Deep Purple Announces New Album '=1' Ahead of U.S. Tour With Yes

Deep Purple's new album '=1' is due out on Friday, July 19.MEGA

Deep Purple is still kicking after more than half a century. The foundational heavy metal band recently announced their new album =1, which will drop on Friday, July 19. Fans should expect the album's lead single on Tuesday, April 30.

Physical copies of the record are already available for pre-order through the band's online store.

Fans should expect the lead single to drop on Tuesday, April 30.MEGA

"This record captures the band’s pioneering classic sound without relying on nostalgia, embodying the essence and attitude of their 1970s incarnation possibly more than any other recent album," the product description says.

"The enigmatic title '=1' symbolises the idea that in a world growing ever more complex, everything eventually simplifies down to a single, unified essence. It all adds up to one."

This will be Deep Purple's first new album since 2021's Turning to Crime, which peaked at No. 28 on the albums chart in the band's native U.K.

The band recently announced a slate of U.S. tour dates with the progressive rock band Yes for later this year. The trek will begin in Hollywood, Florida on Aug. 14 and end in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Sept. 8.

Deep Purple formed in London in 1968. The current lineup includes drummer Ian Paice, who's the only remaining original member.

Vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover are also part of the modern band. They first joined in 1969.

Deep Purple's most successful material was released during guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's first tenure with the band from 1968 to 1975.

He wrote the main riff for "Smoke on the Water," which is one of the most well-known rock compositions of all time.

It appeared on the band's 1972 album Machine Head, which made it to No. 1 on the album charts in the U.K. and Australia. The record only made it to No. 7 on the Billboard 200 but was later certified platinum twice over in the U.S.

Never miss a story — sign up for the Q newsletter for the latest music news on all your favorite artists, all in one place.

It will be their first album since 2021's 'Turning to Crime,' which peaked at No. 28 on the U.K. albums chart.MEGA

Check out the tracklist below:

The band may be best known for their 1972 track 'Smoke on the Water.'MEGA

Here's a full list of the upcoming tour dates:

Aug. 14 - Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live

Aug. 15 - Tampa, FL @ Seminole Hard Rock Event Center

Aug. 17 - The Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Aug. 18 - Durant, OK @ Choctaw Casino - Grand Theater **

Aug. 19 - Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena

Aug. 21 - Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center

Aug. 22 - Sterling Heights, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill

Aug. 23 - Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre

Aug. 25 - Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage

Aug. 27 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre

Aug. 28 - Gilford, NH @ BankNH Pavilion

Aug. 30 - Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

Aug. 31 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center

Sept. 1 - Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

Sept. 3 - Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater

Sept. 4 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ Broadview Stage at SPAC

Sept. 6 - Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

Sept. 7 - Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live

Sept. 8 - Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain

** Deep Purple only