When it comes to legendary hard rock acts there are few more legendary than Deep Purple. The five-piece who formed in 1968 are one of the most important bands in the history of the development of the hard rock and metal that we know today; something which has certainly contributed to their enduring appeal. Despite a hiatus between the end of the Come Taste the Band touring cycle in 1976 and 1984, Deep Purple, under various guises, have continued to be a busy and active force in the hard rock world. It is now over 50 years since the band first burst onto the scene with Shades of Deep Purple, but they are showing no signs of slowing down. Despite rumours that 2017's Infinite (which I reviewed here) was going to be the band's final album, a feeling that was only enhanced by the band calling the tour in support of it The Long Goodbye Tour, Deep Purple are clearly not ready to retire just yet as, last month, the band released their twenty-first studio album Whoosh!. Whoosh! builds on the good work established on Infinite and on Now What?! (which I also reviewed here) four years before it to create something of a modern hard rock trilogy that really showcases the power and songwriting prowess of the MK VIII line-up of the band. If 1970's In Rock to 1972's Machine Head trilogy showed the band's classic MK II line-up at the height of their powers, and 1974's Burn to 1975's Come Taste the Band created a second classic trilogy demonstrating what David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes brought to the table, then 2013's Now What?! to Whoosh! can be seen as the band's third classic trilogy. While the band have released many great albums outside of these three 'trilogies', and many would probably include the original three Rod Evans-fronted albums as another classic trilogy, these groupings arguably show the band's most distinct 'eras' at their best. I am not sure that anyone who was listening to Machine Head during the week it came out back in 1972 would have ever imagined that the band would still be releasing great albums 48 years later - but that is exactly what has happened. Only really Uriah Heep can compete with Deep Purple when it comes to releasing such strong material so late in their career; and this is something that Deep Purple can be really proud of, especially considering that so many bands with far less pedigree than them have long since essentially become their own tribute band. Deep Purple have long rejected this notion however, and Whoosh! shows just have vibrant the band are in 2020. Having once again teamed up with producer Bob Ezrin, the Deep Purple on show throughout Whoosh! sounds as grand and proud as they did on Now What?! and Infinite - with this new album acting as the perfect sequel to those two releases. It is the MK VIII line-up's fifth album together, and in my view it is one of the best. Now What?!, in my opinion, showcases the best of the current Deep Purple line-up but Whoosh! is not far behind - with some standout tracks and performances that bring the best out of everyone involved.
As with Now What?! and Infinite before it, Whoosh! sees Deep Purple taking on something of an elder statesmen-esque role. The Deep Purple of 2020 is not as urgent or as heavy as the Deep Purple of the 1970s, but the sound that the band has been cultivating recently showcases the modern line-up in a strong light. More emphasis than ever is placed on atmosphere, with progressive flourishes taking the place of the screaming hard rock of decades past. Deep Purple can still rock out when they want to, and that side of the band is still on display here, but on the whole Whoosh! is in keeping with the more laid back style of their other recent albums. The opening track, Throw My Bones, is a perfect example of this as it opens with a simple, bluesy guitar riff from Steve Morse that essentially creates the groove for the whole song to sit on. Groove is also a big part of the modern Deep Purple sound, and many of the songs here showcase this. Despite Morse's riff driving the whole song, the guitars never roar out of the speakers as they would have done in the 1970s, with Don Airey's keyboards often taking the lead when a more powerful moment is needed. His Hammond organ dominates the simple choruses, although Morse takes a casual, bluesy solo part way through the track to showcase his talents. It is a track that perfectly continues the sound established by the band on the recent albums, and it sounds as vital and proud as ever. Drop the Weapon is a bit punchier, with Morse's guitar playing dominating the song in a bigger way this time around - while Airey doubles his riffing on the Hammond for that great old-school Deep Purple sound. Frontman Ian Gillan, who's voice has certainly deteriorated over the years and can be a bit hit and miss live, sounds great throughout the album - the modern songs written for his older voice. The snaking groove of the track allows him to lay down a catchy, bluesy vocal line throughout - with the punchy chorus bringing the best out of him, while founding member Ian Paice hits his drums with a staccato venom. Drop the Weapon is one of the songs that really stood out to me when first listening to the album, and it remains a favourite. The powerful groove really hits home, and the catchy chorus is made to be played live. We're all the Same in the Dark is similar, but the pace is slowed down a little to a solid mid-paced strut with Roger Glover's bass pushed to the fore to really emphasise the groove. While the song is not as memorable as the opening two cuts, there is still a lot to like here. Airey's keyboards really dominate, with flashes of retro Hammond often cutting through the mix, while the chorus features a lot of strange backing vocals to create a bit of a haunting vibe. The highlight here for me though is Morse's lengthy guitar solo, which is something of a hybrid of classic blues phrasing and early 1970s progressive rock players. It showcases his talents perfectly, while adding something slightly different to the piece. Nothing At All, which is one of the album's singles, emphasises the more atmospheric side of the modern Deep Purple with a big keyboard soundscape and a haunting chorus that doubles down on the one found in the previous song - while adding something of an epic edge at the same time. There is no main riff here, but instead Morse and Airey trade busy, pseudo-folky licks back and forth which really add to the overall atmospheric nature of the track - with this approach also allowing the choruses to hit harder, with the power chords used there really bulking out the song in comparison to the more whimsical approach taken elsewhere. Songs like this bring out the best of the modern Deep Purple, and I can see this one becoming a live favourite over the years.
No Need to Shout opens with a Hammond roar that will instantly take the listener back to the early 1970s, before Morse takes the song forward with a potent riff that gives it something of a heavier edge. Despite not being as heavy as they were in the past, Deep Purple still like to rock out and songs like this show that they can still produce the sort of classy hard rock that helped them make their name. Morse's guitar riffing drives everything throughout, while Gillan's powerful chorus recalls some of the shout-along moments from the early part of his solo career. Airey switches between his Hammond and some barroom piano throughout the song, which creates a different vibe at times, with his lengthy piano solo reinforcing the bluesy feel that the band have embraced in recent years. Step by Step opens with some of the most dramatic and gothic-tinged organ work on the album, which really helps to set the tone for what is to come. The song itself is another fairly atmospheric one, with Airey's horror-themed keyboards constantly at the centre of everything. It is similar in style to Vincent Price from Now What?! actually, with a slow-burning groove and a strong, oppressive atmosphere being the order of the day. While I prefer the band's more catchy efforts, I really appreciate these darker pieces too. Airey, for my money, is the most creative member of the current Deep Purple line-up and his playing and soundscapes really makes songs like this tick. What the What is similar to No Need to Shout, but with Gillan's vocals and lyrics really placed at the fore of the track. Airey favours his piano throughout, which gives the song a boogie rock feel that the band have flirted with a few times in the past. Some may prefer it if he stuck to his Hammond, but I think the piano adds a lot to the song, which is a clearly supposed to be a whimsical laid back slab of old-fashioned boogie. It smashes through the tension created by Step by Step, and it allows the band to let their hair down and have a little fun. Both Airey and Morse revel in the more open nature of the track - with plenty of licks and solos coming from both of them. The Long Way Round goes for a slightly heavier approach, but Paice's shuffling groove helps keep the song from feeling too heavy in the album's wider context. Airey's suffocating Hammond really dominates the song, while Morse and Glover lock in together with Paice to help the tough shuffle really hit home. Despite this tougher approach taken, there is still plenty of melody to be found. Airey is the star of the show here with a lengthy synth solo featuring a plethora of catchy refrains, while Gillan once again conjures up a powerful chorus melody that takes hold and never truly lets go. The Power of the Moon showcases the band's slightly progressive side, as well as the atmospheric nature of the modern Deep Purple. Airey's Hammond once again dominates, but Gillan's vocal melodies throughout the track are a little more varied than usual - with a handful of semi-wordless sections that see him using his voice more as an instrument than anything else. A few of the melodies here also have something of an Eastern flavour which helps to the song to stand out, with Morse's slow-burning guitar solo seemingly taking influence from that part of the world - while Airey's organ counter melodies only reinforce the desert-esque feeling of the track.
A short instrumental in the form of Remission Possible kicks off the album's home stretch. It builds on the progressive tendencies featured in the previous song, and essentially features Morse and Airey trading shredded and busy lead lines. Morse is often slightly restrained in Deep Purple compared to what we all know he is capable off, but in Remission Possible he really lets his hair down for a brief moment with some furious shredding that Airey backs up with some mean and growling Hammond. It is only a short piece, but it really allows the band's two most expressive (and newest) members to showcase what they bring to the legendary band. It leads nicely into the slow-burning Man Alive too, which is similar to The Power of the Moon with its progressive flourishes and atmospheric backing - but here those sounds are merged with harder rock riffing for the perfect hybrid. In many ways, the song is almost the perfect representation of the modern Deep Purple sound. Airey's soundscapes merge perfectly with Morse's riffing; while Glover and Paice lock together for a tight and snaking rhythm. Gillan, ever the elder statesman, weaves his magic atop the cacophony - and his vocal performance here takes on a certain progressive flavour. He favours a spoken word delivery during a short, spacey breakdown, which then morphs into an explosive Morse solo, while elsewhere he showcases a smouldering power that belies his advanced years. While there are catchier songs here, it is a piece that really showcases the creativity of a band 52 years into their career. It certainly recalls moments from the last two albums, as well as older progressive numbers like Fools and The Mule, but more than anything it just showcases the band as they are now - still creative and powerful. The album comes to a close with new rendition of And the Address, the instrumental piece that opened their debut album Shades of Deep Purple back in 1968. It is a bombastic piece that brings the best out of both Morse and Airey, with its classical flair and experimentation pre-dating Emerson, Lake & Palmer, who would later perfect this sort of sound, by a couple of years. It does make me wonder if Whoosh! is to be the band's last album, and this is a way of finishing the way that they started, but either way it is a fun way to end the album. Its explosive instrumentation is somewhat at odds with the more laid back material that the band write now, but it allows them to let their hair down one more time - and it brings a little pomp to help close out what is, overall, a fantastic album. Most versions of the album, however, feature an excellent bonus track in the form of Dancing in My Sleep which certainly should not be missed. I am assuming that it is classed as a bonus track as it has quite a different vibe to the rest of the album, with its spacey synths and funky bassline, but it has a great energy and groove throughout - and Gillan sounds fantastic throughout. Morse's guitar playing is also pretty busy throughout, with plenty of little lead lines popping up here and there to punch through the synths and occasional Hammond stabs. While it might not be considered a key part of the album, it is another strong song that is certainly worth any rocker's time. Overall, Whoosh! is another fantastic album from Deep Purple that shows that the band's current purple patch is not yet over. It is amazing to hear such a powerful record from a band that has been around as long as Deep Purple have, and the creativity that is on display here makes this album a must-have of 2020.
The album was released on 7th August 2020 via earMusic. Below is the band's promotional video for Throw My Bones.
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