Photo Credit: John McMurtrie
Earlier this month Bruce Dickinson released his seventh solo album The Mandrake Project, his first solo release in 19 years, since 2005’s Tyranny Of Souls. Dickinson himself recently commented that this album was ten years in the making, and we think it was well worth the wait.
At 65 years old this man has achieved so many things, musically and otherwise, that most can only dream about: Iron Maiden frontman, pilot, fencer, author and businessman, to name but a few. The Mandrake Project also coincides with the first part of a 12-issue comic book written by Dickinson himself, which should quickly become a collectors item.
Musically this album is exceptional, Roy Z has has done a fantastic job of producing, engineering and mixing, as well as playing guitar or bass. Dickinson is joined by David Moreno on drums, Mistheria on keyboards, alongside some guest appearances from other musicians. The Mandrake Project opens with Afterglow of Ragnarok, which was also the first taste of the record, a thrashing opener starting off with Moreno’s drums leading into guest guitarist Roger Ramirez showing off his skills throughout the track. Many Doors To Hell allows the talented Mistheria to show off some keyboard skills, something that Dickinson and his fellow musicians have been keen to showcase on this album which sets it aside from any Maiden productions.
Rain On The Graves is another track that will go down well in a live setting, with outstanding guitar work from Roy Z who has helped create a flawless piece of work with Dickinson. Resurrection Men sees Dickinson playing guitar alongside Ramirez and it works really well. Fingers In The Wounds is the shortest track on the record but also one of the best, with a nice piano backdrop backed up with more excellent guitar riffs from Ramirez, as Dickinson roars “So put your fingers in the wounds and pray that he’s God/A roll of the dice for a piece of his cloth.” Eternity Has Failed was a track taken on by Iron Maiden, with the title changed to If Eternity Should Fail, released on the Book Of Souls album in 2015. This song is one of the best on The Mandrake Project, it has everything you would want: powerful lyrics and guitars, and even some flute thrown in for good measure. The title and lyrics perhaps suggest how humanity has destroyed our planet, with Dickinson’s writing at his best: “When the world was a virgin, before the coming of men/Just a solar witness, the beginning of the end.” With a run time of 6:58, this track is deserving of the extra time and will be one of the standouts to hear live at Dickinson’s upcoming tour in May.
The lightest track on the album is Face In The Mirror, which is more of a ballad and wouldn’t be out of place on a 1990s rock album, helped along by Mistheria once again, while Shadow Of The Gods is a seven minute epic that ends with a great guitar crescendo from Roy Z. Clocking at just under an hour, The Mandrake Project ends with Sonata (Immortal Beloved), which just leaves us wanting more. This tour in May is going to be epic!
9/10
Standout Tracks: Fingers In The Wounds, Eternity Has Failed, Shadow Of The Gods
For Fans Of: Iron Maiden, ACDC, Black Sabbath
Written by: Alan Brown
