Bruce Dickinson

Azas said:
And that's the the root of the problem here, imo. I've got the impression that he was more into comics as a creative outlet instead of the actual album. Which is criminal because primarily Bruce is a musician. I perfectly understand that Bruce wanted to try new things with comics, it's interesting/exciting and all that, but the music and album's concept suffered because of that approach.
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No doubt.
But he is the vocalist. I mean, he writes some parts/riff/melody/whole songs, but that's usually up to the guitarist. And more about the solos, the (short/er) melodies were always not that many or longer in his solo work. Unless this is all a creative decision by Bruce. Idk what to think, really. Or he just wanted to have a new album so he can do a (long) solo tour again. Bruce to not put the needed/much effort for his solo music now? Nah. He is heavily involved with the comic, but still. Both he and Roy seemed really enthusiastic about new music. There are some really odd things ->
- giving a song to Maiden, but using it again with some (needed) changes (when the concept of the album is completely changed from the original idea, which can be heard on the song's outro; and the song is not that important for it anymore).
- recording an album when Roy had a problem, after ''10 years in the making'' (we don't know when the full album was recorded, 2022/2023?, I guess it was done in parts, but Roy played solos for 3 songs last year for sure - Ragnarok, Many Doors and Eternity).
- guest guitarists for 2 songs (and/but no/or very short solos for several songs).
- no proper title track.
- no bonus song (at least one, like for all of his solo albums so far).
- at one point they had 17 demos, but still wrote new and used some old songs (that's not odd though).
- Bruce wrote 4 songs on his own for the album.
- 12-part comics, only 10 songs on the album.
- according to the liner notes, the album was recorded in several different studios with quite a few people involved with the mixing and engineering...

If the structure of the songs is not intentional, they just didn't put much additional work for this album. In 2014 and then some in 2018 or 2022/2023.

Bruce's original idea of just 1 comic for the album would have been enough.

Edit: some stats (for his metal albums):
The Mandrake Project

Ragnarok - 1 very short solo, longer intro, no melodic interlude
Many Doors - 1 longer solo, licks at the end, no melodic interlude
Rain - 1 solo, melody with keys as a bridge
Resurrection Men - no solo, longer intro with melody
Fingers In The Wounds - no solo, longer melody guitar and keys
Eternity - longer intro, solos (4?) and melodies
Mistress - 1 short solo, it has a melody, longer outro
Face In The Mirror - acoustic song and it has a solo
Shadow - no solo, longer intro and middle part, it has a melody
Sonata - 1 just longer solo

results: 10 songs, 7(/10) solos (some really short ones), 5 melodic interludes.

Tyranny Of Souls

Abduction - 1 long solo, melodies
Soul Intruders - only 1 solo
Kill Devil Hill - no solo, long melody as an outro
Navigate - 2 solos, licks at the end
River - 2 short solos, short melodic riffs
Power Of The Sun - 1 solo, melodic interlude
Devil On A Hog - 1 solo, short melodies
Believil - no solo, no melodies
A Tyranny Of Souls - 1 longer solo, short melody

results: 9 songs, 9 solos, 5 interludes.

The Chemical Wedding

King - 2 solos, short melodic interludes
Chemical Wedding - just 1 solo
Tower - 1 solo, long melodic interlude
Killing Floor - 2 solos, interlude with vocals
Book - 2 solos, intro melody, short harmony at the end
Gates - 2 solos, intro melody
Jerusalem - 2 solos, melodies
Trumpets - 2 solos, licks in the outro, no melodic interlude
Machine Men - 2 solos, longer outro, no melodies
Alchemist - 1 solo, short melodies

results: 10 songs, 17 solos, 6 interludes.

Accident Of Birth

Freak - just 1 very short solo
Starchildren - just 1 short solo
Queen - 1 solo, acoustic melodies
Aquarius - 2 solos, lost of melodies
Road To Hell - 1 solo, melodic riff
Man Of Sorrows - 1 solo, piano stuff
Accident - 1 solo, melodic interlude
Magician - 2 solos, no melodic interludes
Pit - 1 short solo, some harmonic riffs
Omega - 2 longer solos and harmony
Arc Of Space - acoustic song, it has a solo

results: 11 songs, 14 solos, 4/5 interludes.
 
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roy and bruce (and his band) went to uli jon roth concert at the same venue but on different dates, i hope that doesn't mean anything!

and we'll learn the setlist tomorrow in the "secret show" which somehow amazes me.
 
Terry1958 said:
In his Facebook reply to @Dick Brucinson Roy Z said we will understand soon. I wonder when that will be.
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A little later I wrote to Roy I was hoping he and Bruce were fine with each other, but he didn't reply on that one. I hope this doesn't mean anything negative since Roy does reply usually. When I asked him about his guitar preamp pedal for example he also replied. I am not sure if we REALLY will understand those things ever. The past few years seemed to me as if Maiden and all the band members went pretty selective in terms of WHAT would be going out to the public and what would not. The secret recording of Senjutsu back in 2019 is not the only thing that comes to my mind here. Anybody else sharing this feeling?
 
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So tour starts today. Finally, Bruce playing his solo songs live again. Stage, performances, rotating.., much to be excited and curious for. If only Roy was also part of it, it would have been perfect.

Bruce's stage costume will be interesting. TFP one will fit (ME one too, for example). Imagine the shorts again...

I would love a surprise Maiden song (only a deep cut!), but if the setlist will only be 15 songs then I'm not sure.
 
Dick Brucinson said:
A little later I wrote to Roy I was hoping he and Bruce were fine with each other, but he didn't reply on that one. I hope this doesn't mean anything negative since Roy does reply usually. When I asked him about his guitar preamp pedal for example he also replied. I am not sure if we REALLY will understand those things ever. The past few years seemed to me as if Maiden and all the band members went pretty selective in terms of WHAT would be going out to the public and what would not. The secret recording of Senjutsu backin 2019 is not the only thing that comes to my mind here. Anybody else sharing this feeling?
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Well, it's not unusual when Roy Z is not replying to fans questions. He never replied to mine. So, I'm sure Bruce and him are still in good relationship. But, he's working on a new album. So, he concentrates totally on that. He surely doesn't want to go into some debates about whether or not he's still fine with Bruce. ;)
 
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Dick Brucinson said:
...The past few years seemed to me as if Maiden and all the band members went pretty selective in terms of WHAT would be going out to the public and what would not. The secret recording of Senjutsu backin 2019 is not the only thing that comes to my mind here. Anybody else sharing this feeling?
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I don't have any Maiden or Bruce Dickinson insider info, but I've noticed a growing trend lately of bands working with management/labels to carefully craft an image down to the smallest detail and putting it out there that doesn't have much to do with reality.
There's always been such a thing, sure, but I've noticed an increasing trend.
 
So, looking at the last post from Roy, it seems like he is reuniting Tribe Of Gypsies for the summer and will likely tour with them.

That might be the reason why backed out of Bruce's band.
 
MindRuler said:
After a few spins I still don´t know what to think about TMP. Right now it feels like a potpourri album with some highs and some lows. Need more time to rate it though.
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I gave the album another spin today and I still find it a rather mediocre effort, half-baked, with some (not many) good bits. Definitely his worst solo album if you ask me.
 
CA Bryers said:
Probably should've just saved whatever big idea he had for the comic series and left it at that...though it doesn't seem there's a lot of interest (at least in here) in the comic. Curious to see if it'll even make it to the full 12 issues. Sales will decide that, I suppose.
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Interesting post. I have spent some days in Spain and France and visited some comic shops there. The Mandrake Project comics were nowhere to be found (or at least they were not displayed) so it would be interesting to see how many issues get released.
 
matic22 said:
So, looking at the last post from Roy, it seems like he is reuniting Tribe Of Gypsies for the summer and will likely tour with them.

That might be the reason why backed out of Bruce's band.
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So it seems he's more interested in his own music. This could explain the lack of solos in the album. I think he and Bruce are good (they are working on songs for the next album already), but this is really strange and a surprise now.
 
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matic22 said:
So, looking at the last post from Roy, it seems like he is reuniting Tribe Of Gypsies for the summer and will likely tour with them.

That might be the reason why backed out of Bruce's band.
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I find that very unusual. You don't announce that you're touring with a band, have photos taken of yourself with that band and then just like that backtrack and tour with another band. It's definitely not standard behavior.
 
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