Bruce Dickinson

[Azas]

My guess is that the song Nightmares which was presented to Steve along If Eternity Should Fail was reworked into Resurrection Men. If Steve liked Nightmares, it means this song was maidenish from get-go to some degree. (I think we can agree that IESF is maidenish even in demo version) Now we have heard from various sources that Resurrection Men will be played live. Bassist revealed this info. So, it means this song is very good. And we know that Steve would choose for Maiden only the best Bruce's songs. So, Resurrection Men is former Nightmares. Voila!

 

[srfc]

Got around to listening to it.

Good stuff. The melody (or maybe just the metre) of the verses are reminding me of something famous but I can't put my finger on it, I feel he's referencing something on purpose but I just can't figure it out.

Also, love the fact that Ghost is now shorthand for a band writing a catchy track with real hooks. (someone else was at it in the GMSC as well recently).

 

[Kalata]

Based on the title and the fact that Steve was interested on it? For all we know, Nightmares may, or may not be, totally reworked into a different song altogether already or maybe it's just not anything special. Or maybe it is, who knows... The point being, curious as I'd be to find that out, it's pure speculation at this point indeed.

We won't know unless Bruce say it's been reworked (I think he would have noted it by now), but judging from IESF's demo, Steve can't be wrong. Nightmares was co-written by Roy, but I'm sure Steve liked 2 of the best (and probably Maiden-esque) songs - like Eternity. He would never allow or choose something as different as Rain.

I mean, a lot of people expected something completely different from Rain on the Graves as well, based on the interviews and sheer title of the track.

Because Bruce confused us with his info about it.

I think it's just cool that Bruce experiments different things. Not all of them might work, but I wouldn't say trying different things that you find inspiring is getting carried away just because others want something more traditional. I'm not saying Rain on the Graves is the most successful attempt at any rate, as much I've loved the song so far, but...

The two singles we've got so far, while sharing a few elements when it comes to the mix and such, have been quite different from each other, so for all we know, some of the stuff on the album might very well go "beyond" The Chemical Wedding indeed; most likely not in terms of quality as we find it, but the boldness of the execution and arrangements.

He has the freedom to do what he wants, but there are experiments - and experiments. Like TCW! Bruce should know that such a song (especially after the long wait) won't appeal to most fans because of the phrasing of the verses, unlike the first single. The point is, don't do experiments just for the sake of them to be on the album. He knows the fans want/prefer traditional stuff.

It's true that the two singles are very different, but for me ''beyond TCW sound'' is an even heavier and darker sound - like Ragnarok's intro & outro. I understand that. It's different.


To be honest, I'm worried about the album and its style. The last 3 songs and Resurrection Men will also have some experiments... the worst part is I'm not even sure if I would have liked Rain if it was fast or with different verses. This is really surprising for me. It's not an exciting song at all.

 

[Kalata]

Rain On The Graves has a 10 seconds intro with dark sounds:

Btw, I don't expect another single. Only 1 month left.

 

[Azas]

Is it me or youtube single song version sounds worse that youtube video version of Rain on the Graves?

 

[Skyclad1982]

The only song that wasn't mentioned by Bruce or people who have heard the album is Mistress of mercy. Big chance it will be a sort of a filler track.Hope I am wrong.

 

[Dick Brucinson]

Sounds all interesting. Anyway, I'll keep away from listening the song and watching the video until the day the album comes out.

 

[Starblind]

on apple music, in the credits part, other than roy there is another guitarist called chris declerq, and it says "solo". so roy didn't play the leads on this song?

and another weird thing, in the end of the video it says rain on the graves composed by bruce and roy, yet on spotify and apple music there seems to be only bruce. ?

 

[matic22]

chris declerx

You mean Chris Declerq?

He is Lemmy's solo career guitarist apparently.

 

[Starblind]

You mean Chris Declerq?

He is Lemmy's solo career guitarist apparently.

yeap i edited now. and he seems to have worked with paul dianno and blaze bayley too... it gets weirder now

 

[Black Bart]

After a couple of listens: meh.

 

[Azas]

The only song that wasn't mentioned by Bruce or people who have heard the album is Mistress of mercy. Big chance it will be a sort of a filler track.Hope I am wrong.

Yeah, it has high chances to be a like Maiden's Mother of Mercy. Vocals are horrible on that song.

 

[Vaenyr]

Bruce's voice on the chorus sounds great. The solo is catchy as well. That's all the nice things I have to say about the song.

The keyboard works in some cases, but the synth stabs (the first few times they appear in the song) sound horrible. Not even so much what is played, but how it's mixed. Needed a bit more reverb, they sound too upfront and cheesy this way.

 

[Ben Beast]

Maybe the 2 singles aren't the songs we hoped from Bruce, but I can see both working really well in live setting. Rain on the Grave has nice drum rhythm which for audience is easy to clap to, I can imagine Bruce showing the lead and the whole venue following. And Ragnarok's riff gets people shouting yeah-yeah-yeah. So in that point of view I think the selected songs are going to work. Little bit same as was with Writing on the Wall. First impression wasn't much, but in live setting it elevated several levels.
Also if Rain on the Graves gets played, it would funny if Jerusalem also gets played. Expect lots of rain!

 

[Azas]

The more I listen to Rain On the Graves, the more I dig this song. Sure, it's no TCW but something about it gets me going. I like that it has not so serious tone and Broadway? or Vaudeville? feel to it. I like theatricality of it. You can do things with this song on the stage. I like that this song has interesting topic, imo. Bruce is dealing with the devil, like he had in Killing Floor. Afterglow of Ragnarok is cold and outlandish, whereas Rain On The Graves is playful.
And in parts where guitar chugs you can sing 'Cause you're the Green Manalishi with the two-pronged crown Hell Yeah!

 

[mtmccox]

After many listens last night and during today:
An Englishman complains about the weather.

There is a lot to like, a lot to just accept. It's a catchy one, albeit simple, still good. I think Bruce's voice sounds really badass both singing and speaking.
The only criticism I will have now is "it's just rain rain rain", we know Bruce is capable of some amazing lyrics. Could have switched it here and there, rhyme it with "insane, pain" or somethinge else, he's native I'm not.
Looking forward to the album and still trust there will be something mindblowing occult and brilliant comparable to Wedding.

 

[MindlessPieces]

Sounds like Alice Cooper meeting late Deep Purple and BOC to me

The video reminds me of The Monkeys. but far less funny, and way more corny.

 

[MindlessPieces]

yesterday I was joking with my wife, that Bruce once or twice rapped in a song and I hope that this will not happen again. And then spoken vocals started. :-D

If you are going to do spoken vocals, bring in the master. William Shatner, that would have been something.

 

[Brigantium]

Well this is more typey Bruce solo material and I'm really, really looking forward to the rest of the album and the tour now. Far more character than Ragnarok.

Fun little theatrical video with so much overacting too.

And no William Shatner, thank you. Brian Blessed on the other hand, that would be fun, although he seems to be working with Saxon these days.

 

[CA Bryers]

No matter what, I will always want Bruce to create songs like his classic solo style - and Maiden's style. Songs like Rain, no thanks.
It's a different era for his solo music, but I think he gets carried away with experimentation (again). Steve knows better for Maiden. You use such heavy riffs and make such a different and atypical song for them...? And Roy said that he wanted to go beyond the sound of TCW?

Personally, I'm really digging that the two tracks we've heard have been pretty distinctly different from his previous solo albums and his Maiden stuff. While The Chemical Wedding is a god-tier album, I don't want The Chemical Wedding 2. I'd rather he continue to play around and experiment, even if not everything he throws at the walls sticks. I mean, his solo discography isn't astoundingly diverse, but it certainly is more diverse than Maiden's.

Tattooed Millionaire: AC/DC-ish pseudo cock-rock.
Balls to Picasso: straight ahead rock album with a couple plunges into being very heavy, and sometimes...erm...rappy.
Skunkworks: alt-rock that sometimes leans a little to the heavier side.
Accident of Birth: Bruce said it himself--trying to out-Maiden Maiden with this one.
The Chemical Wedding: further down the AoB path, but experimenting with down-tuning or straight up restringing a guitar with bass strings. Loose concept album to boot.
Tyranny of Souls: this is the only one that really doesn't do a lot that's new for Bruce as far as his solo stuff is concerned...it basically gives us another helping of what we liked about the previous two.

...and that's not even counting the albums we almost got from the Skin collaboration (Balls to Picasso v1) or the goofy Keith Olsen album (BtPv2).
Hell, if the Keith Olson album came out and bombed as hard as likely would have (deservedly so), we might've gotten the Maiden reunion a few years earlier.