Racing towards their 20th anniversary, it still stuns me that The Vintage Caravan are not huge. Their music, a retro-fuelled progressive rock combination, has developed since their self-titled debut in 2011, and with their sixth album, Portals, the band takes another huge step forward.
The Vintage Caravan – Portals
Release Date: 26 September 2025
Words: Paul Hutchings
I have seen this band many times over the years, from small stages in Bristol and Cardiff, soundchecking at Damnation Festival and rocking out in the rain at Steelhouse. They have never been less than brilliant.
Of course, opening your album with a huge banger of a track that happens to feature Mikael Åkerfeldt helps set you on the right path.
Having toured with Opeth in the past, it is not such a surprise, but having that voice certainly is not going to hinder you. His melancholic delivery fits in beautifully with the band’s vibrant sound.
But that’s just one component of a 17-track release that stretches just shy of an hour. Portals is an album that is bridged by five segments, Portals I – V. They allow time to pause between the crunching riffs that combine the band’s gloriously old school sound with a more contemporary feel.
Days Go By and Here You Go Again, tracks three and five respectively, showcase their style. A rich tapestry of influences and heady mixed psychedelia, combined with bluesy lead work, all melding in classic style. If this does not get your head nodding, then one wonders if your pulse is still beating. It is uplifting, with thick Hammond chords adding to the overall feel of the songs. 
There are few bands that capture this type of sound so well. The slower, melodic burst of Currents and midpoint track Crossroads are both heartfelt, semi-ballads which evolve and rip out into harder edged rockers as they progress. The latter, shows the band’s progressive edge, with hints of Floyd and even Zeppelin echoing across the song.
And if you want to rock out, then just skip to Riot, which is a song that captures the essence of The Vintage Caravan in four glorious minutes. It is a powerful reminder of why this band are so highly rated.
That they can close the album out with the melancholy of My Aurora and then the up-tempo groove of This Road just adds more evidence to my case.
There is plenty of variety wrapped up here. An album that will feature in my end-of-year top ten, the only thing more exciting than Portals is their autumn UK tour, which will be here in October.
Listen to this album, get to one of their explosive shows, and join me in praising a band who hopefully will soon be talked about in wider circles.
The Vintage Caravan release Portals on 26 September 2025 via Napalm Records. For pre-orders, visit lnk.to/TheVintageCaravan-Portals.
Support is from THE Motherz, a powerhouse three-piece band delivering a raw, high-energy fusion of Stoner Rock, Doom, and Metal, featuring Cedric Pfister (Lead Vocals/Bass), Miguel Montalban (Guitar) and Jake Cook (Drums). 
