Deep Purple - Infinite album review

One of the architects of metal as we know it, Deep Purple could be forgiven for living off a nostalgic groove, but this lot refuse to slide into such a trap. Four years ago, they teamed up with producer Bob Ezrin for Now What?! and showed they still had much to offer. The partnership is back here, and the result is another top class album with all five members stretching out and displaying all their chops and nuances. The classical, funk, jazz and prog inferences that have invested the band’s finest moments are fully exposed and enhanced. The swooping, majestic Birds Of Prey complements the more rigorous, bristling Time For Bedlam, while the swirling, eerie The Surprising shows how superbly Steve Morse’s guitar swathes complement the keyboard patches from Don Airey. There’s an expansively atmospheric relationship between the tracks, and the somewhat surprising cover of The Doors’ Roadhouse Blues, which ends the album, fits well into the overall flow. Deep Purple may not have the energy of kids starting out, but why should they? Infinite, though, is a graceful, powerful statement that this classic band is still relevant and still making charismatic albums.