The Battle Rages On... - Deep Purple

Since its re-formation with its classic lineup in 1984, Deep Purple were one of those veteran bands that made its money playing its well-known songs in concert while occasionally releasing albums that ape the style of its popular period; they are an oldies act, and on record they are a sort of Deep Purple sound-alike group. This remained true on their The Battle Rages On..., their fourth new studio album after getting back together, which marked the return of straying lead singer Ian Gillan, who had ducked out in 1989. Gillan is so buried in the mix and masked with backup vocals, however, that it's hard to tell the difference. The songs, built out of Ritchie Blackmore's guitar riffs complemented by Jon Lord's keyboards, are shorter and have quicker tempos than much heavy metal, making for a sound that is sometimes closer to Def Leppard than Deep Purple. The lyrics are the usual mishmash of sex and violence clichés. The album barely made the charts, which only confirmed that, after the initial hoopla about the reunion subsided, there wasn't much of an ongoing market for new Deep Purple music -- even if it sounded like old Deep Purple music -- which may be why Gillan and Blackmore left the group again after this release. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide