Deep Purple, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, have announced a new album titled Splat!, with a world tour to follow later in the year.
The legendary rock band, led by vocalist Ian Gillan, will release their 24th studio record on July 3, 2026, which they have described as one of the group’s heaviest albums in several years.
“Where we are now with this incarnation of Deep Purple feels very much like a very ‘now’ version of Deep Purple as it was in the seventies,” Gillan told NME.
“I have to say, now we are very much back in with material that is compatible with Highway Star, Smoke on the Water, Lazy. The dynamics, the balance, and the fun of the music we made from ’69 to ’73. Deep Purple is in a great place right now,” he added.
The band are also heading out on an extensive 86-date world tour later this year, which kicks off in Finland on June 11 and wraps on December 19 in Mexico City.
Meanwhile, the French and British stops are scheduled for November, including two nights in London on November 24 and 25.
Last year, Gillan revealed he was losing his eyesight and said that retirement was “not far off.”
“It’s one of those things. I’ve only got 30 per cent vision,” he told NME at the time.
“That won’t get better. It makes life mysterious. The hardest thing is working on my laptop. I can’t see anything on the screen unless I use my peripheral vision – I pick up a line by looking at it sideways. But you find a way. You adapt,” the Deep Purple star said of resilience with their upcoming music and tour being proof of his and the band’s hard work.
