Here’s a hot take even if it’s not a surprise with me: when it comes to Deep Purple, I more often than not reach for the later, Steve Morse era of the band. Sacrilege! Don’t I know that the only “true” Deep Purple HAS to have Richie Blackmore?! No, because honestly despite my enjoyment of early Deep Purple, Blackmore hasn’t had a really interesting riff or idea since 1987, and it’s a disservice to how this band has persevered, crafting intelligent, fun, and stadium-ready hard rock, particularly in the ir most recent decades partnership with Bob Ezrin as producer. With Morse leaving the band in 2022 to focus on his dying wife, the group found a kindred spirit in Simon McBride (formerly of Sweet Savage) to take the guitar reins. It makes for a different beast, but I’m happy to say the awkwardly titled = 1 continues to showcase a band not content to ride into the sunset just yet.

Sue me: I’m partial to beloved classic rock band who show they still got the punch and drive to stay in the music game decades after other bands retired (not to mention quite a few who should). Last year I had new albums from Uriah Heep and The Damned in my end of year list, and I make no apologies for it. This new version of Purple (Mark IX to be precise) sounds lean and streamlined. Steve Morse had a very distinguishable guitar style, and his tenure with the band brought out some really interesting hard rock that stressed new modalities and a progressive element. Simon McBride on the other hand is much more of a classic guitar hero, his solos modern and weighty and his rhythm serving the rest of the band on = 1.

So McBride is solid, flashy when he wants to be – his solo on opener “Show Me” is a great introduction to his playing (that unison section with Airey!) – but he also firmly knows his place in the pecking order. This is the vet’s album, and Roger Glover and Ian Paice sound just as engaged and vital as they have for the last 20 years with Morse. Airey, who’s been with the band since 2002 is the real star here, and his keyboard work is really pushed up to the front of the mix. Finally we have what many (myself included) would say is the real voice – literally – of Deep Purple. I won’t lie and say Ian Gillan sounds like he did in his prime. The dude is 79 years old, and his animal scream is no longer there. But rather than try to push through, he’s adopted new and different deliveries, using a rapping, sing-song lilt on some tracks, and judiciously belting out a roar or two when it’s applicable.

When they want to they can recall the past vibe of the classic era of the band – “Lazy Sod” musically calls backs to some of the band’s boogie blues of the mid 70s, and closing track “Bleeding Obvious” sits as one of my favorite Deep Purple tracks of the modern era, super heavy and progressive like the best Morse tracks. The rest of = 1 runs the gamut of hard charging rockers and feel-good groove tunes that sit comfortably in the band’s lengthy catalog. You can argue it’s seriously front-loaded: I think they knew they had a winner in opening track “Show Me” and from there to the pulsing rock of “A Bit On The Side” Purple sound really invigorated. Pairing that up with the swagger of “Sharp Shooter” and the more menacing throb of “Portable Door” and you have one of the best single sides the band put out in forever.

It does lose a step for me with “Old-Fangled Thing” and the ballad “If I Were You” (though McBride’s guitar work really shines) but those are small prices for an album that fit me like an old comfortable glove. Ezrin brings some really weight to bottom end; you can feel Glover and Airey really hammering those low frequencies but it never sounds muddy or washed out. And how Ian Paice manages to keep this up at 76 is a mystery: he’s not the most flashy drummer in the world, but you can hear how tasty he remains with his fills and the occasional solo moments he gets throughout the album.

If you’re one of those people stuck on Blackmore, I urge you to get out of the past, even if only for a little while. At this point he’s been out of the band for decades, and the stuff they’ve put out since then is terrific and worth your time. Deep Purple Mark IX is doing just fine, thank you very much.