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Magnum opus of this millennium
Goldmine magazine reviews the latest Deep Purple album:
When the album finally debuted, there was a noticeable surprise waiting inside the record for all to hear. SPLAT!, still with slight but noticeable progressive rock elements, it very much weighs heavier than their previous effort, =1, and in many ways mirrors a return to more rudimentary hard rock Deep Purple, with thematic song contexts and complexed arrangements without being overtly technical. With so much great material, Goldmine jumped on the Purple train once again. In the upcoming Fall 2026 issue of Goldmine, you will be made privy to the full-length feature article, A Deeper Shade of Purple, where we explored a concise but thorough history of the band and segued into an expository conversation about their current album all within an intimate conversation with Deep Purple’s legendary front man, Ian Gillan. Nevertheless, here, we open the readers up to a more in-depth look into what the record has to offer, from the main album itself to taking a microscope to the the best variant of the release — its super explosive SPLAT! box set option.
Read more in Goldmine.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
As with most DP albums, once the air of excitement wears down, the music is the only deciding factor for the immortality of an album. For me I still think nothing will top up Perpendicular from the era after Ritchie. That’s an opinion and not a judgment.
August 26th, 2026 at 07:46Peace ✌️
@1
I believe a person can sense deep down just how far the excitement for a new album might carry them.
Well, with *Splat!*, I feel a tremendous amount of excitement—so much that I haven’t felt this way since the days of *Perfect Strangers*. Of course, these are personal feelings—everyone has their own—but I’ve become convinced that, aside from *Bananas* and *Abandon*, the rest will fade into oblivion (at least for me). The brilliance of this latest album and the speed (however relative) of the songs completely eclipse the Morse-era catalog, which often focused on long, mid-tempo tracks; that’s why those albums never touched my soul the way this one has.
For me, there’s simply no contest.
My only regret is that Simon McBride arrived a bit late to the party…
ciao 🍷
August 26th, 2026 at 11:09I’m careful about anything eclipsing anything (yet I do love Italian opera and its unbridled emotion
https://youtu.be/Q-KMZvy-JZg ),
but I actually bought a jewel case edition of Splat! (in addition to the digipack and the Japanese edition with HS as a live bonus track I already have) just to play it in my Volvo all the time and I find the album pleasant, varied & entertaining even after many repeated listens. That’s good enough for me.
Ask me in ten years again whether it is an album that rewrote DP’s history.
August 26th, 2026 at 14:06@2
August 26th, 2026 at 15:11In reality and in my opinion I think Steve Morse stayed too long in the band longer than Ritchie’s time with Purple.
I personally thought he should have left after ROTD but he was a beast on stage. He worked his socks off and never slowed down with the extensive touring so it never made sense to let go of him as touring is their bread and butter.
So I agree that Simon joined the party too late but the party is not over yet.
Steve Morse is a very melodic guitar player and he was never the perfect fit but they stuck with him because they didn’t want to replace Ritchie with another replica. Now that the ghost of Ritchie is not haunting them on stage, it makes sense to bring a player that sounds like Ritchie.
Peace ✌️
One of the late Dolly Parton’s memorable quotes reminds me of something I’ve heard Ritchie and most of the other Purps say many times in so many words: “I would never stoop so low as to be fashionable. That’s the easiest thing in the world to do.”
August 26th, 2026 at 15:27@ 1 and 2 Now What!? is for me easily the best post Mk II (Blackmore) album. Solid all the way through and with some of the best songs created. Purpendicular and Infinite are top 3 albums too. The McBride albums are top 5 as well.
August 26th, 2026 at 17:05Love the Purps but “Magnum Opus of this Millennium”(THIS album)…it’s just crazy talk.
August 26th, 2026 at 19:51@ 7- Agreed Javier,
August 26th, 2026 at 23:16Although I’ve listened to Splat more in the past 2 months than = 1 in 2 years, Magnum Opus… is piling it on a little thick.
Yo,
Every album ever made by the band has it’s own merit imo. Whether it has the magic to endure depends on you-at-home, & how often you continue to play the tunes.
“Splat” imo sits equally along side any of the albums made since MK-II called-it-a-day. There is a common, agreeable steady-flow of music that seems to retain enough of the popular 1970’s band sound whilst stretching-out into new modern sounds & styles, to make the music sound fresh & contemporary. Or put more simply, we’re blessed with songs that still contain solos, a hard edge, & current themes.
These later albums of the last 30-odd-years are hard-to-date too…eg,You could play any of them to someone unfamiliar with the band, & I suggest that they would never be able to tell if it was made in 1996 or yesterday.
Lots of good music to listen to ! The next album will be great too 🙂 !
Ciao !
August 27th, 2026 at 00:33Splat! is my favorite DP album since Burn.
August 27th, 2026 at 05:43They went “slightly” over the top with this review – in my opinion…
August 27th, 2026 at 07:40After two months of listening I still like the new LP; good and even as it is, it doesn’t have the killer tracks on it, like =1 had “Now You’re Talking” or “Bleeding Obvious”. On the other hand, it does not include evidently poor cuts like those two ballads (which I skip more or less regularly) or “I’m Saying Nothing”, so there’s more or less a tie between both LP’s, as I can see it.
But to call it an “opus magnum” – that’s way too far, probably they got a promise of an exclusive interview or free Meet’n’Greet with the band, so they had to show their gratitude somehow 😉
@7
Actually, there is written”With ‘SPLAT!’ Deep Purple have made THEIR best album of this CENTURY” (meaning
– Bananas 2005 – Rapture of the Deep 2013 – Now What?! 2017 – Infinite 2020 – Whoosh! 2021 – Turning to Crime 2024 – =1)
And I agree 100% (I am sure not the only one…)
cheers ciao
🍷
August 27th, 2026 at 08:12@ 7 & 8
I think you guys are missing the point, taking that statement out of context. The author wrote “…of this millennium”
I feel it is their best effort since the Purpendicular/Abandon era. I’ve already listened to it more times than I have to Infinite, Whoosh, Turning to Crime & =1 combined.
Like the saying goes: “One man’s meat is some guy’s aching butt” or something like that.
August 27th, 2026 at 09:29@10
August 27th, 2026 at 09:56Dr.Bob, Congratulations. This statement is very brave.
Sigh, why must everything always be ranked?
Better than this, worse than that. 🙄 To me it’s worse than Machine Head and better than The Badger Rages On, but first and foremost it is a quality album of its time. DP couldn’t have made this album in the 70s, 80s, 90s and the ensuing Morse Era, but where is the Erkenntnisgewinn in that?
August 27th, 2026 at 11:41@15: I agree. What has been fascinating about DP through the years is that I enjoy every lineup and album they have done. The album I happen to listen to at the moment is always the best. The last one I listened to was Come Taste the Band. The best! 🙂
August 27th, 2026 at 11:46For the avoidance of doubt: Other than the silly ranking game, I find the GOLDMINE review of Splat! actually quite erudite.
August 27th, 2026 at 11:49Come Taste The Band was a brilliant, boisterous album, with hairy balls so big they bounced off the floor.
And for all who like to rank: Mk IV’s quality average in its studio output was the best of all line-ups! It helps if you release just one album and that is then already great. 😂
August 27th, 2026 at 11:56Rather than spending time discussing where the new album fits in the pantheon, I just continue to appreciate this great band and their new music. Nothing to be ashamed of with any of their releases in my opinion. I like some releases more than others but even those I didn’t care for as much contained great moments.
Overjoyed to be at this stage in life with Rush back on the road and DP continuing to make new music.
August 27th, 2026 at 13:45Yeah, I think only humans rank (although only humans can create such pieces of art). @ 15 and 16, I agree, no need to. BUT, of course, I did too. # 7 for me, after IR, MH, PS, BURN, THOBL (yes!) and NW?!. But just mho.
August 27th, 2026 at 13:53But please stop ranking Steve vs Ritche vs Simon vs …. imho is nonsense and (imo) disrespectfull.
Cheers.
As I see others already straying I add my 2 cents.
For some reason I never knew there was may 20th 1978 where Rainbow played Gates of Babylon.
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/rainbow/1978/winterland-arena-san-francisco-ca-23d82467.html
Should I ve known or is this just a hoax?
Anyway, enjoyed myself a lot when I found another unknown gem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnu-mqM74GU
Bring on the releases of the LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL tour.
Many great recordings on yt for years.
Osaka jan 78 is my to go to when I want to be more alive.
August 27th, 2026 at 13:53@16 and 18: With regard to Come Taste the Band, I agree with most Purple fans today that it is an excellent rock album from start to finish, and I have always felt that way about it. However, I clearly recall back to 1975 when it was released how it was ridiculed unmercifully. It took a couple of generations for the album to be recognized and appreciated for the achievement that it is, and these days it is usually ranked in the Top 10 of all Purple albums. I guess like fine wine it had to come of age! (Groaner of a pun intended!)
August 27th, 2026 at 15:21The sound on CTTB beats everything that came before. It’s incredible. Were they asleep before this album?
Ciao Uwe
August 27th, 2026 at 16:02🍷
Having an opinion doesn’t make you right or wrong it’s more of a belief rather than a twisted mind. I listed to Perpendicular from start to finish and it’s a 62 minutes of melodic songs. The man in black always said you can play quick notes on the guitar but I would rather play from the heart. Simon McBride is a great guitarist but Steve Morse is in Perpendicular is unmatched in terms of speed, quality and feel. Hence why my opinion on Perpendicular will not change as it’s the most complete album from the era after Blackmore.
August 27th, 2026 at 17:00Peace ✌️
AndreaA, I think Stormbringer also already sounded pretty good, no doubt the new Musicland Studios being a first for DP. Perhaps Stormbringer was a bit squeaky-clean, CTTB sounded more organic.
I once read from Martin Birch that Tommy was more involved in how things had to sound in the studio than Ritchie, he took an active interest in production and engineering (Ritchie couldn’t care less). Tommy was also more comfortable in the studio, CTTB is a guitar overdubs fest, but again it all sounds very organic cause Tommy was a relaxed player (too relaxed actually for a substantial part of the mid 70s Purple crowd).
Strangely, the first two Rainbow albums, also recorded at Musicland, sound nowhere near as good as either Stormbringer or CTTB. It took Rainbow LLRnR (the album) to achieve DP sonic production quality – and that album was recorded at the Chateau!
August 27th, 2026 at 19:31What to think of this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nokj4DtOLMk
Found it while enjoying QUEEN AI albums very much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtkgbJ6D77Y
August 27th, 2026 at 20:54That is the most hyperbolic record review of all time!!
August 27th, 2026 at 22:41#12 AndreA:
I tend to agree with you, even if Bananas is a great album, and as #11 EdwardsColetta says in Splat I miss a modern killer song like Now You’re Talking or a Bit On The Side, but The Beating Of Wings and Third Call are more refined, and The Rider stays in the groove of Pictures Of You (that groove that starts from PS passes through S&M and some other rare songs like All the Time in the World)
#18 Uwe:
just one album of funky hard rock, like S&M which was a great AoR album made by the wrong band at the wrong time.
#22 Tommy:
CTTB was a masterpiece that already marked the end of the band.
#24 Adel:
Did you know that besides Purpendicular I’ve always found pop in any Purple album?
well, maybe less in the last 4 albums with Morse, less pimps choruses, but between Cascades and King of Dreams or Demone Eye or Speed King or Under the Gun or Soldier of fortune or The Surprising I don’t feel any difference, there’s always a pop-melodic component in all DP’s songs
#25 Uwe:
August 27th, 2026 at 22:52Rising for drum sound sounds better than LLRNR and laid the foundation for the prototype heavy metal drums of the following years
Don’t believe everything you read, RV!
AI Overview: No, Jimmy Page never opened for Deep Purple. Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple never shared a concert bill or played together on the same stage during their active 1970s heyday, and recent viral internet memes or stories claiming Deep Purple laughed at Page as an opening act are entirely fictional.
And luckily, the real Queen never sounded as clumsy, hamfisted and drawing-by-numbers as the AI brew you linked to. Poor Freddie will be turning in his grave and going slightly mad …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od6hY_50Dh0
August 27th, 2026 at 23:14By 1975 the equipment and people as in the musicians, engineers and producers and the studios all improved vastly. No surprises to me that albums were sounding more ‘polished’ and varied by the mid 70’s. All artists improved, well most of them. Hooray. Cheers.
August 28th, 2026 at 00:13Rising for drum sound sounds better than LLRNR and laid the foundation for the prototype heavy metal drums of the following years …
My point exactly, Flavio, the influence of that album was disastrous as drumming sounds go! 🤣 I could have done without it – as most everyone by now here knows, I’m not a huge fan of heavy metal drums and consider CTTB and Malice in Wonderland as reference records for a great drum sound and style.
August 28th, 2026 at 14:20#31 Uwe:
Dear lawyer, the prosecution says “without Rising you would never have had Painkiller”
September 1st, 2026 at 20:52would you have gladly done without it?
I don’t like Painkiller as an album much (the Chris Tsangarides production did nothing for me, I vastly preferred Tom Allom) and Painkiller, the song, is way too fast for me. My favorite Prest albums are the poppy ones with more mid tempo songs, namely Sin After Sin, Killing Machine, Point of Entry and Turbo. I know, the ones no one else likes. Shocked? So to answer your question if the absence of Rising would have ensured the non-existence of Painkiller, then we have a deal! 😎
I just devastated your argument, sorry. I know, I have odd tastes that make it difficult to corner me. As consolation: Rising was an important proto-Heavy Metal album. And proof that Heavy Metal is more about sound, attitude, overwhelming & aggression than good songwriting, relevant lyrics plus inventive and nuanced drumming. So for everything that is a little inane in Heavy Metal as a genre, Rising can proudly claim co-responsibility, how’s that as a lasting legacy? 🤗
PS: The Judas Priest that I like are more represented by this:
https://youtu.be/MXB6rHTkDfM
https://youtu.be/2zxoGFjFJlk (Hell of an inventive arrangement!)
PPS: It dawns …
https://youtu.be/hPt2llIGv_w
on me, maybe I’m not much of a Heavy Metal fan at all? 😬 Yet I knew, liked and used the term already in the mid 70s. Back then I thought THIS was Heavy Metal:
https://youtu.be/0tx8GiTFK-I
But of course it couldn’t have been, the MC5 didn’t sing about Babylonian deserts and early aviation attempts nor did they have a double bass drum kit.
September 2nd, 2026 at 02:09#33 Uwe:
hahaha, I had no doubts about your preference regarding the Judas period, in fact it’s the same for me.
I would have been surprised if it were otherwise.
Longtime fans almost certainly don’t appreciate Painkiller’s heavy metal turn.
Mc5 were a wild proto-punk band but they had nothing in common with heavy metal styles and clichés!
Having said that, Rising is much lighter and more witty than Painkiller, which I consider a pure exercise of strength and a purely fruitful commercial direction.
J.b.G.’s cover of Judas is the best possible, but they did an excellent job with Diamond & Rust too.
September 2nd, 2026 at 12:24True fact: Much like Rising, Painkiller didn’t sell well at all, that much for trying to be commercial or go with the increasingly heavy times. And it’s no coincidence that Halford left after the tour, throwing JP in coma and disarray for a decade or so. The Ripper Owens years (not a bad singer, but sans Halford’s gay diva charisma) were pure desperation on the part of the remaining priesthood, you could watch that band dismantle its own iconic status. I found it so hurtful at the time, I couldn’t bring myself to watching them with Ripper ever.
Rising is in parts more elegant than Painkiller because Ritchie is by nature an elegant and refined/smart player, I wouldn’t call any of it “witty” though, especially not the lyrics. WS wasn’t witty either, both music and lyrics (Coverdale’s double entendre poetry never left the schoolyard), of the Purple Family flock I would only describe IGB and GILLAN as “witty” in places. “Witty” music to me is something like Sparks, Be-Bop Deluxe (btw: Bill Nelson loved Machine Head as an album), Gentle Giant or Max Webster, Frank Zappa of course too. In the idiom of rock, it’s a relatively rare art/occurrence. I always felt drawn to it though, but Rainbow wouldn’t be my first choice (or any place near it). For some reason or other there was always dumbed down with Rainbow, either to conform to type or to be commercial. I don’t think that in a witty band, the length of the lead singer’s hair could ever be an issue nor should the lyrics of All Night Long have passed the test for public release. 😂
September 2nd, 2026 at 13:12I never got into JUDAS PRIEST really but JUGULATOR kicks ass.
September 2nd, 2026 at 16:08https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roszP-r6cLg
Yeah, it’s among my favorite Pantera albums too.
September 2nd, 2026 at 21:56#35 Uwe:
but did Painkiller really not sell well?
September 3rd, 2026 at 11:56All my metalhead friends older than me, those over 18, had bought it (I obviously had the cassette copy), and only the title track immediately entered the collective imagination of metalheads.
Nope, it didn‘t, JP had a hard time at the end of the 80s with a new generation of metal bands appearing.
That doesn‘t mean that it cannot be influential: Rainbow Rising is save for LLRnR the all time worst-selling Rainbow studio album in the US of A. Our perception here is sometimes distorted because everyone here owns a copy or two (vinyl and CD combined I have like a dozen Rising editions 🤣).
The Painkiller Tour didn‘t do too well either, they had trouble filling the halls, some dates were pulled. And Rob ill-advisedly wearing a Desert Shield T-shirt didn’t help matters. He was looking for street credibility at the time, but nobody wants Rob Halford of all people to look like an army grunt. We already had Udo Dirkschneider for that.
https://youtu.be/EpGwIXXX5Kc
September 3rd, 2026 at 22:17