Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Deep Purple
Label: Ear Music Records
Release: 2017
Runtime: 45:37
Rating: 4/5
After a four-year studio break, Deep Purple are back with »Infinite«, their twentieth studio album, a milestone that, thanks to the health problems of their only original member, drummer Ian Paice, may well be their last studio move before retirement. It’s no secret that if any member of the current lineup calls it a day, that spells the end of the legendary band too. For now everything is still up in the air, though the upcoming tour has a pretty telling name: ‘The Long Goodbye Tour’. Either way, Deep Purple are one of the few tough survivors of rock’s golden era who are still out on the road regularly and still turn out quality studio albums without breaking a sweat, even if they don’t come as often as they used to. Of the ‘big three’ pioneers of heavy rock, they’ve outlasted both Led Zeppelin and the recently retired Black Sabbath, although they’re starting to feel the aches of age too.
Mostly because the current lineup has been a rock-solid unit since 2002, there’s no fear that the ‘old cats’ would miss the mark with »Infinite«. The new album is fully on par with its brilliant predecessor »Now What?!« (2013), meaning it keeps their trademark sonic heritage while throwing in a few minor songwriting surprises. The grandfathers of hard rock can still hit full throttle, as they prove right away with the opening energy catalyst »Time for Bedlam«, which continues Deep Purple’s tradition of powerful openers. It’s all here: Morse’s sparkling guitar runs, the rich sound of Airey’s Hammond organ, Glover’s juicy bass lines, Paice’s fiery drum fills and Gillan’s trademark vocal swagger. The lyrics stay ‘standard’, with an introspective charge, mostly about femmes fatales and the life of a rock musician on a long tour, and to a lesser extent a bit of social commentary.
Most of the tracks on the album are eclectic enough and packed with enough juicy solos to please even the most spoiled longtime fans, the ones who are convinced that their heroes can still offer something new after almost five decades. Once again they pull off a few really nice surprises and prove that even after so many decades it’s still possible to create something refreshing, while most of their still-active peers would rather recycle old hits. An even more typical Deep Purple creation than the opening »Time for Bedlam« turns out to be »Hip Boots«, which rides a somewhat slower groove on the back of Morse’s iconoclastic riff, while »All I Got Is You« starts out reserved but, with the help of a fantastic Airey organ solo, blossoms into a real hard rock/prog rock fusion treat. »One Night in Vegas« strolls successfully somewhere between blues and funk, with Airey’s piano passages providing most of the nostalgic charm. Tracks like »Get Me Outta Here« are lovely proof that Gillan’s vocal charisma hasn’t faded one bit over all these decades, even though his piercing screams became a thing of the past long ago.
The award for the most interesting and refreshing track on »Infinite« goes without a doubt to the surprising prog metal treat »The Surprising«, whose dark atmosphere somewhat recalls the masterpiece »Vincent Price« from »What Now?!«. The dramatic harmonies between guitar and organ in the middle section nod slightly to Morse’s work with the prog rockers Flying Colors. Fans of more traditional, hard rock Purple magic will get their fix with the funk-leaning »Johnny’s Band«, while »On Top of the World« is heavily shaped by Morse’s guitar wizardry and stylistically recalls some of the band’s output from the second half of the nineties. Gillan’s cryptic recital in the middle of the song sounds like yet another of the many tributes to the unforgettable British actor Vincent Price. The punchy »Birds of Prey« contains a short but interesting shift into an ethereal section ruled by melancholic harmonies, while Gillan delivers his most heartfelt vocal performance on the whole album. The only misstep on »Infinite« is the rather unnecessary cover of The Doors’ »Roadhouse Blues«, which would have been better off as a bonus track on a single. Deep Purple have made a few very successful covers over their career, but with the exception of »Hush« and »Kentucky Woman« they never gave them much weight, so you rarely find them on the studio albums. Against long-standing tradition, »Infinite« lacks a strong closing track, which is really the only thing that can be held against the album.
The hard rock champions will celebrate their fiftieth anniversary in 2018, and you can bet they’ll mark it in a special way. If »Infinite« turns out to be their final studio album, they’ll certainly be going out in grand style, because they’ve delivered a first-rate effort that is worthy of their legendary legacy in every respect, and nice proof that even rock elder statesmen with that much mileage can still come up with some seriously fun and adventurous songwriting ideas.
Line-up
Ian Gillan – vocals, harmonica
Steve Morse – guitar, backing vocals
Roger Glover – bass
Don Airey – keyboards
Ian Paice – drums
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Bob Ezrin – additional keyboards, backing vocals and percussion
Tommy Denander – additional guitar (8)
Production
Bob Ezrin
Track list
1. Time for Bedlam (4:35)
2. Hip Boots (3:23)
3. All I Got Is You (4:42)
4. One Night in Vegas (3:23)
5. Get Me Outta Here (3:58)
6. The Surprising (5:57)
7. Johnny’s Band (3:51)
8. On Top of the World (4:01)
9. Birds of Prey (5:47)
10. Roadhouse Blues (6:00) (The Doors cover)
