Deep Purple – =1

Isn’t it incredible how the addition of one member can shape the entire trajectory of a band’s musical direction? When Ronnie James Dio joined Black Sabbath, the heavy metal forefathers were reborn and rejuvenated, trading in drugs and Satan for swords and sorcery. When Neil Peart replaced original Rush drummer John Rutsey, little did Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson know that their humble Zeppelin worship band would go onto singlehandedly lay down the groundwork for what we know today as progressive metal. I could go on and on with these instances, some of which were for better and others for worse.

The reason I bring this topic up is because perhaps no band has gone through greater musical reinvention due to the addition/subtraction of a member(s) than Deep Purple. As heavy metal’s longest running band (56 years and counting), Purple has been rife with personnel changes for the better part of their existence, with arguably the most dramatic of these said changes being the arrival of guitarist Steve Morse in 1994 in place of founder Ritchie Blackmore. To call Morse a virtuoso would be an understatement. His work with Dixie Dregs is the stuff of legend, perplexing axe-slingers the world over to this day. In the same breathe, he was never a metal guitarist. His playing lied somewhere between blues, jazz, and jam rock, which made his entry into the Purple fold all the more confusing.

All things considered, Morse handled his job like a pro. His first album with the band, Purpendicular (1996), goes toe to toe with the band’s ’70s classics, and every release that followed ranged from decent to damn enjoyable. There was, however, the elephant in the room: Purple were no longer the metal band of their youth. Now this blame is not to lay on Morse alone. As much as his six string stylings impacted the band, so did the growing sense of maturation between core members Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, and Ian Paice. Whereas bands like Saxon and Judas Priest continue to bring the “Heavy Metal Thunder” like it’s 1982, Purple struck me as a band who’d rather age gracefully, churning out “thinking man’s metal” for their equally “wiser with age” crop of fans. Look no further than my review of their last album, Whoosh!: I really believed this…that is until the release of this here album, =1.

Simon McBride, where have you been all my life? Again, I’m not undermining Morse’s contributions to Purple in the slightest, but I’d be lying if I said I missed one of metal’s earliest bands playing, you know, metal. At 45 years old, McBride is the youngest member of the Purple gang, having replaced Morse in 2022. And there’s no denying that this young chap (as they’d say in England) graduated with high honors from the school of Blackmore. Is he an all out Blackmore clone? Absolutely not, but his guitar stylings are evocative of the infamous proto-shredder, resulting in the most Purple sounding Purple album of my lifetime.

Furthermore, it’s not just McBride’s playing that stands out on this release, but the drastic shift in songwriting and arrangement throughout. Gone are the lofty progressive ambitions of the last few Purple albums, a trope that dominated albums like Whoosh! and Infinite (2017). Instead, Purple go for the throat, keeping the songs as simplistic as they can with gutsy riffs and an old school drive leading the way. See cuts like “Sharp Shooter”, “Portable Door”, and “Lazy Sod” for reference. While by no means are these songs of the same caliber as say those on Machine Head (1972), they’re definitely cut from the same cloth, with Purple laying down their most energetic performances in ages.

Speaking of energy, if this entire album were in the vein of “Old-Fangled Thing” and “Now You’re Talkin'”, it’d be a contender for album of the year. Breakneck, frantic, and over the top, Purple proves for the first time in decades that despite their age, they can still bring down the primitive metal hammer when need be. The amps are cranked up to overdrive, McBride’s guitars soar, and the legendary Ian Gillan even unleashes a signature shriek or two, which is a marvel of an achievement for a man nearing 80. Both are tied for the honor of “choice cut” on this here album #23 from Purple, and likely will be for the metal purists giving this outing a spin as well.

Throughout the course of its 13 song, 52 minute runtime, =1 offers a little bit of something for everybody, from Perfect Strangers-esque arena rockers (“Show Me”, “A Bit on the Side”) to hard grooving Fireball era funk-fests (“I’m Saying Nothin'”) and even an unexpected AOR foray (“Pictures of You”). Yet no matter how you slice it, =1 is beyond a doubt purely Purple. It’s a faithful nod to the “Hungry Daze” of Mk. II yesteryear, while against all odds, continuing to keep the veteran band fresh and invigorating for future generations to come. Not shabby for a band who released their first album while Lyndon B. Johnson was president, The Beatles were still active, and a gallon of gas cost a whopping $0.33.

7 out of 10

Label: earMUSIC

Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock

For fans of: Rainbow, Uriah Heep, Blue Öyster Cult