The Battle Rages On... is the fourteenth studio album by English hard rock band Deep Purple, released on July 19, 1993, in Europe. This album marked the last recording session with the classic Mk II line-up, which had previously reunited for the 1984 album Perfect Strangers.
During the early sessions for The Battle Rages On..., Joe Lynn Turner was dismissed from the band. Initially, Mike DiMeo was selected to replace Turner. However, due to pressure from Jon Lord, Ian Paice, and Roger Glover, as well as from the band's management and record company, Ian Gillan was brought back into the band in late 1992. Gillan's return meant he had to rework much of the album's material, which had been prepared with Turner and/or DiMeo in mind.
Ritchie Blackmore, the band's guitarist, was reportedly displeased with the changes Gillan made to the songs, feeling that they had become too melodic. This dissatisfaction led to Blackmore's departure from Deep Purple for the second and final time after a performance in Helsinki, Finland, on November 17, 1993. Joe Lynn Turner later claimed that Blackmore disparagingly referred to the album as The cattle grazes on.
Following Blackmore's departure, American guitarist Joe Satriani joined Deep Purple as a temporary replacement for the remainder of their tour. Additionally, some of the material originally written during the The Battle Rages On... sessions appeared later on Turner's solo releases, albeit under different titles.
