Bruce Dickinson partners up once again with Roy Z to deliver his first solo record in nearly two decades.

Release Date: 1st March 2024

Label: BMG

Format: CD / CD Book / Vinyl / Digital

The teasers have been out in the world for a while, and the two lead singles have had time to bed in. Afterglow Of Ragnarok and Rain On The Graves have both been birthed with a couple of epic music videos. The former opens The Mandrake Project in grand fashion. It is catchy, heavy, mysterious and typically Bruce. It wastes no time in getting stuck in; big and heavy guitars verge on the sludgy side of things.

With any new Bruce Dickinson album, if you expect an Iron Maiden record, you will be disappointed. Don’t expect any long bass intros/outros here. Songs could perhaps take a little longer to click and some of the production and presentation is different. It is clear that over the course of the last 15 years or so, Bruce Dickinson has taken note of the support bands that have played with Iron Maiden. Smatters of Ghost (Many Doors To Hell), bits of symphonic metal (Fingers In The Wounds), doomy turns (Resurrection Men) and plenty of twists all feature.

Also, there is the thematic approach that works so well for Bruce Dickinson and his hive mind. There is an accompanying comic book series; the overarching story is something that has always propelled Bruce’s best work (see Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son, The Chemical Wedding).

Eternity Has Failed previously bore life on Iron Maiden’s Book Of Souls album (under the name If Eternity Should Fail). Here, the trumpet style melody is replaced with a flute and the song itself is far heavier. The solo, delivered by Gus G (of Firewind), is fiery and really jumps out.

Mistress Of Mercy is a short heads down rocker that is sure to be a hit live. It is like Bruce is on autopilot in the vocal booth; he is such a master of his trade. Multi-layered harmonies and dense drums move the song before a solo from Roy Z penetrates. I would be very surprised if this was not in the setlist come the time for the world tour.

Shadow Of The Gods is an interesting piece towards the end of the album. The opening line, “And so we lay…,” immediately evokes The Chemical Wedding from 1998. This isn’t the only facet of the song that harkens back to one of Bruce’s finest work. Musically, some of the progressions and the vocal delivery mirror the song and create an interesting thread between the two albums. Shadow Of The Gods is rousing and epic with added synthesised brass sections, piano flourishes, and Bruce delivering some top tier vocal work. A call and response effect in the lyrics makes way for part two of the song as it moves from sweeping ballad to hard rocker.

Sonata (Immortal Beloved) closes the album. It is a near ten minute opus that evokes Pink Floyd in some of the guitar work; certainly as the song reaches its close. Bruce’s vocals are dramatic and vibrant as ever – there aren’t many better than The Air Raid Siren. He lets loose, but also uses his instrument to great effect in the spoken word parts. Throughout The Mandrake Project, Bruce shows his versatility, range and power. To sound so magnificent after all these years on top, and with what he has had to deal with health wise , is extraordinary.

It has been a long time coming, but fans of Bruce Dickinson will welcome The Mandrake Project with excitement and favour. To see how it sits in amongst his back catalogue will come with time; there is plenty of stuff here that will grow on people. One thing that is for sure, is that Bruce Dickinson is a legend of hard rock and metal; The Mandrake Project does nothing to suggest otherwise. Bruce’s liner notes in the back of the album are truly heartfelt and show how much he loves doing what he does. Let us hope there is more.

Check out the video for Afterglow Of Ragnarok below, and take a read of our look at Bruce Dickinson’s back catalogue here.

Bruce Dickinson: Website / Instagram

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