Sixty years into the career and one of the band’s best critical receptions in ages: 76/100 across eight reviews for Splat!. Classic Rock (8/10) calls it « the very best Purple one could possibly expect to hear in 2026 », Mojo (8/10) hears a band that has « turned up the group’s Deep Purple-ness without lapsing into self-parody », Record Collector (8/10) « a blast from start to finish ».
The unanimity is about the energy, almost indecent at this age: Clash salutes « a remarkable torrent of energy from men old enough to be great-grandfathers », Uncut finds Ian Gillan « in impressively full-throated mode », and everyone credits Simon McBride, whose guitar brings « contemporary virtuoso flavour », along with Bob Ezrin’s tightened production. « Arrogant Boy », « Diablo » and the title track are the recurring favourites.
The caveat comes from the public, distinctly cooler (57/100 across 215 ratings), and from a few dad jokes past their sell-by date — Classic Rock itself winces at the « Jessica’s Bra » pun. What nobody overturns: a band formed in 1968 just released a record that’s having fun, and that stands on its own.