Deep Purple has announced their upcoming studio album, titled ‘=1’, scheduled for release later this year. This album will be the first full-length release since the band’s 2021 covers album ‘Turning To Crime’, and their first LP of original material since 2020’s ‘Whoosh!’ The album will also be the first with the band’s new guitarist Simon McBride.
The band has been teasing something new on their social media accounts for some time now.
The new album is planned to drop on July 19.
Steve Morse’s Thoughts On McBride
Simon McBride, joined the band’s lineup in 2022 after Steve Morse had to leave the band to spend more time with his ailing wife.
McBride has described joining Deep Purple as ‘dream-come-true stuff.’ Steve Morse has also spoken positively about the change in the lineup. He said of the new guitarist:
“I think Simon, he’s fitting them better than I was, as far as they’re churning out gigs. And I was always the guy that said, ‘This is a really long tour. There’s a point where tour fatigue comes in. We could make shorter legs.’ And nobody wanted to hear that, especially not management.”
The news of the next album comes shortly after Deep Purple announced an upcoming arena tour across the UK later this year. More details about the album are to come.