Deep Purple – SPLAT! | soundsfromthedarkside

With SPLAT!, British hard rock royalty Deep Purple deliver their twenty fourth platter of songs. We checked out if these gents still have the chops.

Deep Purple does not know how to slow down. Two years after the very impressive =1, the boys are back with their twenty fourth effort, the very delicately titled SPLAT! It’s the second studio album they’ve written and recorded with guitarist Simon McBride, who took over from Steve Morse a few years ago, and it shows. His playing is more confident than it was on the already excellent =1, and the band seems even tighter this time around. SPLAT! might also well be the best Purple album since they started this prolonged victory lap back in 2013 with Now What?!

Counting a whopping thirteen new tracks, there is a lot to take in here. Spanning just over fifty minutes, SPLATI is quite easily digestible however, with only three of the songs passing the four minute mark. The first single Arrogant Boy comes kicking and screaming out of the gates with a rather speedy and, at least for Purple, quite heavy guitar riff, making it clear that the band means business this time. Of course, like most of the time, the key ingredients that make everything gel are McBride’s guitar work and Don Airey’s keyboard. That’s the classic Deep Purple sound and we wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re guided throughout by the always dependable rhythm section that’s Roger Glover and Ian Paice. Almost 81 years, Ian Gillan hasn’t been the screaming banshee that once made Child in Time so very impressive, but he manages well throughout, sounding comfortable doing what he can. I know he’s considered the band’s Achilles heel for a lot of people, but he still sounds fine here.

The songs on SPLAT! range from very good to great, and the tracklist is varied. From the speedy opener that is Arrogant Boy, to the laid back, Hammond-laden blues of The Beating of Wings and the eastern tinge of Sacred Land, there is something here for everyone. The Only Horse in Town might even be one of the best songs Deep Purple has written in the past two decades. The frantic rocker Guilt Trippin’ is also a lot of fun, with the band getting really funky and Gillan delivering an over the top performance. The lyrics, as always, are a lot of fun and typically all over the place. Gillan’s lyrics in the last few years have always been quite tongue-in-cheek, but he’s clearly had a ball here on songs like The Rider, Jessica’s Bra or Scriblin’ Gib’rish.

The fifty minutes absolutely fly by, and there isn’t a bad song amongst these thirteen. I’m still not quite fond of Third Call because of its slightly off-beat tempo, but that’s me and it doesn’t mean it’s a bad song at all. It’s amazing to hear how spry the band still sounds, with all members but McBride now in their eighties or fast approaching that age. And talking about Simon McBride, he is the star of the show here, together with Don Airey. They constantly play off each other and do it so well that it approaches Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore levels. They’re clearly enjoying the constant to and fro and the fun they’re having is very audible, although that can be said for the entire band. These guys are obviously having a blast here.

As far as classic rock albums go, SPLATI is one album you cannot miss this year. This is peak Deep Purple with the band firing on all cylinders, and I can already, confidently say that this is a late career masterpiece, not to be missed by fans of the band and casual rock lovers alike.

Buy it here: https://deeppurple.lnk.to/SPLATWE

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