Bruce Dickinson

[redandtheblack92]

Well the “rainy melody” certainly sticks. Heard it quite a bit yesterday and woke up today morning with it ringing in my head. The solo specifically albeit very ordinary, the melody is just good. It actually feels like a heavier & sped up version of the Acoustic Song solo.

 

[redandtheblack92]

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

The Spotify version actually sounds better than all. I may get shit for this but I think the production on this song was far better than that on Ragnarok. This sounded just so much more refined. Vocals are a lot better here and not overly muffled.

 

[redandtheblack92]

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

You should hear More Tea Vicar by Maiden & you’d be like “when jokes turn to reality”.

 

[Jadukor]

Greatest heavy metal singer in history, multimillionaire, a legend that could easily get anybody he wants to play the instruments in his solo album and produce it, yet we get all these amateur 1000 usd budget videos. I just don't understand. This new song could have been good with a more energetic tempo and the verse passage having underlying riff and drums. I guess the Judas Priest album is what I should build my hopes on.

 

[Kalata]

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.

It's a really curious song. I thought it could be a ballad, but I doubt it since the last 3 songs will be (more or less) slower. I hope it's a hidden gem.

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. ?

It could be written only by Bruce, like Tears Of The Dragon. It's not a complex song. As for the solo (wow!), Roy said he had a problem during the recordings.

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

Bruce did not write Mother Of Mercy.

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.

They will work better live, but I kind of doubt he will play Rain. And Writing On The Wall is on another level.

Looking forward to the album and still trust there will be something mindblowing occult and brilliant comparable to Wedding.

This. I really believe in that.

Far more character than Ragnarok.

I wouldn't say that.

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.

Agreed about Bruce's discography, the two singles to be different (Ragnarok no so much) and I don't want a copy of TCW either (it's a special album), but this song is too different for me and I don't want that much of experiments of Bruce's solo work. Maybe the song would have been more ''acceptable'' in a 14-songs album, idk. Bruce and Roy shows us what BTP should have sounded like.

I really hope Rain to be my least favorite song from the album. After all, every Bruce solo album (without TCW) has at least 1 song I don't like/not a fan of and consider filler: Believil (I like the middle riff a lot though), Welcome To The Pit, I Will Not Accept The Truth, Hell No/Shoot All The Clowns (similar vibes to Rain), Zulu Lulu/Gun(no comment).

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.

Maybe that's why I like it so much.

Well the “rainy melody” certainly sticks.

This is the songs' strongest quality.

Greatest heavy metal singer in history, multimillionaire, a legend that could easily get anybody he wants to play the instruments in his solo album and produce it, yet we get all these amateur 1000 usd budget videos. I just don't understand.

Both videos are nice in their own way imo.

 

[Kalata]

This new song could have been good with a more energetic tempo and the verse passage having underlying riff and drums.

About the more energetic tempo and riffs under the verses, it would have worked better for sure, but I still don't know if I would have liked it (with its spoken verses). Maybe if the verses were a fast gallop (and not spoken) and the chorus is the same. It's a fun and not so serious song, I can't deny that.

I'm also not sure if Bruce will play it live, even though it's a single.

I'm very curious why there are no (short) melodic interludes in the songs? Every Bruce album has. I really hope the other songs to have.

 

[Jadukor]

About the more energetic tempo and riffs under the verses, it would have worked better for sure, but I still don't know if I would have liked it (with its spoken verses). Maybe if the verses were a fast gallop (and not spoken) and the chorus is the same. It's a fun and not so serious song, I can't deny that.

I'm also not sure if Bruce will play it live, even though it's a single.

I'm very curious why there are no (short) melodic interludes in the songs? Every Bruce album has. I really hope the other songs to have.

I totally expected a man of sorrows type ballad from Rain on the graves when I heard the name

Hopefully that last song in the album isn't long because it contains a 5 min rap by Bruce instead of an instrumental section

 

[Spambot]

RAIN ON THE GRAVES
A review (about video [and music that plays within it])​

To all of those who haven't read Bruce's autobiography, here is a 7-minute video that sums up some of it nicely.

"A truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent"

Yeah, Bruce, maybe you should've picked your words more carefully when you described Steve's quality of mixing and producing albums. Now you find yourself all alone at the beginning of the 1990s (and you know it's the 1990s because everything is black and white). Dressed as a priest, Bruce portrays his faith, trying to search for new music while there are unfamiliar noises that frighten him (crows that sound like the majority of grunge/nu-metal crap in the 90s).

Devoid of all hope, he enters a graveyard (Castle Communications, which was later sold to Sanctuary Records, which was later sold to BMG). A music representative comes out of the coffin and offers Bruce a four-album deal. Bruce signs and throws his robe away, he is happy! He searches for new adventures until he finds Roy-Z who points him to the microphone, and lo and behold, colors come instantly (AoB, tCW and ToS are recorded).

Oh BTW, for those who had fears about Bruce having only one guitar player on his tour, the answer is in the video. Roy-Z plays one guitar, and you can hear two guitar leads. How does he do that? Magic. Magic? Yes, just look at his top hat. Magic. So, the band plays some stock-rock tune, and, as it goes with Bruce, he gets bored. He wants to do something else, but the music representative (portrayed as a devil) shows him his contract. "One more album, Bruce!"

Cunningly, Bruce takes out the knife behind his back. It's more than obvious what the knife represents—a comic book. "Ha, take this Mandrake doodles devil, I've honored my deal!" The devil falls back, astounded by the quality of the comic book, and Bruce runs off. Just when he was out in the fields, trying to find hops for his new beer, Bruce fell on the gravestone. Now, I don't know who this Bill Bloke is, which means Bruce made him up. Then it came to me: It's an anagram!

Here lies
William Blake
Poet Artist Prophet

When you rearrange the letters in each row, you get this:

He is Reel
Able Kiwi Mall
Appetite Sport Thor

I cannot decipher it fully, but I can guess that the first line is hinting at another movie (Chemical Wedding movie sequel? Fans have been craving it.) Able Kiwi Mall might mean he's planning a New Zealand tour in shopping malls, and I have no idea what the third line means. Thor might have something to do with the previous single (Ragnarok), but at the end, we see the whole of Bruce's world in a bubble in the universe (same as in the previous video), which explodes. Is it multiverse? Is Bruce joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Interesting days lay ahead.

 

[Jer]

Is Bruce joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Interesting days lay ahead.

Well, they need to replace Kang, and you could do a lot worse than Bruce Dickinson as your big bad!

They could even introduce the Silver Surfer by having him push Dickinson’s wheel of Dharma ‘round!

 

[BaronB]

I have to say I find both new songs more enjoyable than feared. I still think Roy Z is one of the least interesting guitarists out there, but I like these two songs much better than most of TOS.

 

[GhostofCain]

RAIN ON THE GRAVES
A review (about video [and music that plays within it])​

To all of those who haven't read Bruce's autobiography, here is a 7-minute video that sums up some of it nicely.

"A truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent"

Yeah, Bruce, maybe you should've picked your words more carefully when you described Steve's quality of mixing and producing albums. Now you find yourself all alone at the beginning of the 1990s (and you know it's the 1990s because everything is black and white). Dressed as a priest, Bruce portrays his faith, trying to search for new music while there are unfamiliar noises that frighten him (crows that sound like the majority of grunge/nu-metal crap in the 90s).

Devoid of all hope, he enters a graveyard (Castle Communications, which was later sold to Sanctuary Records, which was later sold to BMG). A music representative comes out of the coffin and offers Bruce a four-album deal. Bruce signs and throws his robe away, he is happy! He searches for new adventures until he finds Roy-Z who points him to the microphone, and lo and behold, colors come instantly (AoB, tCW and ToS are recorded).

Oh BTW, for those who had fears about Bruce having only one guitar player on his tour, the answer is in the video. Roy-Z plays one guitar, and you can hear two guitar leads. How does he do that? Magic. Magic? Yes, just look at his top hat. Magic. So, the band plays some stock-rock tune, and, as it goes with Bruce, he gets bored. He wants to do something else, but the music representative (portrayed as a devil) shows him his contract. "One more album, Bruce!"

Cunningly, Bruce takes out the knife behind his back. It's more than obvious what the knife represents—a comic book. "Ha, take this Mandrake doodles devil, I've honored my deal!" The devil falls back, astounded by the quality of the comic book, and Bruce runs off. Just when he was out in the fields, trying to find hops for his new beer, Bruce fell on the gravestone. Now, I don't know who this Bill Bloke is, which means Bruce made him up. Then it came to me: It's an anagram!

Here lies
William Blake
Poet Artist Prophet

When you rearrange the letters in each row, you get this:

He is Reel
Able Kiwi Mall
Appetite Sport Thor

I cannot decipher it fully, but I can guess that the first line is hinting at another movie (Chemical Wedding movie sequel? Fans have been craving it.) Able Kiwi Mall might mean he's planning a New Zealand tour in shopping malls, and I have no idea what the third line means. Thor might have something to do with the previous single (Ragnarok), but at the end, we see the whole of Bruce's world in a bubble in the universe (same as in the previous video), which explodes. Is it multiverse? Is Bruce joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Interesting days lay ahead.

 

[Kalata]

The chorus lyrics are goofy, but what an enthralling melody. I have to admit that with every listen I think I accept this song a little more. But still, if only the verses were different.

Btw, does anyone else feel that after Roy's solo (the way it ends) there should have been another different part?

 

[Kalata]

I think with this song Bruce wanted to make a reference to his favorite bands from the early 70's - mixed with his favorite theatrical vibe (style in this case).

 

[Melony]

...​

...
Oh BTW, for those who had fears about Bruce having only one guitar player on his tour, the answer is in the video. Roy-Z plays one guitar, and you can hear two guitar leads. How does he do that? ...

Yes, I know. So probably famed guitarist Mr. Backing Track will be a surprise guest on the tour?

Is anyone interested in Roy Z? There was an interview with him in Metal Hammer Germany, too.

 

[____no5]

I loved the song /video. Very fresh, catchy, funny, different; zero complaints, it exceeded my expectations.

 

[Spector]

I'm f***** angry honsestly. How can anyone waste this epic chorus on a song with such a lazy and boring verses? This could have been an awesome song but after all these years it still feels rushed. Come on Bruce! You can do better than this. Damn.

 

[Vaenyr]

Bruce: "Steve's songs are too repetitive" (and cites TRATB as an example despite only having a chorus that appears *checks notes* once)

Also Bruce: "There's rain on the graves!" x100

Considering how Bruce's lyric writing has changed in the last 5 years maybe we don't have to worry about the lyrics in Sonata being 80% the first, stream-of-consciousness, lyrics. Maybe it's just 5 minutes in a row of Bruce shouting "My Immortal Beloved" with various melodies

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

So far, all of the music feels lazy to me, TBH. I hear Bruce saying how long these songs have been worked on and I feel more like they've simply been laying around, waiting to be collected. No one was actively working to make these songs better until Bruce finally decided to put the album out. I've yet to hear anything as good as any of his previous solo material (including TOS, which I didn't love either).

Seems like he's working 10x as hard on the multimedia promotional materials as he did on the music, but only time will tell.

 

[Jer]

I've yet to hear anything as good as any of his previous solo material

Um, you have heard his first two solo albums, haven't you...?

 

[GhostofCain]

So far, all of the music feels lazy to me, TBH. I hear Bruce saying how long these songs have been worked on and I feel more like they've simply been laying around, waiting to be collected. No one was actively working to make these songs better until Bruce finally decided to put the album out. I've yet to hear anything as good as any of his previous solo material (including TOS, which I didn't love either).

Seems like he's working 10x as hard on the multimedia promotional materials as he did on the music, but only time will tell.

I bet more effort has been put into the comic than into the album.

I guess Bruce is much more capable of delivering the goods when there is a time pressure attached to the release than when he can spend nearly 10 years working on an album.