Bruce Dickinson

There should be a price to pay for bullshit announcements of leaks without verifying first. So that people don't repeat attention seeking stunts like this
I am attending Stockholm pre-listening party, i didnt want to check because i would most likely play it in full. I want to wait till Sunday.
 
Funny enough, I thought Rain on the Graves had a bit more Bruce flavour in it; maybe not the composition, as Afterglow is certainly very typical Roy Z/Dickinson track to begin with, but lyrically and e.g the chorus, I got a bit stronger "Yeah it's Bruce Dickinson all over!" from Rain on the Graves.

Then again, I like both songs anyway, so no matter... :D

I might, perhaps, even like Rain on the Graves even a bit more, but yeah, I rather not rank them.


A week and a half to go, folks. :)
Wait till you hear the other stuff
 
I don’t think I can stand Rain on the Graves as a song. It’s melody just too cheesy & not metal at all. I’ll definitely skip this song on the album.
I like Ragnarok, it's strong and memorable, but Rain is a bit more active and fun for me now. Maybe I just listened to the former too many times or it's because of the chorus and solo of the latter. That doesn't necessarily mean it's the better song. I think Ragnarok's outro vocal part would have been perfect as a chorus (or post-chorus) with double bass drumming.
 
And chinas are kind of crash cymbals. ;)
You sure? ;)

images
 
The way he managed to make Eternity heavier and more Bruce is mindblowing.
Bruce said he was going for a Heaven And Hell type of vibe for it. One of his favorite albums.
It is not speed, thrash, black, but there is nothing "wrong" from a heavy metal fan point.
It is indeed a sort of combination, legacy, full of references to what we all knon and love.
Sonata is not a messy clusterfuck. It is not standard, but it is beautiful.
Holy hell my nerves are firing and this is only first time I listened to Mandrake. Wishing all the enjoye-st time.
All in all the album feels like a work from a guy who got the comprehensive understanding of musical tastes. I would love another set of TCW nasty and heavy numbers but what if, the reality is elsewhere? Are we adult to admit beauty without extreme sound, in a way, if you know whatimsayin
All of this is so great to hear. Metal is still here with legacy and beautiful and classic stuff! Your last comment is true, but I think every Bruce solo fan will always want TCW style songs. I don't want him to repeat himself though.
 
For the people who have already heard the album - why Mistress Of Mercy isn't part of the highlights (or more talked about) since it was described as very good and the most AOB/TCW song on the album (along with Shadow Of The Gods)?

Also, from the reviews Face In The Mirror and Sonata will have choruses that just repeat the title, and I know every song and delivery is specific, but it's a bit curious that they are mentioned as highlights, and Rain with the same feature has mixed rankings.
 
For the people who have already heard the album - why Mistress Of Mercy isn't part of the highlights (or more talked about) since it was described as very good and the most AOB/TCW song on the album (along with Shadow Of The Gods)?

Also, from the reviews Face In The Mirror and Sonata will have choruses that just repeat the title, and I know every song and delivery is specific, but it's a bit curious that they are mentioned as highlights, and Rain with the same feature has mixed rankings.
Mistress of Mercy is a beauty. Quite melodic & it’s definitely a ringer in your head
 
118 to be exact, excluding yourself and your partner.

I think the RNG of 1-60 is the solution. You get the draw number on the concert day morning (to prevent selling +1 spots) and then decide if it's worth going early or is it better to spend the time at the pub.

With current trends (since Covid), next Euro tour will have multiple day queueing.

Surely all 120 get on the barrier though? People queuing from the crack of dawn so they can be a few more feet towards one side or another doesn't make any sense to me. Plus I assume, when the door opens if someone runs faster than you it's tough shit anyway?
 
Surely all 120 get on the barrier though? People queuing from the crack of dawn so they can be a few more feet towards one side or another doesn't make any sense to me. Plus I assume, when the door opens if someone runs faster than you it's tough shit anyway?
In Dortmund last year it was said multiple times that you're not allowed to run if you're part of FTTB and if you try you'll be escorted out and lose the FTTB privilege. The mail from Maiden says so as well: it's a privilege that can be revoked at any time if people can't behave. A matter of mutual respect essentially.

But yeah, even if it's 120 people you should be able to get to the barrier, but the "good" spots will be gone. Last year we went around giving numbers to people so that you could go away from the venue and return 10 minutes before doors opened if you wanted. I was among the first 20 (and since every winner can take another person with them there were a maximum of 40 people that could enter before me). When I entered the venue most people were crowding between where Dave stands and the middle. Between Adrian and Bruce there were already a second and third line forming. I went to Janick which at that point was completely empty.
 
For the people who have already heard the album - why Mistress Of Mercy isn't part of the highlights (or more talked about) since it was described as very good and the most AOB/TCW song on the album (along with Shadow Of The Gods)?

Also, from the reviews Face In The Mirror and Sonata will have choruses that just repeat the title, and I know every song and delivery is specific, but it's a bit curious that they are mentioned as highlights, and Rain with the same feature has mixed rankings.

Sonata's chorus is incomplicated with a lot of repetition, but hits so much in the feels. Take a simple melody with a few words but arrange it in a way it just clicks. And the fact it is all kind of romantic moodied, which is in my opinion unusal for Bruce, but at the same time works so well, makes it super super enjoyable.

Mistress: a tad faster rocker, riff super close to Freak, singing as on AoB. But Bruce also plays with his voice in a hard - rock and roll style. So there are multiple elements and in all it works. Mistress stands out less to me, but I only have like 2 or 3 listens and yesterday night I was rather tipsy. Guitar melodies after the break are Maiden-ish, but not harmonized, very good and playful, followed by a fast metal soloing. I think this one will grow on me TBH
 
Now relistening to Face.

One thing stands out to me:
This album is packed with phenomenal melodies. Instruments also, but mostly Bruce's vocal lines. They compensate for a lot, say, of those things that some people could say are lacking. If they are lacking at all, which is the question. Maybe you came in for heavier, but all this music will steal your heart. So much beauty.
And comparable to other albums, all these melodies feel immediately familiar, like your own, like you are at home.

❤️

 
Sonata's chorus is incomplicated with a lot of repetition, but hits so much in the feels. Take a simple melody with a few words but arrange it in a way it just clicks. And the fact it is all kind of romantic moodied, which is in my opinion unusal for Bruce, but at the same time works so well, makes it super super enjoyable.
So like Rain's chorus. I'm more curious now.
Mistress: a tad faster rocker, riff super close to Freak, singing as on AoB. But Bruce also plays with his voice in a hard - rock and roll style. So there are multiple elements and in all it works. Guitar melodies after the break are Maiden-ish, but not harmonized, very good and playful, followed by a fast metal soloing. I think this one will grow on me TBH
I'm not a fan of Freak's parts, but I guess the riff is an AOB trademark. I like everything else you mentioned, especially Bruce playing with his voice.
I have to say I miss harmonies.
One thing stands out to me:
This album is packed with phenomenal melodies. Instruments also, but mostly Bruce's vocal lines. They compensate for a lot, say, of those things that some people could say are lacking. If they are lacking at all, which is the question. Maybe you came in for heavier, but all this music will steal your heart. So much beauty.
And comparable to other albums, all these melodies feel immediately familiar, like your own, like you are at home.
I expected that (about the instrumental parts), but I'm really glad to hear this about melodic vocal lines (like the Senjutsu-esque chorus of Ragnarok). Love them. In TOS is the same.
 
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Really curious to see how the consensus will turn out and if we'll get any opinions by folks who didn't like the album. So far reviews and impressions seem mostly positive.
 
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