IoMP 175: Deep Purple — Are They Rock or Metal?
Long ago, before the genre of heavy metal we all know and love had found its identity, a band all the way from the U.K. called Deep Purple were already helping to build the genres foundation.
In the latest edition of “Are They Rock or Metal?”, our intrepid duo, Collin and Tom, dive into the legendary English band’s discography, and ask whether Deep Purple is a rock band, a metal band, proto-metal, or some combination of the three.
Songs like “Highway Star,” “Burn” and “Fireball” showcase a band pushing speed, heaviness and musicianship far beyond what many of their contemporaries were doing. The pounding drums, explosive riffs, soaring vocals and Jon Lord’s unmistakable keyboards helped create a sound whose influence would stretch into the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and generations beyond.
And the deeper Collin and Tom dig, the harder it becomes to dismiss Deep Purple as just a rock band.
Sure, if a brand-new band released this particular style of music today, we'd probably call them a classic rock band trying to nostalgia bate an entire generation of music fans.
But context also matters here.
Deep Purple were making this music while the language of heavy metal itself was still being written — alongside bands such as Black Sabbath — and their fingerprints are all over what the genre eventually became.
But, does that make Deep Purple a metal band? Afterall, many rock bands who’ve been tackled on this show have also influenced metal in one way or another without crossing the threshhold.
So where does that leave the verdict?
Throw on your grandfather's old vinyl, smoke the reefer if that's part of the family tradition (no judgements), and click play to find out whether Deep Purple are Rock or Metal.
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