Two days after launching a mysterious teaser video, rock icons Deep Purple have announced details of their new album, =1. The album is the band's first to feature new guitarist Simon McBride – who replaced Steve Morse in 2022 – and will be released on July 19.
"Deep Purple are more than just their members," reads a statement from the band. "=1 embodies the essence and attitude of their 1970s incarnation possibly more than any other album in recent memory. With the legendary Bob Ezrin once again producing, the record evokes the pioneering band’s classic sound, without relying on nostalgia.
"The enigmatic title =1 symbolises the idea that in a world growing ever more complex, everything eventually simplifies down to a single, unified essence. Everything equals one."
“The new album will reflect what the five of us create in the rehearsal room," says Guitarist Simon McBride. "Many of the songs, like Portable Door, were written in the first sessions and literally came together in five or 10 minutes. It all was so easy and natural.”
Frontman Ian Gillan adds “Throughout Deep Purple’s history, our best songs have always been those that were written in no time at all. We’ve played what felt good and developed songs as we have always done.”
A new single from the band will reveal itself to the world at midnight on April 30, while a vast array of physical formats are available for those who like that sort of thing. These include a CD+DVD version, CD, double black vinyl, limited edition purple double vinyl and a limited edition clear double vinyl.
There'll also be a limited edition box set containing the CD+DVD, the double black vinyl, three 10” vinyl discs featuring live recordings from Purple’s 2022 tour, a t-shirt, two guitar picks, an art print, a lanyard, and the chance to win a Golden Ticket giving access to all shows on the Deep Purple =1 More Time tour, apart from, presumably, those that have taken place before the album's release. Full dates below.
=1 joins a long list of mathematically-themed titles in popular music, a list that also includes Love's 7 and 7 Is, Bob Seger's 2 + 2 = ?, Radiohead's 2 + 2 = 5, and \Delta M_i^{-1} = - \alpha \sum_{n=1}^N D_i \left[ n \right] \left[ \sum_{j \in C \left[ i \right]}^{} F_{ji} \left[ n-1 \right] + Fext_i \left[ n^{-1} \right] \right] by Cornish composer Aphex Twin.
=1 is available to pre-order now.
Deep Purple: One More Time tour 2024
May 01: Singapore Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Jun 13: Madrid, Parque Tierno Galván, Spain
Jun 15: Bilbao Arena, Spain
Jun 17: Toulouse Metropole, France
Jun 20: Grenchen Airport, Switzerland
Jun 22: Nancy Open Air Amphitheatre, France
Jun 23: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium
Jun 25: Istanbul Kucukciftlikpark, Turkey
Jul 04: Cognac Blues Passions, France
Jul 10: Rome Cavea Auditorium, Italy
Jul 11: Marostica Piazza Castello, Italy
Jul 13: Belgrade Tašmajdan Stadium, Serbia
Jul 14: Chirpan Midalidare Estate, Bulgaria
Jul 16: Innsbruck Olympiahalle, Austria
Jul 18: Salem Schloss (Castle Grounds), Germany
Jul 19: Dresdenn Elbufer, Germany
Jul 21: Winterbach Zeltspektakel, Germany
Jul 28: Gignac En Quecy, France
Jul 30: Orange Positiv Festival, France
Aug 02: Notodden Blues Festival, Norway
Aug 03: Bergen Calling, Norway
Aug 05: Furuvik Amusement Park, Sweden
Aug 06: Stockholm Grona Lund Amusement Park, Sweden
Aug 14: Hollywood Hard Rock Live, FL
Aug 15: Tampa Seminole Hard Rock Event Center, FL
Aug 17: The Woodlands The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, TX
Aug 18: Durant Choctaw Casino Grand Theatre, OK
Aug 19: Forth Worth Dickies Arena, TX
Aug 21: Cincinnati PNC Pavilion At Riverbend Music Center, OH
Aug 22: Sterling Heights Amphitheatre At Freedom Hill, MI
Aug 23: Tinley Park Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, IL
Aug 25: Toronto Budweiser Stage, ON
Aug 27: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Aug 28: Gilford Banknh Pavilion, NH
Aug 30: Camden Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, NJ
Aug 31: Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ
Sep 01: Wantagh Northwell Health At Jones Beach Theater, NY
Sep 03: Bridgeport Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater, CT
Sep 04: Saratoga Springs Broadview Stage At Spac, NY
Sep 06: Bethel Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, NY
Sep 07: Bristow Jiffy Lube Live, VA
Sep 08: Scranton The Pavilion At Montage Mountain, PA
Nov 04: Birmingham Resorts World Arena, UK
Nov 06: London The O2, UK
Nov 07: Leeds First Direct Arena, UK
Nov 09: Manchester AO Arena, UK
Nov 10: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
