Band:	Bruce Dickinson
Album:	The Mandrake Project
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	March 2024

01. Afterglow Of Ragnarok
02. Many Doors To Hell
03. Rain On The Graves
04. Resurrection Men
05. Fingers In The Wounds
06. Eternity Has Failed
07. Mistress Of Mercy
08. Face In The Mirror
09. Shadow Of The Gods
10. Sonata (Immortal Beloved)

I would have preferred a concept album about Mandark rather than Mandrake. personally.

It is easy to get lost in awe when reviewing some releases, falling into hyperbole merely because of who you are listening to, rather than what you are listening to, with many people tripping over themselves to fawn over an album rather than take the time to analyse it for what it is. With that said, HOLYMOLYPROFITEROLEY, ahem, I mean, yeah, it's quite good. I don't know what The Mandrake Project is, beyond being perhaps Bruce Dickinson's most concise solo release to date, managing to balance his penchant for experimentation, prog and grandiose ideas into one coherent and catchy album, but whatever it is, it serves up some of Dickinson's best work yet.

With nineteen years elapsing since the last entry into an overlooked discography, Bruce Dickinson certainly can't be accused of rushing things; on the contrary, this wait has resulted in songs that have had time to mature and be gone over with a fine comb. It is perhaps due to this wait that Dickinson seems to have found his sonic identity, reigning in the tendency of over-extending himself on Balls To Picasso and focusing on a sound that is more concise, though while not being unambitious.

This can be found right out of the gate with the opening "Afterglow Of Ragnarok", a storming re-introduction that loudly announces his return. Not coming back alone, Roy Z also returns once more to remind the world that he exists (how he isn't a bigger name I'll never know), bringing along some of his best guitar work yet. From the faux-Western guitars on "Resurrection Men", to his solo (alongside the guesting Gus G) on "Eternity Has Failed", Z once more proves to be more than a mere sidekick. With Dickinson's voice still in great shape after all these years, the duo go on to put some more classics under their collective belts.

Wearing his influences on his sleeve, Dickinson incorporates a range of different instruments and approaches across the album. No source of inspiration is more apparent than Deep Purple, whose influence can be heard across this album, particularly in the use of keyboards. The organ tones accompanying "Many Doors To Hell" and "Rain On The Graves" have Jon Lord written all over them, enhancing already-good song with an additional bit of sonic seasoning to the final result.

The jewel in the crown is the re-worked "Eternity Has Failed", a track that is ripped out of its Iron Maiden mould, and breathed new life into, from its stripped-back woodwind intro, through a powerful mid-section and a solo/instrumental break that hits the nail on the head with a sledgehammer: easily the definitive incarnation of the track.

While undoubtedly a strong record, The Mandrake Project does have its shortcomings that blunt its impact somewhat. The most glaring is the seeming struggles to write a catchy chorus; "Fingers In The Wound" in particular feels anticlimactic and dull as opposed to fulfilling what the song builds to. This is a somewhat recurrent issue ("Rain On The Graves" is another offender) that does grate after a while.

The other issue is the choice to end the album on three ballads; while this isn't outside Bruce Dickinson's abilities (with "Tears Of The Dragon" and "Navigate The Seas Of The Sun" previously demonstrating that he can do great ballads), these three are nowhere near in the same league as the former classics. "Sonata (Immortal Beloved)" (didn't think Dickinson was a black metal fan) in particular is listless and uninteresting, meandering its way through its nine-minute duration with little to catch your ear. While "Face In The Mirror" and "Shadow Of The Gods" fare better, it ends the album on a gradual, then sudden, decline in quality rather than a glory ride to see the album out.

Yet another solid addition to an overlooked discography, The Mandrake Project is a strong album that will likely be in conversations for album of the year, though will likely fall short of the award due to the few flaws it does have.