The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
But probably Ozzy was also high or snow blinded…you know
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Go reef a sail off the edge of the world, you Greek cunt!
MindRuler
Ancient Mariner
Guess he wasn´t flying high again...But probably Ozzy was also high or snow blinded…you know
Yax
Ancient Mariner
Blaze is so pitch corrected ("auto tuned") that it's impossible to listen without constantly thinking about it. It ruined War Within Me and will ruin the new album too for me. I don't know why they overdo it, because I doubt he's become that much pitchier/off key since the William Black trilogy where it was within reason.
So Bruce wins by default, but the two Blaze singles that have been officially released are in essence really good songs.
Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
Yeah, that's my issue with his recent output as well. The man clearly can sing and has grown tremendously since the 90's.
I have no issue with pitch correction at all. Hell, I use melodyne on my records as well. But the way the vocals sounds on War Within Me is ridiculous. It's far too obvious and sounds so exaggerated. It's such a shame.
redandtheblack92
Came to witness the death of the Celts
Sonata makes it into my top 5 favorite Bruce tracks of all time.
Thoughts:
- Feels very rushed and lacks finesse in the same way the last couple of Maiden releases have
- Programmed drum tracks feel like placeholders, like they intended to touch them up later with more flourishes and creative fills but didn't bother
- Many Doors To Hell is a banger, should've been the lead single
- Shadow of the Gods probably the second best track here even though it leans too hard on Chemical Wedding references. We've already had TCW, give us something new!
- Vocal performances range from very good to iffy but nothing as bad as the worst parts of Senjutsu
- Eternity should've been a bonus track, the Maiden version is superior
- Mistress of Mercy sounds like a lost track from the AoB era
- Resurrection Men would be a fine song without the hamfisted 'stoner rock' parts
- Fingers In The Wounds and Face In The Mirror are filler
- Sonata isn't the mess a lot of us anticipated but I still found it dull and meandering, no idea why it needed to be 10 minutes long
- Besides Many Doors and maybe Shadows I can't imagine myself returning to this album again
- Programmed drum tracks feel like placeholders, like they intended to touch them up later with more flourishes and creative fills but didn't bother
- Many Doors To Hell is a banger, should've been the lead single
- Shadow of the Gods probably the second best track here even though it leans too hard on Chemical Wedding references. We've already had TCW, give us something new!
- Vocal performances range from very good to iffy but nothing as bad as the worst parts of Senjutsu
- Eternity should've been a bonus track, the Maiden version is superior
- Mistress of Mercy sounds like a lost track from the AoB era
- Resurrection Men would be a fine song without the hamfisted 'stoner rock' parts
- Fingers In The Wounds and Face In The Mirror are filler
- Sonata isn't the mess a lot of us anticipated but I still found it dull and meandering, no idea why it needed to be 10 minutes long
- Besides Many Doors and maybe Shadows I can't imagine myself returning to this album again
Wickerman1204
Educated Fool
The more I listen the more I like it.
Austrogoth
Ancient Mariner
That's because it's very good.
I agree with you, I can't imagine myself returning a lot to this album, apart 2 or 3 songs.
I think this album is like the side 2 of his Best Of: a collection of good B sides and Rarities (Darkness, Real World, The Original version of Bring your Daughter...).
And that's the problem, the way Bruce & Roy approach this new album: work on the best unfinished songs and rarities, and add some new songs to fill the album. At the end, there are some good and fresh new things, 3/4 good songs, some musical diversity... but nothing really great.
One of the best song is for me Eternity, but this not really new.
In fact, the best songs of this new album are good but probably nothing in my top 10, or even my Top 20 of Bruce solo.
I am not a fan of the first 2 albums, but we have Tears of a Dragon which is an ultimate classic and some really good songs (Change of Heart, Son of A Gun, Tattoed,...), and I am afraid that the best of Mandrake is not as good.
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GhostofCain
Ancient Mariner
Overall it is OK and clearly not a bad album. But for me, there is nothing memorable.
There is some hype around songs like Shadow, Sonata or many doors, which i understand cause these are good and "new", but i am not sure that these ones are so great. Time will tell.
TheMercenary
Ancient Mariner
The "problem" is that this album is very different from what Bruce has done in the past. It was the same with Maiden and 'The X Factor'. With time passing by, you'll appreciate more 'The Mandrake Project' in a couple of years, you'll see. 
For me, this is clearly not the problem. Personnaly, I don't want to have an another AOP or TCW, or a maidenish album.The "problem" is that this album is very different from what Bruce has done in the past. It was the same with Maiden and 'The X Factor'. With time passing by, you'll appreciate more 'The Mandrake Project' in a couple of years, you'll see.
Some criticize the production, it is possibly part of the problem. But i really think that the new songs are not enough great or strong.
Time will tell but i cant imagine songs like sonata or shadows stand near classics like Tears of the dragon, Darkside of Aquarius, Omega, Alchemist, Chemical Wedding, Kill Devil Hill... At the best, these songs have their place on the last three albums, and would not look out of place, but nothing more.