Bruce Dickinson

[TheMercenary]

Agreed man. Ragnarok for me too. Just love the light & dark transition in Ragnarok albeit many saying it’s just too abrupt. Besides, Ragnaroks lyrics are more Bruce like. The drama, death n destruction and light. Bruce himself has said he likes drama & Ragnarok reflects it quite well.

Man ? I'm the contrary of it.

 

[____no5]

Honestly, I first thought you were joking.

No not at all, the video hooked me in. Maybe I would be less impressed if I just listened it for first time.

Haven't seen you for sometime, I was ready to say welcome back but then I realised you were here the whole time. Anyway, good to see you again

 

[____no5]

Man ? I'm the contrary of it.

It's something about your avatar, you confuse everyone

 

[TheMercenary]

About the new songs and the new record, I think they will be more art rock, in the vein of "Empire Of The Clouds" in a some way. Very Alice Cooper-like. Even if "Afterglow Of Ragnarok" has some doom metal vibes, "Rain On The Graves" has a Cooper's "Go To Hell" vibe, very hardrock-ish kind of aura. Plus, Bruce is singing like Meat Loaf, he's very theatrical, dramatical. So, yeah, art rock/metal is the new qualifier for Dickinson's music.

 

[TheMercenary]

It's something about your avatar, you confuse everyone

Is it less confusing, now ?

 

[Kalata]

I feel like the overall sound of the album will be -> TCW meets BTP.

 

[____no5]

Is it less confusing, now ?

Next one who calls you a man, we’ll send them for new glasses

 

[Kalata]

But hearing those two singles, I had the impression of a botched work... The production isn't fantastic, the writing isn't extraordinary, the final result isn't as good as the final result on the three previous records.

Production and writing (so far), you could say, but botched work? Instrumental-wise, yeah, but the songs achieve what they were written with in mind. And not all songs from the previous albums are good or better imo.

I have noticed that I tend to actively like, and find things to liken in, songs and albums as they are without too much emphasis on what I'd wish them to be.

Sometimes that's hard for a Maiden fan with all the rich imagery and music.

but then again, hearing them on a album context might change things. They might sit on the album just fine, but I hope they're not among the strongest songs for that matter.

If the rest of the songs are only dark stuff, a song like Rain would work (the song before it is classic rock). I think a song like it would be better appreciated if Bruce's solo albums were more frequent.

The mix sounded a bit muffled on the video, especially the end of the chorus, but when listening with a better sound system or headphones it appears that there's a somewhat clear panning from left to right on "let it wash your soul from dying..." part, where as when watching the video it just sounded like the vocal levels suddenly got just turned down a lot.

Yeah, that's because of the voice effects.

The other small complaint I have is that I've found the final chorus being slightly anticlimactic; nothing wrong with it per se, but I think the song has pretty good tension and build-up until the end of the final verse and then it just kind of fades out with slightly modified repeat of the chorus, where as I think they could've given it some more emphasis with different mixingn& arrangemental choices.

This.

for me Afterglow is a very strong song, and Rain is like in the category of wildestdreams/finalfrontier/differentworld, meaning an "OK single".

i was thinking for all those years they saved more songs (there was a rumour that the album was gonna be double album...).
but let's see. still hanging on martin popoff's "masterpiece" and "favorite bd album" comments...

Maiden's songs are much better. Being a masterpiece of an album is really difficult. All of the other songs must be top-notch.

Bruce had 17/20 songs written for the album and he still added a very different song like Rain on it. He seems to really want to experiment. He ''finished'' a certain style with TOS and now he's ready for something different or just whatever interests him the most now.

Well, first of all the album hasn't released yet, so no one can accurately judge it. We can only go by descriptions.

Secondly, how is that surprising? There are interviews where Bruce himself described some of the songs as being rock, not metal. Rain On The Graves itself songwriting-wise is more hard rock than metal; it just has a heavier production. Given what Bruce has said about the rest of the album it should be clear by now that we aren't getting an album in the vein of TCW or TOS. That's not a bad thing inherently, you don't have to write heavy metal for a song to be good.

Of course. Rain, Many Doors, Face In The Mirror will be more (heavy) rock.

Excuse me. Which Roy's problem are you alluding to? I'm too lazy to read all the pages.

Check here.

 

[Azas]

So, Bruce's will to release proper concept album (it was his idea around 2014) has been modified. Partly because his then intended title song landed on Iron Maiden album, partly, imo, because Bruce dived into creation of 12 books of comics. No question, It was a very big creative outlet for him. As a selfish music listener, I would have preferred that Bruce had more concentrated on music... He criticized 7th Son for half assed attempt and now he's doing this...
Songs that will belong to Necropolis versus Lazarus idea:

1. "Afterglow of Ragnarok" 5:45 +
2. "Many Doors to Hell" 4:48
3. "Rain on the Graves" 5:05
4. "Resurrection Men" 6:24 + definitely
5. "Fingers in the Wounds" 3:39 most likely
6. "Eternity Has Failed" 6:59 +
7. "Mistress of Mercy" 5:08 maybe?
8. "Face in the Mirror" 4:08
9. "Shadow of the Gods" 7:02 most likely
10. "Sonata (Immortal Beloved)" 9:51

I wonder if the concept story will reach a culmination/the end on this album (on Shadow of the Gods maybe) or all of this will be very abstract and vague. Overall, I don't like comics idea at all. In my eyes it robbed the album, unless Bruce already has a second album under his belt. In fact, hypothetical album would justify to some degree not so stellar singles. He simply divided the best songs between two albums and even recorded new ones as AOR. One can only guess.

Edit: like Kalata said, Bruce already had 17-20 songs...

 

[Ascendingthethrone]

Honestly, I first thought you were joking.
The first single did nothing for me, and I found the second one mediocre and even embarrassing. The problem is that I have come to like some of his albums and thought this one was going to be fantastic. He oversales it, and I really doubt he has put so much work into these songs.
I'm very glad to hear that Harris is not the only one to blame for Maiden's tendency to repeat choruses.

He oversold Senjutsu as well calling it ‘better than Book of Souls’. I’m not sure he and I were listening to the same album.

 

[Iron Lurker]

He oversold Senjutsu as well calling it ‘better than Book of Souls’. I’m not sure he and I were listening to the same album.

It is better than TBOS, imo.

 

[TheMercenary]

At the end of the video, after the credits, there is a mysterious sentence. My opinion is that it's like at the end of the previous video, some words into old welsh. But, what that these words mean ?

"Tereba nessa, comero weeth onen hag oll."

Can someone translate it in modern english, please ?

When I copy/paste these words in Google Translate, it says it's in japanese for "If it's hot sand, Comero wee picture the old age hag oops."

 

[Azas]

At the end of the video, after the credits, there is a mysterious sentence. My opinion is that it's like at the end of the previous video, some words into old welsh. But, what that these words mean ?

"Tereba nessa, comero weeth onen hag oll."

Can someone translate it in modern english, please ?

When I copy/paste these words in Google Translate, it says it's in japanese for "If it's hot sand, Comero wee picture the old age hag oops."

At the end of the credits, we read

Tereba Nessa, Comero Weeth Onen Hag All
Which is cornish for
Take Care, Until Next Time, One and All (One and All is Cornwell's motto)

We also read in inverted letters
Bruce Dickinson will return

 

[TheMercenary]

Another fact is that the explosion of the "Christmas Bubble Ball" at the end of the video reminds me of the explosion of the planet at the end of "The Final Frontier" video. This Iron Maiden's song has been written by Steve Harris and Adrian Smith. Does this similarity in the end mean that Adrian Smith will finally be a part of the Bruce's next tour by being the second guitarist ? The words "the end" are also surrounded, which reinforces this idea of a final frontier... and the possible presence of Adrian Smith. Moreover, the word "Hell" begins with a H, Adrian's nickname. And Adrian is also the guy who wrote "Road To Hell"... The preacher in the video is taking the "road to hell"...

 

[TheMercenary]

@Azas : thank you so much for quoting @Rick's post and giving me the information I was looking for.

 

[Vaenyr]

Check here.

The link is paywalled, could you (or someone else) quote the part about having problems during the recordings?

He oversold Senjutsu as well calling it ‘better than Book of Souls’. I’m not sure he and I were listening to the same album.

Well, Senjutsu is a better album than TBOS though But opinions and all that

 

[Kalata]

So, Bruce's will to release proper concept album (it was his idea around 2014) has been modified. Partly because his then intended title song landed on Iron Maiden album, partly, imo, because Bruce dived into creation of 12 books of comics. No question, It was a very big creative outlet for him. As a selfish music listener, I would have preferred that Bruce had more concentrated on music... He criticized 7th Son for half assed attempt and now he's doing this...
Songs that will belong to Necropolis versus Lazarus idea:

1. "Afterglow of Ragnarok" 5:45 +
2. "Many Doors to Hell" 4:48 most likely
3. "Rain on the Graves" 5:05
4. "Resurrection Men" 6:24 + definitely
5. "Fingers in the Wounds" 3:39 most likely
6. "Eternity Has Failed" 6:59 +
7. "Mistress of Mercy" 5:08 maybe?
8. "Face in the Mirror" 4:08
9. "Shadow of the Gods" 7:02 most likely
10. "Sonata (Immortal Beloved)" 9:51

I wonder if the concept story will reach a culmination/the end on this album (on Shadow of the Gods maybe) or all of this will be very abstract and vague. Overall, I don't like comics idea at all. In my eyes it robbed the album, unless Bruce already has a second album under his belt. In fact, hypothetical album would justify to some degree not so stellar singles. He simply divided the best songs between two albums and even recorded new ones as AOR. One can only guess.

Edit: like Kalata said, Bruce already had 17-20 songs...

It would have been interesting to hear a proper concept album from Bruce, but he said he realized that the album didn't need to be centered around one theme (probably around 2019 and partly because of IESF, as you said) and because a concept can limit you. Then he has to change his opinion about Seventh Son's concept. I think he's saving demos for future albums; they always have songs from old writing sessions.

I think the story will reach a culmination with Shadow Of The Gods and some of the other songs will be abstract and vague (like Face and Sonata). Spot on about the bolded songs.

Apparently, Rain On The Graves features a tribute to one of Blake's works in the video. Edit: and to Jerusalem too.

At the end of the video, after the credits, there is a mysterious sentence. My opinion is that it's like at the end of the previous video, some words into old welsh. But, what that these words mean ?

"Tereba nessa, comero weeth onen hag oll."

Allude to the album? Not another single, I hope.

Another fact is that the explosion of the "Christmas Bubble Ball" at the end of the video...

This was probably added as a weird space-shift to the whole meeting/story.

The link is paywalled, could you (or someone else) quote the part about having problems during the recordings?

What?? Anyway, here you are:

Did any of the songs from The Mandrake Project prove to be especially challenging for you to work through?

Roy: ''Believe it or not, not really. But I was going through some physical stuff with the finger on my right hand, making things difficult. I remember it took me a long time to get the solo on Sonata (Immortal Beloved) right because of that. But Bruce coached me through it, and we finally got it after many attempts. After all that, it felt good when we finally nailed it''.

 

[Vaenyr]

I appreciate it @Kalata. Apparently you can read 5 articles for free and then they want you to register/subscribe to be able to read more on their website.

 

[Kalata]

Bruce's response to a fan's question about Adrian and why he wasn't on the album (and tour).

''Adrian is in Maiden now and he hasn't written any new material. On the previous albums he's been on, he's only contributed solos''.

... ummm, you can't be serious, Bruce!

''I want to stop with the traditional two-guitar Heavy Metal formation. In fact, the type of show we will present will be more inspired by the 70s, not even the 80s or 90s. There won't be a big stage production. This tour is all about music, so let's play smaller venues averaging around 2,000 seats''.

^Not a nice way to put aside the whole (special) comic feel of the album. I hope the stage at least will has some decor - it will fit the big screen. We all know Bruce often gets things mixed up, but this response is very thoughtless.

 

[Melony]

Metal Hammer Germany 02/2024

My translation


Interview with Roy Z:

SWEAT BONDS

The Batman fan, guitar and this time also bass virtuoso and producer ROY Z is (not only) Bruce Dickinson's
long-time string man and confidant. We spoke to the Californian also known by his real name Roy Ramirez about
his perspective on the work(s) with the busy and creative Iron Maiden vocalist.


Roy, with 'Eternity Has Failed' and the slightly longer and already longer known 'If Eternity Should Fail' for the first time in your collaboration with Bruce Dickinson a piece is available in a solo version and an Iron Maiden version ...

The demo for the solo album song 'Eternity Has Failed' goes back over ten years ago. Bruce had then played it to Steve Harris, and the two of them decided to make an independent Iron Maiden version from it. I don't know why it's longer, I wasn't involved.
There are differences to the original version in the title, lyrics, intro and outro as well as the solo section.

The possibility of direct comparison is nevertheless very interesting. Was and is it a challenge for you as a guitarist
in Bruce's solo band to find an approach that differs from the Iron Maiden guitar style and at the same time reflects your own
musical personality?

I grew up as an Iron Maiden fan, my first live show was a concert on "The Number Of The Beast" tour in 1982.
I have always admired Iron Maiden for the fact that every guitarist in the band has their own characteristic sound and style. In this respect, I wouldn't call it a challenge, because I also have my very own style.
I have many influences, but then from 1990 I made a conscious decision to do my own thing.
When I work together with Bruce, I make use of certain sound and style tools, that I wouldn't use in any other collaboration.


Youhave been working with Bruce since "BALLS TO PICASSO" which was released in 1994. So you've known
each other for over 30 years. To what extent have your working process and you rcreative communication
changed?

"BALLS TO PICASSO" was a total experiment that definitely produced some instant classics like 'Tears Of The Dragon'.
Musically we were completely blinker-free back then. When we got together again in 1996 for "ACCIDENT OF BIRTH", we concentrated more on our own sound, which has continued to develop ever since.
"THE MANDRAKE PROJECT" is an amalgam of everything we've done together so far. But there are also small adventures on it.


You are a multi-instrumentalist and this is the first time you also play the bass on a Bruce Dickinson solo album. How did that come about?

There's no particular reason for it. When we were writing songs for the album and recording the first demos, Bruce liked my bass playing. I had made the conscious decision not to use a plectrum but to play everything with my fingers. I love playing bass! For other artists I often do this as a session musician. When I have the time I like jamming to Paul McCartney, John Entwistle, Geezer Butler and John Paul Jones.
It's kind of my hobby these days.


Apart from the bass, the backing band (also live) is the same as on "TYRANNY OF SOULS":
Dave Moreno is on drums, and maestro Mistheria plays the keyboards ...

This constellation has simply proven itself. Bruce and I enjoy working with these two, who are masters of their craft. In addition, since "TYRANNY OF SOULS" a natural vibe has developed and we have become real friends and brothers.