DEEP PURPLE – =1

The legendary band that helped pave the way for the creation of Heavy Metal, the hardest working band with over 100 million albums sold has given us another great record. Deep Purple is easily one of the most influential bands in the world, as anyone visiting a guitar shop is still very likely to hear someone playing the classic riff to “Smoke on the Water” still to this day. The band has no quit in them, as the recent departure of guitarist Steve Morse hasn’t slowed them down a lick.

New Blood

Enter Simon McBride (Snakecharmer, ex-Sweet Savage, Don Airey and Friends) to step in and step up to fill the shoes of not just Steve Morse, but also of legend Ritchie Blackmore. The north Irishman had already worked with Don Airey and friends in 2016, as well as Ian Gillan in 2019, making him a natural choice when Morse retired due to personal reasons in 2022. McBride feels like a perfect fit with the band, and the new album showcases his guitar work quite a bit.

Final Notes

=1 is once again produced by legend Bob Ezrin (producer for Kiss’ Destroyer, and many other classic albums), who definitely knows how to capture the essence of the band. Gillan still has an amazing voice, Airey is perfect on the keys, Glover is as solid as ever, and Paice is still one of the best drummers ever. The new songs sound fresh, yet still have that classic Deep Purple vibe that is unmistakable. =1 is a great album, and more than worth picking up in a physical format, whether it’s vinyl or CD. Two horns up for the continued great music from Deep Purple!

Lineup

• Ian Gillan – vocals
• Roger Glover – bass
• Ian Paice – drums
• Don Airey – keyboards
• Simon McBride – guitar

=1 Tracklist

1. Show Me
2. A Bit On The Side
3. Sharp Shooter
4. Portable Door
5. Old-Fangled Thing
6. If I Were You
7. Pictures Of You
8. I’m Saying Nothin’
9. Lazy Sod
10. Now You’re Talkin’
11. No Money To Burn
12. I’ll Catch You
13. Bleeding Obvious

Check out the new video for “Lazy Sod” by Deep Purple off of their new album =1.