The album will arrive on July 19th, and the lead single will be unveiled on April 30th
About a month before the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group begins its “= 1 More Time Tour” in North America with Yes, Deep Purple has announced that their new album, =1, will be available on earMUSIC on July 19.
The lead single from the album is expected to drop next Tuesday (April 30th), though the British rock legends did unveil the artwork and tracklist for the upcoming 13-song LP.
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=1 will mark the group’s first album with guitarist Simon McBride, who was welcomed into the band after longtime guitarist Steve Morse exited in 2022 to take care of his ailing wife. Deep Purple’s lineup is rounded out by classic members Ian Gillan (vocals), bassist Roger Glover (bass), and Ian Paice (drums), along with longtime keyboardist Don Airey.
Studio vet Bob Ezrin returned as producer for the album, which promises to capture the classic Deep Purple sound. The mystery surrounding the symbolic title =1 will be revealed in the coming days, with the band having already incited fans’ curiosity with “equations and depictions of multiverses” appearing in London, Paris, and Berlin in the days prior to the album announcement.
The album =1 will be released in a plethora of formats: CD+DVD (digipak); CD (jewel case); 2-LP gatefold vinyl (black 180g); limited purple 2-LP gatefold (180g); crystal clear 2-LP (180g); and as a limited box set including the CD+DVD digipak, 2-LP black vinyl gatefold, three additional 10″ vinyl records featuring live recordings from Deep Purple’s 2022 tour, plus more ephemera and collectibles. All vinyl editions include a 12-page LP-sized booklet, and all included bonus DVDs feature a 60-minute backstage tour documentary.
