By Olivia Stanley
This is a remaster of Purple’s 2005 studio album. I’ve always been a fan of the band’s earlier, 1970s work, but I hadn’t previously listened to much of their newer albums, so I was unsure what to expect from this, especially as it was originally released in an era of the band without several core members, including Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord.
The album kicks off with the opening track ‘Money Talks’, setting the scene for the album showcasing Ian Gillan’s lyricism and Steve Morse’s guitar work really well.
The title track features a unique mixture of classic rock elements, with a more modern twist, from the production and background effects.
One track that stands out to me is ‘Junkyard Blues’. The track has some of the album’s best guitar work, with a memorable riff and breathtaking solos. The track is definitely one of my favourites.
Another standout track for me is ‘Back to Back’; the track features a really catchy, in your face guitar riff, impressive vocals and a more classic rock sound, comparable to that of other bands like Black Sabbath and AC/DC.
The album concludes with the track ‘Before Time Began’. This is another one of my favourites on the album: the vocals are strong, but fitting, the guitar is more toned down, with a cleaner style compared to other tracks, the lyrics are well written and fitting to the sound, as well as the track containing one of my favourite solos from the album.
Some of the album tracks on this record do seem a bit repetitive though; a few tracks feel like they merge into each-other and just felt a little bland.
Listening to these tracks compare to the original 2005 release, there’s a clear increase in sound quality and mixing, with the 2025 remaster featuring greater sound quality, and the mixing seems to have been tweaked in a few spots, which made a noticeable difference.
The remaster also features five previously unreleased studio rehearsals of the tracks: ‘MTV’, ‘Money Talks’, ‘Back To Back’, ‘Before Time Began’ and ‘Closing Note’. These rehearsal tracks brought something previously unheard to the album, and they’re are a nice touch to the album, featuring a more raw, unedited sound than the studio releases.
Overall, the album flows well and features a few really strong tracks. However some of the tracks seem to blend into one when listening and aren’t quite as memorable. The album is still a strong release, showcasing this era of the band, featuring Steve Morse’s impressive guitar work and capturing a unique, different sound compared to the previous releases from the band. Overall, the album holds it’s own against their previous albums, despite having a few unmemorable album tracks.
- ‘Rapture Of The Deep (20th Anniversary Remix)’ is released today (Friday 29 August).