The Singer
Bruce Dickinson is an English singer. Best known as the legendary vocalist of the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He has an operatic type of vocals and a way of singing like he is telling you a story.
Band Members
- Bruce Dickinson – vocals
- Roz Z – guitars
- Tanya O Callaghan – bass
- Dave Moreno – drums
- Mistheria – keyboards
The Album
This is Bruce’s first solo album after 19 years. His previous work was Tyranny Of Souls.
The Mandrake Project is Bruce’s seventh studio album. Released on 1 March 2024.
He started working on this album in 2014, along with his guitarist, Roy. However, Bruce’s throat cancer, Iron Maiden’s album, Senjutsu, its tour, and then the pandemic, belated the whole project.
According to Bruce, this is not a concept album, but an own world created by him. It’s not just an album, it’s also a comic. Nevertheless, not all the songs are inspired by the comic, for example, Face in the Mirror is about alcohol addiction and Sonata (Immortal Beloved) is about The Sleeping Beauty tale, only with a darker tone.
The Songs
1. Afterglow of Ragnarok. The first track of the album, and the first single, that we got to know a couple of months ago. It’s a heavy song, with a catchy chorus and an epic vibe.
2. Many Doors to Hell. It has a more rocker start, with guitars.
3. Rain on the Graves. This is the second single of the album. Also, more rocker, with a good riff. I like it, catchy, and with a funny video.
4. Resurrection Men. It begins with an Arabic-Spanish vibe, played by a guitar. I liked it because it had a different feeling than the rest of the album.
5. Fingers in the Wounds. A ballad, however, is not about romantic love, but God. I liked that a piano made an apparition and that at the end it gets heavier.
6. Eternity Has Failed. Flute and jungle-like sounds appear in this song. It has an epic and mysterious tone. Good guitar solo. It has an Iron Maiden vibe, a reminiscence. And that’s because it is like a continuation of Iron Maiden’s If Eternity Should Fail, from their album The Book Of Souls. This is my favorite track of the album.
It is inspired by an episode of the Marvel comic, Dr. Strange.
7. Mistress of Mercy. It has a heavier kickoff. Great. Good guitar solo. This is a more heavy metal track. Another one of my favorites from this album. For me, it’s a more classic track by Bruce, the typical Bruce.
8. Face in the Mirror. Another ballad.
9. Shadow of the Gods. It starts with a piano and a guitar, like a ballad, but then it gets heavier.
10. Sonata (Immortal Beloved). The last song of the album. Soft and chilled, but at the end we get epic voices with Bruce’s chants, as the guitar solo starts and then the track ends along with the solo.
Final Thoughts
Bruce Dickinson still has the magic touch (I hope that with Iron Maiden too). His voice sounds amazing, and the band is solid. The album has a hard rock feeling that leans into heavy metal sometimes, yet with a modern tone. It shows that it is not the same style as Iron Maiden, but it lacks heaviness for my taste. I know Bruce’s solo stuff is different, but I like more his previous works. Maybe in the future, I’ll appreciate it more, when I have listened to it more times.
The lyrics are on the philosophical side, about life and death, heaven, hell, and religion. I think it was motivated by his health issues and the fact that he’s getting older. I hope that this isn’t his last work, but I felt it almost like a goodbye.
Even though Bruce is one of my favorite singers, and he’s the vocalist of my favorite band, I found this work good, but nothing special. It’s not a bad album, but it’s too soft for me. Except for a couple of songs, I was expecting something heavier. The rest of Bruce’s albums are much better (my favorite is Accident of Birth).
Now, Bruce and his band will take this album on a worldwide tour this year, which starts in April in Mexico. His guitarist Roy Z will not participate, so his replacement will be two guitar players, Philip Näslund and Chris Declercq. We’ll have to wait to see how this tour will unfold, and he’s not coming to Chile, up to date.
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Tracklist
- Afterglow of Ragnarok
- Many Doors to Hell
- Rain on the Graves
- Resurrection Men
- Fingers in the Wounds
- Eternity Has Failed
- Mistress of Mercy
- Face in the Mirror
- Shadow of the Gods
- Sonata (Immortal Beloved)