Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan mourns the death of his wife

According to a press release, the title “symbolizes the idea that in a world growing ever more complex, everything eventually simplifies down to a single, unified essence. Everything equals one.”

You can see the =1 track listing below. The album’s first single will be released on April 30. Deluxe editions of the album will include 13 tracks recorded live on the band’s 2022 tour and an hourlong behind-the-scenes documentary.

=1 marks the 23rd album of Deep Purple’s career and their first since 2021’s Turning to Crime. Bob Ezrin produced the record. Notably, the new album is the first LP to feature guitarist Simon McBride, who officially joined the band’s lineup in 2022.

McBride previously described joining Deep Purple as “dream-come-true stuff.” His predecessor, Steve Morse – who departed after 28 years so he could spend more time with his ailing wife – has also spoken glowingly about the change.

“I think Simon, he’s fitting them better than I was, as far as they’re churning out gigs,” Morse admitted during a recent interview with Sea of Tranquility. “And I was always the guy that said, ‘This is a really long tour. There’s a point where tour fatigue comes in. We could make shorter legs.’ And nobody wanted to hear that, especially not management.