There is no doubt that Bruce is a legend. Not just in the satirical sense that a group of frat bros would throw around the word legend. An actual legend. But let’s separate our emotions from the legend and look at “what used to be” and “what is right now” as two separate points to be discussed. I know it sounds like I am setting up for a complete roast of this project. But this is just the springboard. I haven’t even listened yet, let us dive in.

His latest single is called “Rain on The Graves” and was released together with his previously released “Afterglow of Ragnarok”. If you compare these tracks with his earlier recordings, like say some tracks from the 2001 album “Accident of Birth”, you can tell that the artist has changed. Which is natural and there is nothing wrong with that. Rain on The Graves feels a little bit like it is dragging behind the beat, not pushing forward and is certainly not as vigorous. But I sort of find that very beautiful, even though it will not “sell” as well. I mean it is beautiful that Bruce keeps making and releasing tracks. 

The track comes with a music video which introduces his live band for the upcoming album “The Mandrake Project.” It is ready to be delivered on March 1 via BMG. This track draws inspiration from when Bruce Dickinson visited poet William Wordsworth’s grave in the Lake District. I don’t even know where that is or what he wrote, but it already sounds bad ass. Lake District National Park is one of twelve national parks in England. It is located in Cumbria in a mountainous region. The lakes came into the public eye when William Wordsworth wrote poems about them. So Bruce takes some part of this and turns it into inspiration for a song. He says the track ruminates on morality, artistic struggle and also contains the legendary “ deal with the Devil” that musicians like Robert Johnson made in the 1930s. 

“The Mandrake Project” is also a series of comic books created by Dickinson. The novels will be released as 12 quarterly issues and cover topics of struggle, power and abuse amongst many more. The first one is already out. He says that the project started as just an idea for a musical solo album but then evolved into the graphic novel thing during the following years, mentioning his struggle with throat cancer and COVID-19. This album will be his first solo album since “Tyranny Of Souls” in 2005. Also his 7th solo album. Rain On the Graves pretty much follows the template for a song in this genre, but is easy to listen to. I think you should give it a go and also brace for the impact of the upcoming album. 

Author: Peter Källman

Peter Källman is a writer from Sweden who loves playing in bands, writing reviews and going to live shows!