs and I really liked it and I thought to myself, “I’ll go back to sleep for a bit and then I’ll work on this”. Then I woke up again and I forgot the main riff, which was a bummer and I tried remembering the pattern all day until I gave up and went to bed, right as I was drifting off to sleep it came back to me! Thankfully!
The track is an energetic and heavy one. The lyrics were inspired by the 2024 riots in England. We were touring the country at the time, it was a very surreal thought to be possibly caught up in a Riot and I knew I wouldn’t do very well in that sort of situation, so that’s what inspired me to write the lyrics.
We hope you enjoy Riot and remember, don’t start a riot, just listen to this tune instead.”
Portals is another testament to THE VINTAGE CARAVAN’s endlessly creative, modern take on the psychedelic retro rock sound, cementing the band’s leading position in the scene. The band’s previous studio album, Monuments, hit #21 on the German charts, marking a milestone in their evolution, and the new offering – which also features a stunning guest performance by Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt on the soulful album opener “Philosopher” – continues to solidify THE VINTAGE CARAVAN’s reputation as torchbearers of contemporary classic rock. Aside from their critically acclaimed releases, the band’s electrifying live performances have mesmerized audiences at major festivals such as Wacken Open Air and Hellfest, as well as on international tours both as headliners and as support for the likes of progressive metal giants Opeth. THE VINTAGE CARAVAN will be celebrating the release of Portals with extensive headline tours in mainland Europe and the UK, announced for autumn 2025.
Pre-order Portals