Taking Curious Bends in the Road: Deep Purple Roars Back with 'Diablo'

Wednesday, 24 June 2026 19:50

The new single comes from a new album due to drop next week

Hard rock icons Deep Purple drop a pummelling new single from their upcoming album SPLAT!, featuring a surprise, blistering guest guitar solo from Keith Urban.

There is a distinct, unyielding physics to the way Deep Purple operates. For nearly six decades, the pioneering pillars of heavy rock have built a legacy on a foundation of blistering organ swells, heavy-grooving basslines, and riffs thick enough to alter local weather patterns. Yet, rather than setting their careers to autopilot and coasting on the immortal fumes of "Smoke on the Water," the band has dropped a fierce reminder of their enduring vitality with their latest single, "Diablo".

Released through earMUSIC, "Diablo" serves as the second official offering from the rock legends' highly anticipated studio album, SPLAT!, which is locked in for a July 3, 2026 release. Following on the heels of the album’s lead single, "Arrogant Boy," this new track is a masterclass in classic, high-octane Purple chemistry. It is a song that lives and breathes in the pocket, captured with the raw, live-in-the-studio groove that has long separated the band from their over-produced peers.

However, the real lightning bolt hidden within the track's DNA is a completely unexpected collaboration. Stepping into the ring on second and solo guitar is none other than global country-rock superstar and Grammy-winning virtuoso Keith Urban. On paper, matching the blues-soaked, Nashville-adjacent fretwork of Urban with the heavy, progressive British rock architecture of Deep Purple sounds like a head-scratcher. In practice, it is absolute dynamite. Urban trades blistering licks with the band, leaning into the track's aggressive momentum and proving that elite guitar wizardry transcends any genre boundary.

Lyrically and visually, "Diablo" pulls listeners down a wild, cinematic rabbit hole. Frontman Ian Gillan introduces a surreal story world centered around an uncompromising heroine who crosses a river, dives headfirst into a fighting pit, celebrates with a bucket of wine, falls into a glitter pool, and somehow manages to find her way back home. It is a vivid, colorful narrative that mirrors the track's driving, unpredictable instrumentation.

Speaking on the philosophical heartbeat behind the song, the ever-poetic Ian Gillan explained that the track is an anthem for embracing the unknown:

"It is all about taking chances," Gillan shares. "Just for once in your life, do something exciting, step out of the mould, take that curious bend in the road instead of sticking to the highway, and do something that will, for the rest of your life, either guide or warn you."

This spirit of musical risk-taking defines the entirety of SPLAT!. Once again, Deep Purple teamed up with legendary producer Bob Ezrin (renowned for his historic work with Pink Floyd, KISS, and Alice Cooper) to capture a sonic landscape that is being hailed as the heaviest Deep Purple record in years. Early media reactions are already pouring in, with Uncut describing the upcoming release as "distilled, high-octane Purple at its finest," while Classic Rock commends the project for delivering everything that solidifies the band's status as hard rock royalty.

The band isn't wasting any time taking this new energy directly to the fans. Deep Purple is currently gearing up for a massive, multi-continental tour that kicks off in Europe before embarking on an extensive North American leg alongside classic rock mainstays Kansas and special guests Jefferson Starship. The grueling 86-show trek across 28 countries will even see the band make a historic return to London's Royal Albert Hall late this fall—reconnecting them to the very venue where they famously performed their Concerto for Group and Orchestra back in 1969.

"Diablo" proves that even after 120 million albums sold, Deep Purple isn't interested in just preserving history. They're still eagerly chasing that curious bend in the road.

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