Album brings heart stopping sound
Bruce Dickinson is best known as the vocalist for the metal band Iron Maiden. During his time with the band in the 1990s Dickinson released his first solo album, Tattooed Millionaire, which brought a heavy and delightful mix of rock and pop music. Three years later Dickinson left Iron Maiden to release a series of solo albums with guitarist and collaborator Roy Z. In 1999, Dickinson rejoined Iron Maiden where the artist started to create music that not only challenged the band but also challenged fans who enjoyed hearing the classic Iron Maiden tunes.
Now, 19 years after the release of his solo album, Tyranny of Souls, Dickinson is back with his seventh solo album The Mandrake Project. The album has 10 tracks and what stands out about the whole thing is how Dickinson used his talented creativity to create sensational rock and metal music that blends with the comic book theme. Described as “a dark, adult story of power, abuse and a struggle for identity, set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius,” The Mandrake Project shows how serious Dickinson is as an independent solo artist.
“Afterglow of Ragnarok” kicks things off on a high note, the instrumentation brings a heavy mix of surging rock and metal that represents the story of The Mandrake Project. Dickinson and his band created a song that displays how powerful music can be when the right kind of people who love to perform mind-dazzling music combine their efforts.
“Rain on The Graves” is a fabulous tune that shows how iconic Dickinson is as a vocalist. Sure, the vocalist is dynamic with Iron Maiden but in this composition, Dickinson uses his voice to tell a story that is from The Mandrake Project’s world. In certain parts of “Rain on The Graves,” the vocalist speaks out the lyrics before switching to his high-pitched tones. Hearing Dickinson’s sinisterly laugh at the end of the song brings a perspective of just how dark “Rain on The Graves” truly is.
“Eternity Has Failed” is another composition that displays how Dickinson is able to reach these higher notes. Yes, with Iron Maiden the artist is capable of jolting people’s veins with his vocal power but in this piece, Dickinson wails out the lyrics with great passion before his talented band shakes the background with mind-blowing instrumentation. “Eternity Has Failed” is a thunderous song that is filled with amazing talent.
“Face in The Mirror” is a lighter composition, the band is playing a slower musical tempo that creates a feeling of hopelessness and despair, while Dickinson harmonically sings out the heart-wrenching lyrics. In some ways, the lyrics on “Face in The Mirror” point out the negativity targeted towards others, and Dickinson is not happy about how that negativity has impacted those people’s lives.
Hearing The Mandrake Project was worth the wait because Dickinson is able to musically separate himself from Iron Maiden and reinforce just how capable the artist is of still making magical music on his own.
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