After an atypical droning keyboard intro with a ominous effects-heavy spoken word section, Time for Bedlam kicks the album off with a strong mid-paced chug led by Glover's bassline and Airey's pulsing Hammond organ chords. Unlike the riff-driven nature of many of the band's songs, this takes on a different feel, with Morse's tortured guitar leads soaring behind Gillan's vocals in the verses and plenty of neo-classical instrumental breaks which sees Morse and Airey playing in unison. The chorus sections are more like what you would expect from Deep Purple, with hefty keyboard stabs and a catchy vocal refrain from Gillan. Gillan puts in a strong performance throughout this album, and this song is no different. While he struggles to hit the notes he did at his peak, he has found a way to sing convincingly and comfortably with his current range and this is probably his best recorded vocal performance for a while. The song's lazy, but infectious, groove is the great way to get this album underway and that mood carries on through many of the track here. Hip Boots has more of the traditional Deep Purple hard rock sound, but Paice's trademark drumming helps to ensure that groove continues on here. Airey plays his heart out on this song, with his Hammond continually dominating the sound as he doubles up with Morse's guitar but manages to out-muscle him almost constantly. There is something about the sound of the Hammond organ that just epitomises 1970s hard rock, and Deep Purple's continual heavy use of the instrument is something that helps link all the various incarnations of the band together. The sultry strut of this song is so pleasing, and I can see this one becoming a favourite of many fans over the next few months. All I Got is You is a much more chilled out affair, driven by a melodic bassline and Paice's instantly recognisable jazz-influenced drumming. Morse's guitar mostly adds colour, but occasionally breaks out into one of those classic Deep Purple riffs with Airey's backing . The opening couple of numbers here are instantly memorable, but this is one of those songs that needs a little more attention to really open up. There is a creaking keyboard solo from Airey part-way through that is pretty lengthy and really allows him to show off his skills. This transitions into probably the first bona fide guitar solo on the album. It seems strange to have waited to long for one, but this is not one of those explosive virtuosic albums, but instead one that is far more than the sum of it's parts. Normality is restored on One Night in Vegas with a shuffling drum beat, electric piano melodies, and a playful vocal melody from Gillan. Morse's guitar riffs throughout definitely have that classic Deep Purple hallmark as they grind away, and he gets further opportunity to show off with a short, but extremely tasteful, guitar solo that has a smooth tone and a great economy of notes. Get Me Outta Here opens with Paice's booming drums before a Hammond-drenched opening riff kicks with typical Deep Purple power. The song is quite funky here however, with prominent and technical bass playing from Glover and a slightly off-kilter drum beat throughout that emphasise the off beat in the way that reggae music does. This works well for the band however, and provides a good backing for a surprisingly tough vocal performance and a lengthy Hammond solo.
The album's second half opens with the strange The Surprising, a song which sounds quite different from anything Deep Purple have done previously. A keyboard drone heralds it's arrival, before a clean guitar pattern and Gillan's mournful vocals come in to dominate the opening section. Harder rock sections fit well with the more downbeat overall feel of the song, and Airey once again proves his worth with some excellent Eastern-influenced keyboard melodies that work in a great call and response fashion with a Paice drum roll. This song definitely emphasises the progressive side of the band's songwriting and moves through quite a few different sections and relies heavily on the instrumental prowess of the members. Morse has a fairly lengthy solo mid-way through the track, before an almost-classical influenced piano section takes over to change the song's mood totally. Johnny's Band returns to the simpler, hard rock feel of the opening few numbers. A short piano intro soon gives way to a bluesy guitar riff and some of Gillan's excellent storytelling lyrics which are sung with conviction and passion. This is probably the song on the album that is closest to the band's classic sound, and that is probably why it is my favourite song here. The chorus is extremely catchy, and the Hammond-driven hard rock sound that the band helped to pioneer in the early 1970s shines here. A jaunty guitar solo from Morse is the icing on the cake, before another run through of that laid back, but extremely catchy chorus really makes the song a keeper. Another great song comes next in the form of On Top of the World which features another great mid-paced riff with bluesy overtones that just struts along at that jazzy pace the album generally sticks to. Morse's plentiful bursts of lead guitar really help the song to come alive with a cheeky, lustful vibe that fits in with Gillan's lyrics perfectly. The song takes a sharp turn towards the end and descends into a strange spoken word section that takes on an-almost mythological feel. It is ridiculous, but it does actually work quite well without ever becoming embarrassing. A lesser band would not have been able to pull this off, but Gillan's voice manages to take on a hypnotic quality, before the band bursts back in with a short, but explosive, outro focused around Morse's soaring guitar leads. The album's penultimate number Birds of Prey is probably the album's least-interesting number. I cannot quite put my finger on why this is, but for whatever reason it just fails to really stick in my brain at all. The rest of the songs here all have something that sticks out, be it a catchy riff, a strong chorus, or just a great overall vibe; but this song never really seems to get going. While Deep Purple performed quite a few covers in their early days, they have not recorded a new one for an album for quite some time. Their version of The Doors' Roadhouse Blues, which closes this album, is pretty good however and fits in well with the rest of the songs here. I must say I am not that familiar with The Doors, but I am familiar with Status Quo's version of the song, and Deep Purple's take on it is fairly similar, but obviously with more keyboard work! It is a classic twelve bar blues tune, and it gives all the members of the band chance to shine once more, particularly Morse who plays an excellent solo part-way through. Overall, Infinite is a great modern Dee Purple album and a good companion piece to Now What?!. I think Now What?! was a better album overall, but repeated listens here are extremely rewarding and it shows that Deep Purple are still capable of writing quality rock songs.
The album was released on 7th April 2017 via earMusic. Below is the band's promotional video for All I Got is You.
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