DEEP PURPLE IN ROCK

With a couple albums behind them and Machine Head still on the horizon, Deep Purple take a great leap forward.

Characterized by great guitar from Blackmore, and excellent vocal wrok from Gillan this is an album that by far outshines some of their later (and increadably popular) works. While Machine Head had their great mainstream hit (Smoke on the Water), this album has a lot more music that the prog community can relate to. Longer tracks like FLIGHT OF THE RAT and HARD LOVIN' MAN definately have their charm with some very good work by each member, and is somewhat upbeat, considering the heavyness of the music for the time it was released. Other shorter tracks on the album are just as noteworthy, the opener SPEEDKING, with it's quirky lyrics, is a great tune that is often overlooked, as is the screamer BLOODSUCKER.

However, even with all these great songs the standout, and main focus of the album really is CHILD IN TIME. The slow intro given life by the organ and Gillan's soft vocals are especially well done, but soon give way into the main meat (if you will) of the song. Enter Gillan's shrieking scream and some exceptional guitar solos by Blackmore. In the end, this track is a wonderful epic that demands listening to again and again.

When it comes right down to it, this is a great album to listen to for progheads and metalheads alike, and it's likely Deep Purple's most progressive release. I'd recomend this to anyone and everyone, really. 4 stars, an excellent addition to any collection.