Yes, longstanding heavy metal label Nuclear Blast is certainly venturing forth even further into the whole retro-hard rock craze, as evident by their release of the debut album from Icelandic band The Vintage Caravan. Voyage is the work of a young band who have only been in existence since 2006 and are now just barely out of their teens, and shows a deep appreciation for many of the classic acts of the 1970's. The group lists all the obvious influences like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Cream, Free, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, and Yes, but you can also hear bits of vintage Mountain, Grand Funk Railroad, Humble Pie, Leaf Hound, Foghat, Captain Beyond, and Cactus in their music. For a trio, these guys come up with some pretty hefty sounds, driven by tasty, often times heavy riffs, driving rhythms that pound yet can get funky at times, and powerful vocals. Guitarist/vocalist Oskar Logi Agustsson has a little Chris Cornell as well as Paul Rodgers/Glenn Hughes thing going on with his vocals, and the guy can certainly lay down some booming riffs and searing lead work. Just listen to his raging solo on the furious "M.A.R.S.W.A.T.T.", a tune that also has some muscular bass work courtesy of Alexander Orn Numason & nimble drum fills from Guojon Reynisson-Trommuleikari. "Cocaine Sally" is a lethal '70s styled blues rocker, while the dreamy, psychedelic "Winterland" shows the band has also embraced their prog-rock side as well. Fans of early Rush will love this moody, atmospheric piece, as tranquil passages give way to heavy bombast and then fade back to melodic melancholy.
Of course, if it's crunchy '70s inspired heavy blues rock you crave, look no further than "Craving", "Let Me Be", and the cow-bell mania of "Midnight Meditation". The near 12-minute closer "The King's Voyage" is like a pulverizing meeting of Black Sabbath & Hawkwind, as crushing guitar & bass riffs collide with trippy sound and vocal effects for a wild space rock/metal ride. Toss in some great cover artwork, and you have a young band that has delivered a spectacular debut that will have all lovers of vintage hard rock talking when this one gets released in early 2014.
Track Listing
01. Craving
02. Let Me Be
03. Do You Remember
04. Expand Your Mind
05. M.A.R.S.W.A.T.T.
06. Cocaine Sally
07. Winterland
08. Midnight Meditation
09. The King's Voyage
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