Deep Purple, following the announcement of their new studio album ‘=1’, have released the first single, “Portable Door”.

The enigmatic album title ‘=1’ encapsulates the band’s philosophy of unity amidst complexity, promising an album that resonates deeply with their five decades spanning hard rock legacy. Produced once again by iconic Bob Ezrin, ‘=1’ captures the purest classic Deep Purple sound, without relying on nostalgia.

In a recent interview regarding the sonic direction of their upcoming album, new guitarist Simon McBride shared insights, saying: “The new album will reflect what the five of us create in the rehearsal room. Many of the songs, like the first single, ‘Portable Door’, were written in our very first sessions and literally came together in 5 or 10 minutes. It all was so easy and natural.”

Frontman Ian Gillan, highlighting the organic nature of Deep Purple’s song writing, added: “Throughout Deep Purple’s history, our best songs have always been those that were written in no time at all. We’ve played what felt good and developed songs as we have always done.”

In celebration of the new album, Deep Purple will perform more than 60 concerts worldwide this year during their ‘=1 MORE TIME’ tour.

With three consecutive #1 albums in their back pocket and a resurgent new energy powering them forward, this is Deep Purple at their pinnacle. ‘Now WHAT?!’ (2013), inFinite’ (2017), and ‘Whoosh!’ (2020) have sold over one million copies worldwide, making Deep Purple one of the most successful rock bands that remains currently active. The  previous studio album, “Whoosh!”, reached #1 on the album charts in 7 countries and charted in the Top 10 in another 12.

‘=1’ will be released on July 19th via earMUSIC as a limited-edition CD+DVD (Digipak), CD (Jewelcase), 2LP Gatefold (black, 180g), Ltd. Purple 2LP Gatefold (180g), Ltd. Crystal Clear 2LP (180g) and Ltd. Box Set (CD+DVD Digipak, 2LP black Gatefold, 3x exclusive 10” vinyl editions feat. live recordings from Deep Purple’s 2022 tour, exclusive Collector’s T-shirt, 2x exclusive guitar picks, 1x exclusive art print, 1x exclusive lanyard, and the chance to win a Golden Ticket giving access to every show on the Deep Purple ‘=1 MORE TIME’ tour).

There simply aren’t enough superlatives to properly acknowledge the contribution Deep Purple has made to rock music. Having sold more than 100 million albums and filled global arenas for decades, there’s little wonder that the respected British radio station Planet Rock named the group the ‘5th Most Influential Band Ever’. The band were also presented the ‘Legend Award’ at the 2008 World Music Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Deep Purple truly are ‘rock royalty’.