Around June 1983, a much younger Dave Watkins discovered a song that would basically change my life. It was ‘The Trooper’ by Iron Maiden, at a time – in my mid teens – where I was starting to properly get into music and finding how important it was. I can’t recall where I heard the song, possibly on ‘Top Of The Pops’ with that thrilling video clip but it made me save my pocket money and invest in the ‘Piece Of Mind’ cassette. This was played to death and my love affair with Maiden had started.
The debate about which part of the Maiden history is the best will always continue but for me, Bruce Dickinson will always be their best vocalist, ahead of Paul DiAnno and his arrival certainly launched the band into the big leagues.
Into the 90’s which included a period where Bruce had parted from Maiden, this saw several solo albums and tours, ventures into places such as Kosovo. My personal favourite being ‘The Chemical Wedding’, which is possibly the closest sound to this new collection of songs.
So let’s fast forward to 2024 and see where ‘Bruce Bruce’ is right now.
There has recently been a whole host of veteran bands and vocalists showing they can still produce the goods. For example, Rob Halford with the new Priest album, Bob Catley with Magnum and Biff Byford and Saxon. Dickinson is now 65 and considering that he overcame cancer in 2015, his vocal performance here is right on the money. He has always been brilliantly theatrical and this record gives him another chance to perform for his fans.
There has been a couple of pre-release singles and on both the video clips for them, Bruce is having an obviously great time playing to the cameras. The first of these, ‘Afterglow Of Ragnorok’, opens the album with just the style of solo Bruce that we’ve grown to expect, with the heaviness married with catchy tunes.
I need to highlight the band that Bruce has put together for this album. We all know about the amazing talents of Roy Z, who Bruce has worked with before of course. Not only does he make the songs sounds absolutely massive, his guitar work is also legendary. Bringing some monster riffs and sounds to each song, this is a killer collection for all air guitar players. Joining the band are the striking Irish bass player, Tonya O’Callaghan, drummer Dave Moreno and Italian keyboard player, Mistheria.
What is ‘The Mandrake Project’ all about then? Honestly, I think it could be open to interpretation, with all kinds of stories and tales going on along the way. Described as “a dark, adult story of power, abuse and a struggle for identity, set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius,” that could still be taken in all kinds of ways and is probably all the better for it.
A lot of these songs have been worked on for several years, its been a real labour of love and exploration. One example of this, is ‘Eternity Has Failed’, a re-working of the Maiden tune ‘If Eternity Should Fail’ and includes actual flute! Progtastic!
Let’s see what else you get for your money: probably my own personal favourite track, ‘Resurrection Man’, which starts with a Spaghetti Western flavour! Yes, really! The song then pops in all kinds of directions across more than six minutes and includes some of the sludgiest riffs on the album. Absolutely superb piece of music.
We have the usual straight down the line rockers such as ‘Many Doors To Hell’ and ‘Mistress of Mercy’ and then Bruce opens ‘Face In The Mirror’ quietly and acoustically, on a very reflective tune indeed. Across other songs, we have riffs that could be from Zakk Wylde on his Hope & Glory album, or the dramatics and tunes from Ghost. The album has atmosphere, it has a cinematic feel too, if you watch the videos, you will see that Bruce had a real vision for the whole project.
Into the last couple of tracks and two mini epics, with ‘Shadow of the Gods’’ launching into a mid tempo groove which builds into a chorus that allows Dickinson to truly roar! The second half then launches into a massive Roy Z riff and continues at pace until its conclusion. I will likely be playing the steering wheel drum kit in the car listening to this one! Finally, the longest song on the album closes it, with ‘Sonatta ( Immortal Beloved )’ at nearly ten minutes. Bruce adds the atmosphere as the song builds up and then back down again in a mid paced way, with one of the biggest choruses on the record.Â
This is Bruce’s seventh studio album and along the way, he has produced all kinds of styles and flavours. On ‘The Mandrake Project’, him and his team have come up with what is probably the best one so far. Everything has been so carefully planned, from the sounds of the musicians, to the arrangements of each song, every fine detail has been put into exactly the right place. While every Maiden fan will no doubt love this, I hope every Rock and Metal fiend will add it to their collections. Certainly something to play LOUD, again and again. I definitely will be. Thank you Bruce, forty years since I discovered you and your music and you STILL bring me so much to love!
Track list: 1. Afterglow Of Ragnarok 2. Many Doors To Hell 3. Rain On The Graves 4. Resurrection Men 5. Fingers In The Wounds 6. Eternity Has Failed 7. Mistress Of Mercy 8. Face In The Mirror 9. Shadow Of The Gods 10. Sonata (Immortal Beloved) Release Date: 1st March Record Label: BMG Buy ‘The Mandrake Project’ right here
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