Bruce Dickinson

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He’s experimented quite a bit. Just hoping for the rest of the album to be catchy. He could’ve done a better chorus on Rain. It’s just repetitive. I like the Ragnarok chorus a lot more. There’s emotion in that chorus & the lyrics are better.
I like both choruses. Rain's one could have been more interesting lyrically, but it works great. I'm sure the rest of the songs will be at least catchy, like these two.

Something about the new single:

Bruce: ''I had the chorus lyric since 2012, and it wasn’t difficult years later to create the rest of the song with so much rich imagery in my head!''

Riding on a towering guitar riff, with dramatic keyboards and a commanding vocal performance. It is a classic Dickinson/Roy Z collaboration; a catchy but heavy piece – full of melody but stripping out the spoken vocals of the verses in almost poetic fashion – maybe a further ode to the great wordsmith who inspired the title.

Classic Dickinson/Z composition? This is exaggerated.

here's cover from spotify… is there any bigger / better picture?
At least there's some kind of cover, albeit a hastily made one. TFP costume fits it oddly enough.
 
I would give Rain On The Graves a 6-7/10. Ragnarok is 7-8/10.

Rain has a better solo and a bit more impactful chorus (because it's with high vocals), but I think Ragnarok as a whole song is more solid. Both songs are catchy in their own way.

It's hard to believe that Rain and If Eternity Should Fail are from the same sessions. And I'm not talking about the styles, but rather some transitions (Steve is a master at this!). The solo has a great transition though.

I have to say the singles so far are enjoyable and good enough, but the whole album better deliver with more (instant) classic and stronger material if it wants to be remembered in time. I really hope the big experiments are only on Rain and Sonata.
Experiment on Face in the Mirror too with Bruce playing solo.
 
I think that this new album won't be one my favorite from Bruce Dickinson, even thought I appreciated the second single better than the first one. 'The Mandrake Project' won't be another 'Accident Of Birth', 'The Chemical Wedding' or 'Tyranny Of Souls' and it's a pity.
Yep and that would also mean that Tyranny is the heaviest Bruce album to date. I really love the fast riff and shredding solos on that album. The album had a solid Sci-fi (Doom 3, Halo types) vibe to it. Just love that album a lot.
 
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I mean, I have never ever heard anybody label Blue Öyster Cult as metal. I have heard it being labelled as hard rock a couple of times (usually "heavy rock", but never metal.


And regarding Rain on the Graves. This is a much better song than Afterglow. That is some fine singing there in the chorus.

never ever?… strange… because they were labelled "heavy metal" everywhere all the time… but maybe especially in the USA… that doesnt mean they are really "heavy metal"…
 

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here's better quality cover… I also made an 5 minute mp3 without intro and outro if anybody is interested…
 

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I like it.

Not mind-blowing, but I like it. The video was cheesy, but mostly in a sympathetic way. Very much in the vein of The Tower and Killing Floor videos, so I think it was honestly pretty alright, as far as music videos in general go.

When the third verse begun I couldn't help but smile:
I am the God of sinners
You are what I have made...


Bruce's style of singing it, the lyrics and their pacing & phrasing with that just screams "BRUCE DICKINSON!!!" in a good way. I love it. :)
Withered hands, withered bodies
Begging for salvation
Deserted by the hand of gods
Of their own creation

I am the God of sinners
You are what I have made...
Some innocent pawn in an endgame
one more stalemate
Vision of a new world,
from the ashes of the old
I see your past and future
All the same and it cannot be bought

+
@redandtheblack92
The demon in your mind will rape you in your bed at night
The wisdom of ages, the lies and outrages concealed


etc.
 
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I like it.

Not mind-blowing, but I like it. The video was cheesy, but mostly in a sympathetic way. Very much in the vein of The Tower and Killing Floor videos, so I think it was honestly pretty alright, as far as music videos in general go.

When the third verse begun I couldn't help but smile:
I am the God of sinners
You are what I have made...


Bruce's style of singing it, the lyrics and their pacing & phrasing with that just screams "BRUCE DICKINSON!!!" in a good way. I love it. :)
Ohh don’t forget the classiest of them all and my personal favorite “The demons in your mind will rape you in your bed at night”. This gives me the chills every time I hear it.
 
After a few listens I can accept/appreciate this song. Some positive thoughts: overall, I like guitar sound; keyboards/organs fits this song, enhances it's impact; Roy's solo is very good, reminds me of TCW era. I like theatrics of it all. I like the video.

Negative: chorus part It's just rain, rain, rain to me seems melodically not fitting/not fully fleshed out. This song been in the making for many years... and I don't like it's ending. Fade-out type songs - no matter what band - to me always reeks laziness and unfinishedness even if song is great.

Overall 7.5/10
...and yeah that chugging guitar rhythm part is straight out from The Green Manalishi.
 
I’m also thinking long term here. If Maiden comes to an end and Bruce starts releasing albums with songs like this every few years, would I be happy? Yeah. He’s got nothing left to prove so he dabbles in whatever ideas he may have, and I’m digging it so far. Not on a TCW level maybe but we’re in a different era for solo Bruce anyway.
 

Short interview with Roy. Mostly about his studio work and recording gear for TMP.

It seems that unfortunately he had some problems during the recordings.

His favorite riffs on the album are: Afterglow Of Ragnarok and Resurrection Men.

-> ''But this wasn’t a huge riff album; it’s more about the tunes''.

How they individually go about their creative processes are different. That said, Bruce and Rob are both working-class people, meaning they’re hardworking. And they’re both gifted and have been the top guys for so long. It’s amazing to watch what they do and how they uniquely utilize their similar talents.

I’m a producer too, and putting that hat on forces me to really think about the song. So when I switch back to being just a guitarist, it’s about what’s necessary for the song.
I find myself just going for my identity versus trying to sound like I’m trying to keep up with trends. So that’s my focus – to keep allowing that to happen, letting it come to me, and using that as a base to do what I do from there.

I have a lot of different influences, ranging from blues to hard rock, heavy metal and Latin stuff. That allows me to play whatever Bruce needs for a particular song; it’s not like I have to learn something new. I’ll pull from my repertoire and say, ‘Oh, it would be cool to try something like that.’ It’s a mishmash of everything I’ve studied and like to jam along with
.

I come in with an old-school approach where I start with a song and keep my focus there – I try to do whatever is needed for the artist to make their vision happen.

It’s hard to pick one, but I’d say Afterglow of Ragnarok was pretty cool. I’m thrilled with that riff because it’s memorable. Another is Resurrection Men, which has a beefy middle section that sounds pretty sinister.

I’ve got an old EVH 5150 from back in the day that I always use with Bruce, and I’m using mostly Gibson guitars and a lot of my homemade pedals. It’s an array of random stuff – different pedals, amps and even guitars. I don’t go into anything fixated on a specific thing.

''I go to different spaces in my head and heart and come up with riffs. It’s the same with solos – I try to play whatever is appropriate for the song’s mood; capture the vibe. But I try to avoid being selfish and having too much self-indulgence. 90-plus percent of my playing is off the cuff. With this record, I did have a couple of solos mapped out, but for the most part I go for it. I don't overthink it – I have a theory that you'll lose all the soul if you think about it too much''.

^I understand him here... but longer solos (or (short) melodic interludes) in most cases are ''more'' memorable. The (repetition of) Bruce's vocals will always be there and be a big part of a song.
 
Yep and that would also mean that Tyranny is the heaviest Bruce album to date. I really love the fast riff and shredding solos on that album. The album had a solid Sci-fi (Doom 3, Halo types) vibe to it. Still love that album a lot.
'Tyranny Of Souls' is my favourite one too. :) It has also a great Maiden vibe with the harmonies and stuff like that. :cool:
 
did you spot the text on the contract with the devil? it says:
"For one night only I sell my soul for Rock & Roll.

The undersigned, with free will, & without reserve, do sell my soul to The Prince of Darkness, also & variously known as Baphomet & Lucifer.
Signed"
 
did you notice chance to win test pressings?
 

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