Deep Purple Are BACK! | Arrogant Boy Review – Their Best New Song in Years?
There’s something genuinely exciting about hearing a new Deep Purple single for the very first time — especially when it immediately feels alive, urgent and unmistakably Deep Purple.
Today the band released Arrogant Boy, the latest track from the forthcoming album Splat, and after several listens I can honestly say this is one of the most invigorating things I’ve heard from the band in years.
At just over three minutes long, it’s a proper single in the classic sense. No wasted moments. No overindulgence. Just pure, focused energy from the moment that opening “machine-gun” riff kicks in.
This is very much the Simon McBride era of Deep Purple, and what immediately struck me was how naturally he fits into the DNA of the band. His guitar playing throughout Arrogant Boy is breathtaking — fast, melodic, clean-toned and full of intent. There’s a clarity to his playing that reminds me of the way classic Purple recordings balanced aggression with musical precision.
And yes… I kept thinking of In Rock.
Not because the band are trying to recreate the past, but because the song captures that same restless momentum that made albums like In Rock and Machine Head so exciting in the first place. Those little linking riffs between vocal lines, the intricate transitions, the sense that the song is constantly moving forward — it’s all here.
The opening alone sets the tone beautifully, with those stabbing Hammond organ accents from Don Airey colliding perfectly with McBride’s guitar attack. There’s power, but there’s also space and dynamics. That’s what makes this work so well.
And then there’s Ian Gillan.
His vocal performance on this track is absolutely superb.
You can hear every word clearly. The lyrics are sharp, observational and biting in that classic Gillan style, but what impressed me most is how confident and commanding he sounds. There’s real character in the performance. The phrasing, the delivery, the attitude — it all feels completely authentic rather than nostalgic.
The instrumental section is another highlight. McBride and Airey lock together brilliantly during the faster runs, creating that thrilling keyboard-and-guitar interplay that has always been such a vital part of the Purple sound. It genuinely reminded me at times of the chemistry between Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore, while also echoing moments from the Steve Morse years.
But Simon McBride never sounds like he’s imitating anyone.
What I particularly love is the balance in his playing. Yes, there are those incredibly fast passages that explode out of the speakers, but he also knows when to pull back and let long melodic notes breathe. That sense of light and shade gives the track real depth.
And then, underneath it all, there’s the rhythm section.
Ian Paice is astonishing here. Watching him play this song in the video is almost hypnotic because he makes something technically demanding look completely effortless. Meanwhile Roger Glover provides that solid foundation that keeps everything grounded no matter how frantic the arrangement becomes.
The production deserves praise too. Every instrument has room to breathe. This is a song that rewards active listening. One play through for the overall impact. Another for McBride’s guitar work. Another just to focus on Airey’s Hammond textures. Then one more for Ian Paice’s drumming.
That’s the sign of a great Deep Purple track.
The accompanying video works brilliantly as well because it avoids unnecessary gimmicks. It’s simply the band performing the song, shot cleanly and confidently, allowing the music and personalities to carry the performance.
One thing I’ve always loved about Deep Purple is that they’ve never stood still. People still talk about the absence of Jon Lord or Ritchie Blackmore — understandably so — but the truth is the band has always evolved. The original concept before they became Deep Purple was reportedly to be called “Roundabout”, with musicians coming and going while the core spirit remained intact.
In many ways, Arrogant Boy proves that idea still works.
This still sounds like Deep Purple.
Not a tribute to the past. Not nostalgia by numbers. But a living, breathing band creating exciting rock music in the present day.
And honestly? I haven’t stopped playing it.
If this single is any indication of what Splat has in store, then Deep Purple may well have delivered one of the most exciting albums of their later career.
For longtime fans, there’s so much here to enjoy — echoes of the classic eras, flashes of progressive experimentation, incredible musicianship and that unmistakable Purple chemistry.
But more importantly, it simply sounds like a band enjoying themselves and pushing forward.
That’s why Arrogant Boy works so well.
And that’s why Deep Purple still matter.
