he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
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YOU ARE THE REASON
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@superhardlikesteel
If you are ever, for lack of a better term, "studying" the heavy metal subgenres, check my Spotify playlists. My playlists are very extensive and bordering on archival. You are bound to find some stuff that you probably wouldn't have otherwise.
If you're on desktop, you can go to superhardlikesteel.tumblr.com/spotify for a periodically updated list anytime. If you're on mobile, the "keep reading" section of this post will have to do.
I've become weirdly obsessed with guitar picks. I keep buying them. Different ones. Different shapes. All Dunlop. Because, deep down, I am afraid to try a different brand. Actually, not deep down, it's totally a surface-level fear that I'm aware of.
I dreamed about guitar picks last night. Help.
Warning that millions of men aged 35 and older would be left utterly adrift following the traumatic loss, researchers at Columbia University published a study Monday that revealed the majority of middle-aged men in the United States lacked the support network they would need to handle singer-songwriter Neil Young’s death. “It’s deeply concerning that the average 45-year-old male does not have a single friend or relative willing to text their favorite track from Harvest Moon with the caption ‘GOAT’ typed underneath,” said lead researcher Shannon Bailey, noting that in the absence of the Godfather of Grunge, large swathes of American men would simply spiral into depression while listening to “Heart Of Gold” on loop alone in their apartments.
Full Story
I want you all to know you can count on me. I'll take care of this. I'm the guy for the job. I really, really love Neil Young. A lot.
Retrospective: Deep Purple Mark VIII and Mark IX
Mark VIII features Ian Gillan on vocals, Steve Morse on guitar, Roger Glover on bass, Don Airey on keyboards, and Ian Paice on drums.
Likewise, Mark IX features all of the above except Steve Morse is replaced by Simon McBride on guitar.
These are the modern eras of the band. Deep Purple has been in this state since 2002. That's over 20 years as of writing this.
They barely have a single song I enjoy during these eras. Everything after Purpendicular suffered the same issues that Purpendicular did, only without the highlights. This is a band that has lost its identity and its soul. These are expert musicians going through the motions just to stay in the game. As someone who puts the art first, I find this hard to respect and therefore these eras are hard to enjoy.
Mark VIII in particular is the lame era. They have too much of this modern music seriousness which just does not suit the band. Then, of course, they have outright goofy stuff (as they always have), but none of it seems to land. Awkward ideas. Half-baked songwriting. The word that sums it all up for me is "trite".
I sense that Mark IX is trying to push the music in a heavier direction, but they haven't solved any of the problems that make their lighter material bad to begin with. Simply putting in some heavier riffs isn't going to fix this situation. You'll just suck louder.
I hope I've been clear. I really do respect these musicians. Even the newer guitarists are perfectly good players. The only member whose performances are suffering is Ian Gillan and that's just because he's an aging vocalist, which is a tale as old as time.
The artist in me wants them to hang up the hat. The human in me understands that this is their job. I hate the world we live in that forces old men to parade themselves around on stage until they die just because they don't have a real backup plan. At the end of the day, as much as I feel resentment towards them for continuing this charade, I cannot blame them. In their position, I'd probably do the same.
And let's make another thing clear: this is not just about Deep Purple. Many aging hard rock and metal bands suffer these same issues. This is an aging rocker problem. There's just no great way to do this thing. You create these explosive moments in your youth, some more thoughtful ones as you age, and then eventually you fizzle out.
It's sad. It makes you feel bad to witness. It makes you feel gross about your mortality. But it's real, human shit.
I love you, Deep Purple. This was one of my best musical journeys in a long time. I've found a lifelong favorite band by exploring your music. My hope in writing this is for another metalhead to discover an old band that they'd probably overlooked, most likely due to thinking Smoke on the Water is lame and overplayed. Even if you only learn about Speed King and Highway Star and Burn and Fireball, my work is done. Those songs deserve to live forever and ever.
Retrospective: Deep Purple - Purpendicular
Ahh, Deep Purple Mark VII, my old nemesis. But wait, what happened to Mark VI? Why did we skip a number? Well, I'm just going to say it. Mark VI is total bullshit and fake and not real. Mark VI was Joe Satriani replacing Blackmore for a few live shows.
So who is Mark VII? We have Ian Gillan on vocals, Roger Glover on bass, Ian Paice on drums, and Jon Lord on keys. All from Mark II, so that's good. Replacing Blackmore, we have Steve Morse on guitar.
So, straight off, I will say that this is the final album I'll be writing about. After this, the band has never done anything I've cared about enough to write about ever again. But hey, don't be sad, because that means they pulled off one last decent album without Blackmore!
Purpendicular isn't even the worst album the band has released up to this point. That award may go to Slaves and Masters. This album has a nice atmosphere to it. There is a bit of that 90s alt rock seriousness creeping in and it works out pretty well here.
The soul of the band is sort of lost here, not completely, but they're also still pulling it off in a way that I don't think they have again. It's hard for me to sell this album, as I don't have the passion for it that I do for many previous releases. It's merely a good Deep Purple album that doesn't really feel like one, but yet still does in a way.
If you dig when older bands go 90s in a tasteful way, you will really like this. Some people really adore this album and I see why, despite not loving it myself. There's a lot of variety. Ted Mechanic is the hard rocking opener. There are a lot of dramatic and sometimes proggy numbers. You have the funky Rosa's Cantina.
My favorite will likely always be A Touch Away. This is one of the most beautiful songs they've ever recorded. It's an absolute earworm of a ballad and it sticks in my head more than anything else on here.
Purpendicular, it's pretty good. Not the worst album to go out on. Not at all. But this isn't the album they went out on. In fact, they're still going. They're releasing another album soon, titled "Splat". I simply do not care anymore. It's been 3 decades since they've released this and they have not done a single thing worth noting in that time as far as I'm concerned. Kind of depressing.
Stay tuned, because I will do one more post to talk about the band following Purpendicular. It won't be about any particular album, but just about the band in general after this.
Retrospective: Deep Purple - The Battle Rages On
DEEP PURPLE MARK II REUNION JUMPSCARE
Don't worry, this is the final one. Not that you were worried. You were probably, rightfully, excited.
So, is it any good? Yeah, I think so. It compares in quality to The House of Blue Light, which I quite liked. Of course, it is a bit uneven. A bit inconsistent. A bit awkward. But it's good.
There are some moments on here that are very heavy metal. The main riff in the title track is among their heaviest. Anya has that proggy Iron Maiden mystical guitarwork going on. A Twist in the Tale sort of feels like a power metal song in a way.
Let me put it this way. The album is underrated, for sure. A lot of people devalue it just as they did with The House of Blue Light, as being a sort of expendable album for the band. But if you love Deep Purple like I do, I think you will really enjoy this a lot. It's a great source of weird hidden gems that no one cares about. I may not like this as much as the other album I keep mentioning, but it's damn solid.
After this, Mark II is done for good. In current day, Jon Lord is dead. Mark II is straight up no longer possible. But I think that's fine. They did 7 albums of varying quality that all have something to love about them. Considering how rocky the bandmembers' relationships with each other were, they did damn fucking good.
What's not okay... is that this is the final album featuring Ritchie Blackmore. As you will see very soon, that is a big problem for me. Although don't tune out just yet. We still have more to discuss.
WE ARE HERE TO FUCK YOU, TO MAKE SEX WITH YOU
Retrospective: Deep Purple - Slaves and Masters
Mark V. Yeah, I said it. So what?
So, what's different this time? Ian Gillan is gone again. Big surprise. He was replaced by Joe Lynn Turner who previously worked with Blackmore's other band, Rainbow, as well as Yngwie Malmsteen [who, by the way, loved taking Blackmore's sloppy seconds].
A lot of people say this album is really just a Rainbow album. I disagree. I think it clearly has Deep Purple DNA.
That being said, you know... it sucks. It's not total bullshit or anything, but the band isn't exactly feeling inspired here. This is a perfectly decent 80s Deep Purple sound, but it's just... lacking.
It's probably underrated? Even by me. It's worth hearing, I think. I just don't care very much about it at all. I don't think you will either. Unless you really felt like Purple needed a more generic sound.
Retrospective: Deep Purple - The House of Blue Light
Another Mark II release? Am I dreaming?
I'm not going to lie to you. I was looking forward to this one. This is the album that I'm annoying about. You know the meme that says "casual fans will tell you the band's best album, while hardcore fans will tell you the worst album is the best"? Oh yeah.
Most people don't like this one nearly as much as they like Perfect Strangers. It's more awkward. It's less even. The band is experimenting in ways they probably shouldn't. The quality is all over the place. Inconsistent is a word that comes to mind.
I don't care. This album feels so right to me. There are songs on here I outright skip sometimes, but it doesn't matter. The vibe on this one is just so damn fucking cool. It's messy. It's awkward. It's weird. It's cheesy. It's silly. It's campy. It's fun. It's a total mess.
If Perfect Strangers was a little bit 80s, this is full-blown 80s. You can tell the second the album starts. It's just got cheese all over it. But man, there are some of my favorite numbers on here.
Mad Dog? An uber catchy mid-paced rocker that gets stuck in my head all day. Mitzi Dupree? One of their weirdest blues-y songs, with nonsensical lyrics and some pretty over the top vocals. Dead or Alive? One of my favorite energetic numbers from the band.
The Spanish frickin' Archer?! One of their best songs, period. Blackmore is playing his damn dick off on that song.
Listen... I know. This is no masterpiece. I accept that. But I love it. It's a damn good album and I think the flaws make it beautiful. You may not love it as much as I do and I can respect that. But give it a chance. Any album that makes someone act this silly has to be at least worth hearing a single time, right?
Plus, like, Mark II is done after this for a while, okay? So enjoy this for the time being and stop being such a jerk.
Retrospective: Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
9 years have passed and, what's that? Deep Purple Mark II have returned. That's right, we're back.
It's the 80's now and, boy, can you ever tell. That glossy 80's sheen is all over Perfect Strangers. If you absolute hate that, you may have a hard time here. Personally, I love it. At least in moderation.
So, how is it?! Does it live up to the hype of a Mark II reunion? I'd say yes. This is considered to be their final classic and I'd find it hard to disagree, although the next album enters that discussion.
While there's nothing revolutionary going on here and it doesn't quite sound like previous iterations of the band, it unquestionably shows Deep Purple sounding inspired again. This is a collection of some of their catchiest songs, period. It's also one of their most consistent front to back albums. No real filler. Solid variety too.
It's maybe a little bit less rowdy. Cleaner. Leaner. There's less of that looseness and improvised feel of their older stuff. Those who prefer the 70s sound will obviously enjoy this less.
Perfect Strangers is one of their most popular albums for good reason. It's not just a great reunion or a great return to form, it's a great Deep Purple album. Period. If you like Deep Purple, you're going to like this. There's no doubt in my mind.
Adding clean vocals to melodeath should be illegal. It's a recipe for disaster.
Retrospective: Deep Purple - Come Taste the Band
Deep Purple Mark IV. Surprise! Mark III is over already! They kept David Coverdale on vocals. They kept Glenn Hughes on vocals and bass. Jon Lord is still on keyboards. Ian Paice is still on drums.
...Let's address the elephant in the room. Ritchie Blackmore is no longer in the band. A lot of people probably believed that Blackmore WAS the band. Everyone who knows this is baffled in perpetuity. Now on guitars we have Tommy Bolin who, by the way, released a solo album the same year with Jon Lord on keyboards.
This is not a real album. It's fake. It's not real.
I'm mostly joking, but this is an album that I have a hard time feeling passionate about. The songs are mostly solid. They're just awkward. While it feels like Deep Purple in a way, it also does not feel like Deep Purple in a very fundamental way. Even if Stormbringer already had some dips in quality, it was never to this degree.
So, while it's not a total bust, it's pretty obvious why this is the only Deep Purple Mark IV album. It was doomed from the outset. Too much of the soul of the project had been removed.
I'd recommend giving it a chance if you liked all the previous albums. Especially if you favored Mark III. It certainly still feels vaguely like a Mark III album and it will have something for you. It just isn't going to wow you like the best Deep Purple albums will.
Retrospective: Deep Purple - Stormbringer
Stormbringer is the second album from Deep Purple Mark III. That means no lineup changes and no major changes in sound.
Obviously, the first thing anyone is going to do is compare it to Burn. They continue the cardinal sin of doing a heavy number as the opener and then ditching heaviness entirely. Stormbringer, the song, is nowhere near the titan of rock that Burn was. That being said, it's still a damn good song and a highlight of the album.
All of the good things I said about Burn could be said here. Some of the songs here are better than some of the songs on Burn. Some of the songs are worse. I'm just going to say it. Burn wins. I was back and forth on this for awhile, but my least favorite songs on Burn easily eclipse the worst songs on Stormbringer. There are actual skips here. The highlights on Burn also mostly trounce the highlights here.
I think the album is a touch underrated. Despite not being one of their best works, there is a lot of quality here. The obvious highlight is the incredibly moody and atmospheric closer, Solider of Fortune. It's one of the best utilizations of David Coverdale in his entire career. It's beautifully dramatic and eclipses even the title track.
So... yeah. Stormbringer is more Burn, but not as good Burn. If you loved Burn, you will at least like Stormbringer. If you've at least enjoyed all the albums so far, you'll definitely find a lot to enjoy here.
Stormbringer is probably no one's favorite, but hey! Look at the damn artwork! It may actually be their best in that regard.
Retrospective: Deep Purple - Burn
We've reached Deep Purple Mark III. So what's changed? They replaced Ian Gillan with 2 guys. Two singers instead of one. More is more. That's David Coverdale (who is probably better known for his later project, Whitesnake) doing the lower register vocals and Glenn Hughes doing the higher register vocals. Hughes is also on bass now.
The album starts off with a bang. Burn is one of their best songs, period. It's like this band's Painkiller. It's a brilliant metallic rock song. Shit, it may be one of the best rock songs ever in general. No amount of fluff will do it justice. It's seriously that good.
The one problem I have with this album is that it's committing one of my cardinal sins of hard rock. It starts off with an immaculate, energetic rocker and then the rest of the album has nothing of the sort. If you're a metalhead as I am, it makes you feel cheated.
That being said, there's no bad song on here despite the album being very light on the heaviness. There's no shortage of hooks, great performances, great songwriting, etc. There's a nice sense of pace despite immediately losing steam after track one. The tracks are all fairly dynamic and there's good variety. There's a little bit of funk creeping in, which makes it feel unique.
As much as Gillan is forever the true voice of Deep Purple, you won't really miss him here. Coverdale and Hughes both bring a lot to the table. Coverdale doesn't have insane range, but he has this smokey, sexy timbre to his voice that creates a lot of atmosphere. Hughes, on the other hand, is a banshee when he wants to be. I figure they had him mainly to replace Gillan's falsetto. Although his passages are not just limited to said vocal range. A lot of the Hughes sections usually feel like mini bridges in the songs. He adds hype.
For some people, this will be their favorite Deep Purple record. I think it's earned that right. It deserves a ton of praise. It shows that Deep Purple could adapt to huge changes again and again and still come out on top. While it pales to the Mark II classics, in my opinion, it really is a fantastic record. Don't skip it just because it's different.
Deep Purple retrospective will continue soon. I had to delay them because I've been spending a lot of time with my nephew and playing video games and shit.
Retrospective: Deep Purple - Who Do We Think We Are
So, I've got bad news. This is the last Mark II album. Or is it?
Well, I've got worse news. This is one of those albums that divides people, like Fireball. Only, unlike Fireball, I think the arguments of it being an underrated classic are less convincing.
Even so, it's a good album. It still has plenty of heavy moments. It still has plenty of fun musicality going on. It has great performances by all members, as every other release by Mark II.
It will most likely take more listens to grow on you, similarly to Fireball. The biggest thing that will throw people off is the structure of the album. On previous albums, they usually started on something gripping or heavy. Even Mark I did a good job of that.
This record starts off with an obvious attempt at a hit single. Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if it turned out Kiss based their early sound on Woman from Tokyo. Even down to the theming, it fits them like a glove. There's something about the lyrics in the chorus of Mary Long that just makes me cringe. Even one of the highlights, Smooth Dancer, has questionable lyrics (don't ask) and a riff frighteningly close to self-plagiarizing the riff from Speed King.
Mark II was fizzling out. They all hated each other or whatever. You know how it goes with rock bands. This was the end and it was a rather unceremonious one, but it's better than haters let on. If you enjoyed the previous records, give this one time.
Retrospective: Deep Purple - Machine Head
You've heard of this one already. I don't need to tell anyone with any knowledge of 70s hard rock anything about this album.
This is the band's seminal classic. Smoke on the Water is on this album. You've heard that song even if you think you haven't. Highway Star is on here. Arguably their best song. Ritchie Blackmore has milked this song's structure many times since in multiple projects.
If Deep Purple in Rock was a craggy and bludgeoning piece of hard rock, this is a more polished and refined bludgeon. Don't get me wrong, the edge is still there. This is heavy music for 1972. The band just sounds less crude and more confident.
You know what it is? It's balance. On Fireball they must've figured, hey, let's tone down a little. We were getting a bit unruly. So they overcorrected a bit and found themselves in an awkward trajectory. Here, they figured it out. They took that craggy hard rock and they smoothed it down just enough.
Listen... I feel like I'm using a whole lot of words to say nothing here. That's a problem I run into when talking about classics. It's easy to wax poetic on classics. It's harder to write something of substance. That's why I'm going to end this review by saying
COME ON!
COME ON!
COME ON!
LET'S GO SPACE TRUCKIN!
