Band:	Deep Purple
Album:	Purpendicular
Style:	Hard rock, Heavy metal
Release date:	February 1996
Guest review by:	AndMetalForAll

01. Vavoom: Ted The Mechanic
02. Loosen My Strings
03. Soon Forgotten
04. Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming
05. Cascades: I'm Not Your Lover
06. The Aviator
07. Rosa's Cantina
08. A Castle Full Of Rascals
09. A Touch Away
10. Hey Cisco
11. Somebody Stole My Guitar
12. The Purpendicular Waltz
13. Don't Hold Your Breath [Japanese & US edition bonus]

Purpendicular is Deep Purple's fifteenth full-length studio album released in 1996 and is the beginning of Mark VII featuring guitarist Steve Morse. The question had to be asked, would the legendary band be able to cope without the master of the guitar Ritchie Blackmore? The answer: just barely, Purpendicular is a good album better than its predecessor The Battle Rages On?, but lacks something that made Deep Purple one of the most iconic bands in the rock and heavy metal scene, the fast and heavy guitar sound and eccentric personality of a true god of music?Ritchie Blackmore.

After the final break-up in 1993 between Deep Purple and Blackmore, the band needed a new guitar player, Joe Satriani was the chosen one but decided to chase his solo career and left in 1994; in the same year Steve Morse was chosen to become Joe Satriani's successor. The 1996 album is one of the band's best releases without Blackmore on the guitar, with some heavy compositions like, "Vavoom: Ted The Mechanic", "Cascades: I'm Not Your Lover" or "Somebody Stole My Guitar", these three songs are the best in the new sound of Deep Purple. One thing has to be recognized, the band revived once again throughout all difficulties and the new formation played this album with immense sense of communion, delivering a solid group performance. Purpendicular shows a wide variety of musical styles and it's one of the band's most experimental albums of their vast discography. Something Steve Morse brought to the table was a different sound with new instrumental arrangements, particularly in the guitar. The album is produced by the band with some sharp and tuned sounds that made it one of the best produced in the last 20 years. It has its moments, with three or four songs that are true highlights of good rock music; "Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming" is most probably their best song of the last 15 years. In this album Jon Lord doesn't play such a large role like in the old days. At the time, most of the attention was focused in Ritchie and Lord. With this record the attention is focused on everyone; the album doesn't have a major player, what can be very positive for a band like Deep Purple that needed the sense of communion.

Purpendicular and Come Taste The Band are, in my opinion, their best albums WITHOUT Ritchie Blackmore. This 1996 record is a credible album with good moments, mainly the difference in styles that the new guitar player brought to the band. New instrumental arrangements, more modern instrumental equipments and revived sense of communion within the band were major assets to this new album and Mark VII. Since 1996 Deep Purple revived and innovated their sound for a new generation of fans that enjoy their new style but also to the old fans that continue to attend their always full live shows. This band is one of my favorite bands without a doubt, for many years I've been a huge fan of their music. Still I have to recognize the difference in quality between the new Purple and the old one. The classics are always a must-see in live shows and they live with those successes. Ever since Purpendicular, the band was able to release only a few successes and the albums are quite average. The group is not the same without their leader, Ritchie Blackmore, it was different with the master, but still, I have to "take my hat off" to the band's perseverance and courage to continue their legacy.