IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson reveals further details about his upcoming solo album “The Mandrake Project”
After creating a buzz in the rock and metal community in September with the announcement of his upcoming solo album and Latin American tour dates, more details about Bruce Dickinson‘s “The Mandrake Project” have emerged.
The initial single from the album, titled “Afterglow Of Ragnarok,” is set to release on December 1. This dramatic and epic track not only introduces the album’s music but also unveils the captivating narrative that underpins “The Mandrake Project.” This project is a dark and mature tale encompassing themes of power, abuse, and a quest for identity, all within the realms of scientific and occult brilliance. Conceived by Bruce Dickinson, scripted by Tony Lee, and beautifully illustrated by Staz Johnson for Z2 Comics, the series comprises 12 episodes that will be compiled into three graphic novels, with a planned launch in 2024.
“It was important to set the tone of the project with this track,” Bruce Dickinson explains. “As befitting its title, it’s a heavy song and there’s a great big riff driving it…but there’s also a real melody in the chorus that displays the light and shade that the rest of the album brings… and just wait until you see the video!”
An eight-page comic prelude to “The Mandrake Project,” titled “Afterglow Of Ragnarok,” is included in the vinyl seven-inch single booklet that accompanies the single of the same name. This prelude sets the stage for the unfolding narrative. The seven-inch single also features Dickinson‘s original solo demo version of the song “If Eternity Should Fail,” which originally appeared on IRON MAIDEN‘s 2015 album, “The Book Of Souls.”
Additional details about “The Mandrake Project” will be unveiled when Bruce Dickinson takes the stage as the keynote speaker on the opening day of CCXP23, Brazil’s renowned Comic-Con event in Sao Paulo, on November 30.
Already having announced tour dates in Brazil and Mexico for April and May next year, Dickinson and his exceptional band, featuring guitarist Roy “Z” Ramirez, drummer Dave Moreno, bass player Tanya O’Callaghan, and keyboard virtuoso Mistheria, will continue their tour with a series of European concerts and festival appearances. The currently confirmed dates are listed below.
“The Mandrake Project” stands as Dickinson‘s seventh solo album, marking his first release since “Tyranny Of Souls” in 2005. It will be distributed worldwide by BMG across multiple formats.
Bruce Dickinson “The Mandrake Project” European tour dates:
May 18 – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK
May 19 – O2 Academy, Manchester, UK
May 21 – Arena, Swansea, UK
May 23 – Rock City, Nottingham, UK
May 24 – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, UK
May 26 – L’Olympia, Paris, France
May 28 – 013, Tilburg, Holland
May 29 – De Oosterport, Groningen, Holland
June 1 – Barba Negra, Budapest, Hungary
June 3 – Arenale Romane, Bucharest, Romania
June 5-8 – Mystic Festival, Gdansk, Poland *
June 5-8 – Sweden Rock Festival, Sölvesborg, Sweden *
June 9 – Rockefeller, Oslo, Norway
June 16 – Huxleys Neue Welt, Berlin, Germany
June 17 – Grosse Freiheit 36, Hamburg, Germany
June 19-22 – Copenhell, Copenhagen, Denmark *
June 24 – Zeltfestival Rhein-Neckar, Mannheim, Germany *
June 25 – Circus Krone, Munich, Germany
June 27-30 – Hellfest, Clisson, France *
June 30 – Rockhal, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
July 3-6 – Rockharz Open Air, Ballenstedt, Germany *
July 5 – Ippodrome Delle Capannelle, Rock In Rome, Rome, Italy *
July 6 – Bassano Del Grappa, Metal Park, Vincenza, Italy *
July 9 – E-Werk, Koln, Germany
July 13 – Hala, Zagreb, Croatia
July 16 – Kolodrum Arena, Sofia, Bulgaria
July 19 – Kucukciftlik Park, Istanbul, Turkey
* Festival performance