Deep Purple are turning up the volume once again.
The legendary hard rock pioneers have officially announced their brand-new studio album, Splat!, set for release on July 3 via. Described by the band as “the heaviest Deep Purple album in many years,” the record promises a powerful return to the raw energy and chemistry that defined the group’s classic early-1970s era.
The album follows 2024’s =1 and marks the second studio release featuring guitarist Simon McBride, who joined the band in 2022 following the departure of Steve Morse. Once again, the band teamed up with acclaimed producer Bob Ezrin, whose recent work with Deep Purple has helped fuel a remarkable late-career creative resurgence.
Frontman Ian Gillan says the new material reconnects the band with the spirit of classics such as Machine Head and Deep Purple in Rock.
“Where we are now with this incarnation of Deep Purple feels very much like a very ‘now’ version of Deep Purple as it was in the seventies,” Gillan explained. “We are very much back in with material that is compatible with ‘Highway Star,’ ‘Smoke on the Water,’ and ‘Lazy’, the dynamics, the balance, and the fun of the music we made from ’69 to ’73.”
According to the band, Splat! was recorded with the musicians playing together live in the studio, the traditional method Deep Purple have relied on throughout much of their storied career. That approach reportedly helped create a heavier, more spontaneous sound that captures the energy of the band’s legendary live performances.
Beyond the crushing riffs and classic hard rock swagger, the album also carries an ambitious conceptual thread. Gillan reportedly conceived the central idea behind Splat! as a meditation on transformation rather than destruction. Instead of presenting an apocalyptic vision, the album imagines the end of humanity as a form of evolution beyond physical existence.
The album will feature 13 tracks, including titles such as “Arrogant Boy,” “The Lunatic,” “Guilt Trippin’,” and the closing title track “Splat!”
To support the release, Deep Purple will continue an enormous 2026 world tour stretching across Europe and North America, with dates running through November. The tour includes major festival appearances and arena shows, including a pair of prestigious London performances at the Royal Albert Hall and Eventim Apollo.
More than five decades into their career, Deep Purple continue to defy expectations. Rather than relying solely on nostalgia, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers appear determined to push forward creatively, and if early descriptions are accurate, Splat! could become one of the heaviest and most exciting surprises of their modern era.
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