Hard rock legends DEEP PURPLE will release their new studio album, "Splat!" , on July 3 via earMUSIC.

The album is the heaviest in many years, with the band playing together in the studio, just as they have always recorded.

Says frontman Ian Gillan: "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." At the heart of "Splat!" is an idea conceived by Gillan.

Rather than treating the end as destruction, the album imagines it as transformation: "Splat!" explores the end of humanity not in any crude apocalyptic sense but as a metamorphosis beyond physical existence.

DEEP PURPLE will celebrate the release with their extensive 2026 touring schedule, featuring no fewer than 86 shows across 28 countries on three continents.

The band's new music from "Splat!" is already available to fans who have been following the journey in the weeks ahead.

Gillan sums it up: "DEEP PURPLE is in a great place right now." With their body of work spanning seven decades, DEEP PURPLE has helped pioneer and define the hard rock genre while progressively moving into new areas.

Their celebrated MKII line-up of Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore was responsible for creating many of the defining rock albums of the early '70s, including "Made In Japan", universally accepted as one of the most important and influential live albums of all time.

The album "Splat!" will be available on July 3 in multiple formats: a CD (Digisleeve), a 2LP Gatefold (180g) + 12-page vinyl-sized booklet, a Limited Purple 2LP Gatefold (180g) + 12-page vinyl-sized booklet, a Limited Transparent Yellow 2LP (180g) + 12-page vinyl-sized booklet, and others.

Further exclusive items are available via the official artist store.

Photo credit: Olaf Heine