= 1

Approaching nearly 60 years together as a band, it's true that only drummer Ian Paice has been with DEEP PURPLE for the band's entire 56 year existence with other members coming and going over the decades but the band as a commercial entity has sold well over 100 million albums in its amazingly fruitful career not to mention an early innovator of hard rock and heavy metal. It's hard to believe that these old timers now mostly in their 70s are still cranking out the same hard driving rock that they did in the 1970s but here we are in the year 2024 and band is releasing its 23rd studio album!

After the departure of long term guitarist Steve Morse who played with DEEP PURPLE from 1994-2022, the band sallied forth well into the 2020s with guitarist Simon McBride who has honed his bluesy hard rock skills in bands like Snakecharmer and Sweet Savage. Along with vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover, DEEP PURPLE is still 3/5 of its classic Mark II lineup and along with keyboardist Don Airey who has been cranking out his meanest organ playing skills 2002, the band is determined to keep going until every last member has taken his last breath.

=1 finds Bob Ezrin back in the producer's seat who together with all the band members crafted 13 new tracks that evoke the spirit of classic DEEP PURPLE and delivered with a loose concept of the world rapidly becoming more and more complex. After the all cover song album of "Turning To Crime" one could easily assume that DEEP PURPLE was ready to call it quits but the band demonstrates that while not up to its peak as far as energetic performances are concerned, these seasoned veterans still have a knack for writing catchy hard rock tunes that find that perfect mix of boogie rock, bluesy guitar leads and organ bombast accompanied by Ian Gillan's distinct vocal style which amazingly has held up quite well over the decades.

The album hits the ground running with the album's opening "Show Me" which finds DEEP PURPLE in fine form for a bunch of guys now well past their prime. What the band lacks in its energetic drive that catapulted classic albums like "In Rock" and "Machine Head" to the top of the charts, the modern DEEP PURPLE rather compensates with emotive performances focused more on the melodic touches and the crafty soulful rendering of their classic sound brought to a new era. Unfortunately some of these slowed down versions of classic DEEP PURPLE are a little on the mopey side with the track "I'll Catch You" falling into the dreaded AOR turf, something classic DEEP PURPLE never would've approached!

Overall this isn't a bad batch of tracks by one of the most famous rock bands ever to have existed but it's also a reminder that these guys' best days are well behind them and now they are simply doing what they love in order to keep the old adage "use it or lose it" alive and well. DEEP PURPLE has definitely been a lot more interesting since 2013's "Now What?" and in that regard the band continues to craft instantly catchy tracks that will appeal to any long time fans of classic PURPLE. While it's hard to fault this album in any particular way it is hard not to compare them to their glory days when the combo pack attack of Jon Lord's classically infused organ runs with Ritchie Blackmore's neoclassical shredding were in full force.

This is a far cry from those days but nevertheless a pleasant slice of the band in its latest formation however it seems that the much younger McBride who is only in his 40s is kept on the leash and not allowed to crank out the serious energetic drive and guitar majesty that would kick this album's energy level up a few notches with the exception of the excellent "Now You're Talkin" which takes nine tracks to get to. While not bad, it's also not going to go down in history as anything that stands out in the band's canon but rather a testament to the band's longevity and determination to sally forth no matter what obstacles lie in their path.

3.5 rounded down

New Deep Purple is irresistible for old metal heads and the line up of the big 5 is a wonderful treat. They are back on their 23rd studio album; Ian Gillan on vocals, Roger Glover on bass, Ian Paice on drums, Don Airey on keyboards, and Simon McBride on guitars. The progenitors of classic metal are in their Twilight years but can still rock with the best of them. And they have the genius of Bob Ezrin in album production. What can go wrong? Not much but don't expect another In Rock, Machine Head or Perfect Strangers. Instead prepare for an excellent album that's all killer. No filler.

They burst out the gate with the melodious Show Me, followed by cool riffing on A Bit on the Side. Gillan is in fine vocal form and the music rocks hard with touches of prog, mainly from the keyboard wizardry of Airey. The lead breaks on this are freakish with incredible speed fretwork and that melody is infectious.

Sharp Shooter has a sporadic rhythm and locks into a steady pace with great vocals.

Portable Door has a fast tempo and Gillan gives it everything accompanied by glorious organ and guitar motifs. I like the melody and the Hammond organ sounds. Another dynamic lead break enhances the enjoyment.

Old-Fangled Thing has a tremendous lead solo, lashings of organ and a quirky jazzy feel. I like that musical interlude too.

If I Were You is a power ballad that has a melancholy feel.

Pictures of You has a riff that reminds me of Alice Coopers Devils Food. I like Gillans vocals here and it's got an infectious melody.

I'm Saying Nothin' has quirky lyrics about keeping dark secrets to the grave, perhaps autobiographical. Again it has a great melody, cool guitars and keyboards trading off in style.

Lazy Sod is another song about being too lazy to get outta bed, remember Lazy, and it's got a great riff and rhythm. The lead break is killer from McBride. Aireys keyboard attack is masterful; a wonderful track on the album.

Now You're Talkin' opens with slide guitar and then it motorvates along with sizzling energy.

No Money to Burn has a 70s classic rock feel. The riff is blistering and Gillan powerfully sings about having no cash to waste. It sounds a bit like Wishing Well in the mid section. The lead break is scorching and again Airey hammers that keyboard with speed and precision.

I'll Catch You is a slow bluesy track that holds an emotional edge with Gillan reflecting about feeling broken and dreaming about a girl beyond his reach. "My bags are ready, My keys are in the car. Anytime you want to jump, I'll Catch you in my arms" is a line that jars me on each listen. This is a superb track.

Bleeding Obvious closes the album with fret melting guitar riffs and high string bends layered over. The guitars are frenetic along with Paice and Glovers rhythm section. It ends in a paroxysm of speed picking and fast tempo drumming.

At the end of this new Album I can't help but think how much they achieved with this. After so many years in the business, it is incredible they can still generate music of this calibre. The album grows on you and I am in awe of the musicianship and how Gillans vocals resonate. There's a lot of passion poured into this and if it's their last album they have gone out in a blaze of glory.

'Show Me' with a killer rhythm from the start; a dynamite volcano making you headbang, unimaginable when you think about the age of our grandpas; Ian's rapped voice holds the road, Roger's imposing bass, Don at ease who jams directly with Simon the new kid as if it had been ages and Ian tapping effortlessly as if he hadn't aged a day; the perfect bluff with the heady riff. 'A Bit on the Side' with an impressive groove, the bass dull and burning, the sound like the early days; place synths in solo, heavy regroove then the solo that spurts, right, left, I dare to write with the madness of a Ritchie. 'Sharp Shooter' starts with the sound marked with a hot iron; good old entertaining hard rock with choirs and the moog solo part, enjoyable guitar, only happiness confirming for the fundamentalists that there is indeed prog blood in it. 'Portable Door' lively joy of creation of this energetic title shaken by keyboards; the voice is melodious, the air fruity, Simon's solo bluesy as desired, fat and Don's organ gives it his all. The provided riff which gives the potato and refers to the famous 'Black Night'. 'Old-Fangled Thing' continues, consensual, overrated, vintage filler title which reminds me of the first Kiss for the bass; title with a good solo. 'If I Were You' and the slow bluesy oozing, nostalgic; easy to lull the old fan, the sensual feeling of the solo for the symphonic synth finale. 'Pictures of You' as an imprint of the Deep sound: the voice, the tone, the reminiscences; a melting rhythm, a heady chorus where we start to hum. The organ finale reminds us that they are still there and the guitar which cries with joy.

'I'm Saying Nothin'' arrives, complex mid tempo supported by the heavy rhythm; energy to spare, an ambient prog chorus. Ian sings like in the first beat before the release of the fruity vintage keyboard solo, Don marking the progressive imprint of the Mark II 1st era. 'Lazy Sod' with the 3rd single: fast, moog on fire, it grooves, well recorded to the point that we would forget the imposing riff of the 70s and the Blackmorian guitar solo. Deep Purple with the critique of the world on fire, not on Montreux's 'Smoke on the Water'! A cannonball title produced by Bob Ezrin which allows to hold the modern sound. 'Now You're Talkin'' nervous with a phrased- rapped vocal which dares to launch a cry of yesteryear, to hope, to remember. The keyboard part prog, proto, heavy but enjoyable. Simon enjoys playing with Don the short but intense breaks. 'No Money to Burn' and the typical riff, everything is there, unwavering. The whirling solo of the Moog sets our ears and our speakers on fire. 'I'll Catch You' intoxicating guitar solo from the start; a marshmallow title, slow tempo highlighting Ian and his voice, does hard proto prog make you young? The bluesy heavy solo makes you want to hug your girlfriend. 'Bleeding Obvious' with its heady riff, Ian grumpy, belching, talking about a plausible ending. The most Purplinian title if I can write it; the Ritchie solo would not have done better, the Jon keyboard would not have done better; the tune flows naturally between nostalgia, vigor and musical time where we took our time.

Deep Purple releases an aggressive album made of short titles filled with astonishing keyboard/guitar breaks. Redundant titles exist but are calibrated to move minimally, the titles boosting the opus have the merit of showing the mastery of the musicians and their undisguised fervor, bluffing. Originally on ProgCensor.

According to their interviews, they (or at least some of them) were sure that Now What?! would be their final one, then the same about Infinite, then about Whoosh! and especially Turning To Crime (yep yep, a bunch of covers, it's no accident, the hard rock dinosaurs seem to say their last farewell to their business, don't they?). But no, this is not the end. Nobody can guess how much time the band still has ahead for doing music, probably that's why Gillan (as the main composer and the only lyricist) does his best to do as much as possible until it's possible. No matter if better or worse than In Rock/Machine Head, if only to do something new. And what's the result?

Well, when Deep Purple split up in 1976, most of us, their young listeners (me too), thought that Deep Purple would become another 1970s rock band who lit up and went out. And what a pleasure to admit that we were wrong. Moreover, the 8-year hiatus (1976-1984) was in fact a fiction. Just remember the three albums by Gillan (Mr Universe, Glory Road and especially Magic) that continued and developed what started on In Rock and Fireball. The 1984 reunion marked the band's growing and maturing. Fewer hits (like Smoke On The Water) - more melodies. Fewer drive (like in Space Trucking) - more profundity. And more prog touch in music (not to be forgotten). I'd say this fruitful tendency reached its peak with Purpendicular but was not lost in later decades.

(By the way, my personal rating scale for the Deep Purple releases is, to say softly, not typical. I consider Fireball and Concerto For Group And Orchestra their best ones from the 'Mark II' era, Purpendicular their very best during all the 56 years of their history, and my personal ratings for Who Do We Think We Are and The House Of Blue Light are at least 4.5 stars each. In addition, I consider the departure of Blackmore in mid 1990s a good fortune for the band, I find this guitarist inadmissibly overrated.)

The band's new album, =1, fits very well into the sequence starting with Now What?!. (Excluding Turning To Crime of course, due to the evident reasons.) Again: no hit like Smoke On The Water (thank God, I hate this song since my schooldays!), but most of the tracks are amazingly cultured, noble, thoroughbred if you like. And this is what was slightly missing in their 1970s, with the only exception of Fireball. Yes I agree, the young energy and recklessness went away from the band's music many years ago. But the nobility that came instead, is it really less valuable? I doubt. A rock musician is a revolutionary, nobody will dispute this. But first of all, a rock musician is a musician. An inheritor of all who lived and worked before. Surely revolutionary (i.e. law-breaking) tendencies in 1970s hard rock were not as deep as (for example) in so-called alternative music. Just remember how Minimal Compact, Cocteau Twins or Trisomie 21 outspokenly played the fool, musically misbehaved in early 1980s before creating new musical canons in late 1980s and 1990s! Hard rock is a different case; we all remember that not only Deep Purple but also Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Grand Funk were classically influenced and trained since the very beginning. Nevertheless, I think that only in 1990s-2020s Deep Purple truly became an inheritor of the entire musical culture of mankind. No more, no less.