“I can hear a lot of Ritchie Blackmore fans crying out, ‘No! He’s using digital stuff!’” Simon McBride is ditching stacks for modelers and transforming Deep Purple’s sound

Deep Purple guitarist Simon McBride performs during the = 1 More Time Tour at Budweiser Stage, on August 25, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Deep Purple may be one of the last bastions of the golden age of rock still churning out top-quality albums, but Simon McBride isn’t afraid to drag the band into the future. That’s why he’s ditched tube amps for amp modelers on their latest album.

The Irishman succeeded long-serving fusion ace Steve Morse in the band in 2022, adding to a lineage that includes Ritchie Blackmore (twice), Tommy Bolin, and Joe Satriani, who was their touring guitarist for a short spell.