Thirty seconds into the first song, and for the nth time, you're amazed by the sheer power of Ian Paice's drumming. Arrogant Man begins with him and guitarist Simon McBride, before vocalist Ian Gillan sings, "Well, Billy couldn't read or write, he never read a book in his life, he looked like shit, face didn't fit, he only ever went out at night".

Arrogant Man is the perfect opener to rock legends Deep Purple's 24th studio album 'Splat !'. Like the rest of the 13-track record, it's loaded with energy, some dazzling solos, tight rhythms and crisp vocals. Keyboardist Don Airey and bassist Roger Glover complete the line-up, and for the sixth time, the renowned Bob Ezrin joins them as producer.

To be sure, ‘Splat !’ may not contain anthems of the Smoke On The Water, Highway Star and Black Night calibre. Gillan doesn't do the high notes he once did, but sails smoothly through the middle register, which has anyway been his strong point from the beginning. But what's striking about the album is its consistency and quality of musicianship. And, it's heavy.

Of the tracks, Diablo talks of taking chances in life, and interestingly invites country artiste Keith Urban as guest guitarist. The Rider'softens things a bit in sound, with Gillan talking of contemporaries who resorted to excesses. The Lunatic is similar in theme to Arrogant Man, beginning with the lines, "There was a time I liked him, now I don't know what to say; when I see him coming, I just look the other way".

Most songs are in the hard rock mould, but maintain the Deep Purple sound, with brilliant work by guitarist McBride and keyboardist Airey. Check out their opening and solos on Guilt Tripping, Third Call and The Only Horse In Town, which talks of a man's association with a horse.

For variety, The Beating Of Wings explores blues territory, with a neat guitar stretch. The album concludes with the title track, where Paice again is in full flow, and Glover has an outstanding bass run, with Gillian singing, "I lit up the wrong end, set the rocket in reverse, it blasted a hole through the centre of the universe".

Gillan and Glover are 80. Paice and Airey are 78. Along with the younger, 47-year-old McBride, they create such outstanding music at their age. They're the true rock highway stars.

Genre: Hard rock

Label: EarMusic

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Narendra Kusnur

Narendra Kusnur has been a journalist for 42 years, and has covered the music beat for different publications, spanning a cross section of genres. He also writes on theatre and has had a stint in the music industry as Label Manager and Retail Trainer.