STILL boasting three members of their classic Mark II lineup, Deep Purple are proving by far the most durable of British, they reprise the classic Purple sound, centred around an imitable guitar-organ blend now driven by Don Airey, who replaced the late Jon Lord in 2002. “He was Jon Lord’s biggest fan,” says founding drummer Ian Paice. “Without Jon, he might have still been studying classical piano.” Meanwhile, Belfast guitarist Simon McBride, who replaced American Steve Morse in 2022, is credited with adding punch to the new album’s sound. “American guitarists have a groove,” Paice reasons. “British guitarists are great at riffs.”
