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Overall, it’s a pretty good album. The drums sound a bit tired and uninspired at times, though. “Rain on the Graves” feels very much in the vein of Accident of Birth or The Chemical Wedding-I really like that one. “Many Doors to Hell” is nice too, although Bruce’s vocals are pushing the edge of his comfortable range there. I don’t really care for “Afterglow of Ragnarok.”

“Resurrection Men” is interesting—not boring at all, quite inventive. “Eternity Has Failed” feels a little out of place; imo, it should have been released earlier. Still, his version is good too (that “Aaaaah-aaaah-aaaah…” part sticks). “Shadow of the Gods” is exactly the kind of direction I like from him. Same goes for “Sonata (Immortal Beloved),” and even “Face in the Mirror.” “Mistress of Mercy” sounds like a leftover from Accident of Birth, and it’s definitely better than “Welcome to the Pit,” ha ha.

So overall, Bruce stays true to his established solo style on The Mandrake Project, even if it doesn’t feel like a full-on statement record. The production might have benefited from a bit more punch. Now it’ll be interesting to see what he does next with the new lineup and without Roy Z-whether his core style remains the same or shifts into different territory.
The cover artwork for The Mandrake Project could have been so much better..
 
Azas said:
Now it’ll be interesting to see what he does next with the new lineup and without Roy Z-whether his core style remains the same or shifts into different territory.
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I think it will remain the same more or less, with the traditional little experiments for him. I expect heavier sound (and maybe faster metal, not sure).

A longer keys part as an intro to a mystical-sounding song would be cool, for example.
Azas said:
So overall, Bruce stays true to his established solo style on The Mandrake Project, even if it doesn’t feel like a full-on statement record. The production might have benefited from a bit more punch.
Click to expand...
Yeah. It's solid and very interesting and varied, but the general ''excitement'' is what lacks from the vibe of quite a few of the songs or parts. Ragnarok, Rain, Resurrection Men, Mirror, Sonata, even Mistress.
 
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Smith/Kotzen - live Italy 2026


This show is great, awesome footage and good sound (especially for Adrian's solos). The musicianship in the band is amazing. Richie is quite a technical player, Bruno is a great drummer, while Julia is a leader on bass (she also seems like a very nice person). Adrian is really enthusiastic here. His longer solo in ''Running'' here is sooo good (one of his best live solos for sure), loved the fun harmonies between him and Richie for ''Got A Hold On Me'', also how Richie imitates Adrian's style at the end of ''Outlaw''. Seeing Adrian with different guitars live is always cool.
 
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