 Welcome to the metal voice today on this show. We're doing this again me and Alan reviewed the album the Mandrake Project by Bruce Dickinson But I thought you know what? We need to get a global picture to truly understand the magnitude of what this album is all about Is it as good as everyone says it is or is it it not so good as everyone says? Tanvir all the way in London. Thank you for joining us came out all the way in Scotland and Perrin just north of me guys We're talking about the Mandrake project. It's gonna be released on March the 1st And this is 18 years since Bruce Dickinson's last studio album. It was produced by guitarist Roy Z This is what we're gonna do guys We're gonna go round table track by track very quickly Just give us your impressions any feedback any remarks of each song that you heard you like you didn't like We'll go through it that way and then at the end we can sort of get some closing remarks like the lawyers do guys Okay, man, I know you're all the way in Scotland. I'll let you start off. I guess this will do we already heard after glow of Ragnarack and we also heard Rain on the graves Just quickly summarized to me those two first singles I know we've also all of us have talked about these songs in great length, but quick overview of those Is how do they hold up today? I think right they? they are a songs that came in Don't give away too much, you know, I mean they're kind of safe songs to put out as singles to kind of say this album is New and it is different, but I think They're solid, but they're nothing Too exciting and I think for me that I was expecting a bit more of a Pizzazz being that it's been 18 years since Tony of souls That album Really started with a bang and the abduction was a huge single when it came out in terms of the force and the sound and The impact of that song All right, as a ten viewer widget were these first two singles representative of the album now that you heard the whole thing It I wouldn't say that representative of the album, but I I did think they were it was musical theater I mean, I I thought they were robust. They were bright Production was really clear I thought they were really catchy it. I thought it was dramatic I thought it was Bruce's Annunciation was superb So I I you know, I I thought it was more accessible and I Thought it was but it but it was still heavy perhaps To say cleaner and sound so less murky you can hear all of the instruments pushes Bruce's vocals right to the foreground And I thought it was exciting actually I thought I thought it was really full of personality All right, Perrin were they were the first two singles a good choice To release as the first singles and we're not we're not gonna start talking about the whole album But do you think for yourself personally these were two good? Representations and good choices for the first two singles. I would say yes and no so Actually, I would say no and yes. So my expectations were here. I mean 18 years since three amazing albums in a row Jimmy when you and I were at Bruce's speaking engagement here in Montreal He spoke to the fact that he was leaving Canada and flying right to Los Angeles To work with Roy Z on this album. So we were all kind of out. Wow. It's really happening My anticipation level was through the roof and when I heard Afterglow I was kind of like, okay, Bruce is in fine voice The riff the guitar work is great But the song just kind of let me flat a little bit Especially the chorus I just felt it was, you know, I kind of liked where it was headed But then it kind of fell flat for me. So Afterglow was kind of a disappointment and then right on the graves I have to digest a bit and I've said this before to people this album It is representative of the album because a lot of this album does need to be taken in and digested at first Right on the graves again. I like the song. I like the chorus a lot better than Afterglow But this almost spoken word voices. I wasn't so sure about it, but then when I kind of Grew with it a little bit heard the rest of the album rain on the graves made a lot more sense to me Once I heard everything. So and I actually quite enjoy it now, but I Afterglow for me is I wouldn't say one of the weaker songs on the album But it's in my lower half of the album whereas rain on the grave I It's a good album. We'll get that this we'll get there. We'll get there. I'll just I'll tell you Look, look again, I'm gonna say this like I always say this It's a subjective and it doesn't matter if you're right or wrong if you like it or don't like it The question is we're expressing our opinions about it. I'm just kind of like taking back I think I'll end this segment with this Jimmy. I had Afterglow ranked as my number seven track out of ten Okay, I had rain on the graves ranked as number four out of ten. Well, really jeez For me, I felt they would be a singles I'd say yeah, I would I would agree with you Tanvir to me these first two singles were Representative because the first one was dramatic and big right grandos Yeah, and then the second one was kind of quirky and diverse So kind of it gave you a sense of the whole album as one, you know And that's what the album to me The obvious singles doesn't mean they're the best songs No I think my expectations were just so high and A tourney of souls is such a good It's a really kind of modern album for Bruce as well So I was expecting this album to be more modern to be more progressive more Exciting and I don't think afterglow or rain on the graves Really does that in the same way some of the songs on tourney of souls K-man there is a stinger on this album, but okay We'll come to that Tanvir agree or many doors to hell, you know for me This was the deep purple track of the album. What'd you think of many doors to hell? Right, yes you sir. Yes you sir. Oh, right. Okay. I thought it was and I know parents mention this as well in terms of this being almost ghost-like And I agree with them actually it's very catchy. It's almost pop Very anthemic the drum sound Was reminiscent of something like shout at the devil or creatures of the night. They sounded really really really quite massive I mean it was As I say it had that sort of bombastic feel to it I loved the use of the guitar solo on this track because the track itself is a mid-paced rocker But the guitar solo sort of pulls back the track slows it right down and then you have this beautiful phrasing and Then there is this sort of theme within the within the album where you have Beautiful guitar phrasing that's partnered not conflicted with Bruce's vocals and they sort of entwined with each other And it's a really good partnership. It works really really well So it I wasn't bowled over when I first heard this I have to say but it's really grown on me On the third listen and now it's one of the it's definitely one of those tracks that grows with every lesson Good came in. Let's talk about this. Let's talk about this rocky like a hurricane vibe Hey You're right. Okay, that's that's what it would that that Totally so so tell me about the song came in tell me about the cure like parents a ghost and I guess ghost it's like the the modern Equivalent but it really reminds me of like disco kind of gothic disco a Pop song, you know, it's just totally different than anything Bruce has ever done before Except there's a song on turning a soul. It's called devil on a hog And it's kind of similar. It's got that same kind of groove swagger to it I like it a lot. All right. Good. Good. Good parent Yeah, and I've said in our circle of friends. I mean, I'm our resident ghost fan here on the panel And when I heard it when I heard that keyboard line at the beginning I'm hearing ghosts dance macabre Even a little bit of mary on a cross which was a big hit for them. And again, I don't think Bruce did these things on purpose I don't think he said let's do something that sounds like ghost or You know American 1980s hair metal or scorpions I think it just came out that way and the gentleman had both said it very well If there's a song that really ticks my 80s pop sensibilities box on this album It's this one And this could have been a single just because singles are usually shorter and simpler and easier to digest And again, so this has been in my top three songs since the beginning Uh It's not necessarily representative of the whole album. So maybe that's why it's not a single because I don't think there's anything this accessible on the album Uh, and I agree with the guitar like one of the notes I had taken when I first heard it I wrote down beautiful atmospheric guitar solo and this is not ripping shredding guitar solo It's adding ambiance and atmosphere to the song to make it to make it more accessible And and I say a keyboard line, but there's some organ in here. I think as well So the use of keys in the song is really really excellent Is it that that flavor of deep purple that little organ sound right lurking in the back round there, you know That's what I felt about being on the graves as well. There's a deep purple song Yeah, I think that yeah that that one to me actually is more deep purple than this one. I think this is more Contemporary One interesting point actually is that the first two tracks of the album Were actually written last year Bruce has said that said the the first two tracks are actually the newest tracks Or the newest songs of the album Let's bullseye on down to a resurrection men Now here here is now where we're talking about, you know, flamenco. We're talking about upbeat. We're talking about time changes Perrin, what did you think about a resurrection men? If I was going to give an award for the song that's the most musical on the album Maybe maybe it's this one because like you said, there's that intro, which is you know, again We can't help but think of Bruce as the singer of iron maiden So I love that he's giving us something that's different from iron maiden So I listened to this song and there's the flamenco intro, which is just fantastic Uh and then in the middle the time change is just so interesting And then we go into this like sludgy Tony iomi kind of style riff That you know, this is a song for me when I first heard it I'm not sure how high up my list it was And with every listen of this record it moves up my list that there's just there's a lot happening in this song It's all excellent I wasn't sure about how it all came together because the time change was pretty abrupt And then it's almost like we go into a whole different song But they're both great So a very musical song for the musos in our audience This is the one they might want to kind of unpack the most and kind of run to because it really is Quite diverse musically and very interesting came in other than what parin just said. What else could you add to that? Uh, I mean the intro really reminds me of the kind of stuff ricey was doing on both the Picasso It's got that kind of Latin feel to it. I don't really know how well the spaghetti western intro actually works with the song It does feel like an idea that they've done it and then the song kind of kicks in Also, this song resurrection men is probably the most related to the idea of magic project and Lazarus and raising the dead And I thought the album was going to be based on this heavily But this song and maybe a few other moments across the album is the only related times it gets mentioned All right, I thought that was interesting Okay, man. Sorry. Tanvir, uh, what did you think about the song that these guys haven't actually said about it? Uh, I thought this was like a music box a toy box for bruce because I'm not sure about the latin flamenco for me. It had more of a cinematic perception spaghetti western western style But thrown in with that what I thought was really interesting was this sort of 60s john barry swing that kicks in as well So it wasn't just it was it was a very I thought this was the this is perhaps the most playful track On the album because it's not just a western intro if you listen it that combines with the john barry late 60s You know very sort of quintessential british swing And then and then it goes into this sabbath homage with a With the ion I am e-riffing, but also there's a very fat sounding bass as well sort of geyser bass that kicks in and I mean you look at all of these different elements and you think how does it come together? And for me, it's bruce actually bruce's voice almost Holds all these disjointed forms together and that sort of acts as the the constant central theme in the song so yeah a really fun playful track thoroughly enjoyed it and uh Yeah, it does make you smile Good good fingers in the wounds came in I love it now now we're getting symphonic here right now bruce is dabbling in the symphonies Yeah, that key the keys on it so It's almost like a ship voyage or something that then sort of that song is It's really nice and you know, he's going full concept full religions symbolism and Jesus and all this stuff modern modern-day jesus, but The first time I heard that again, I was really shocked because it doesn't sound like anything he's ever done before It's very like power metal And you've I don't think you've ever heard bruce do anything like it before but I love it I think some of the best larynx on the album Yeah, I mean you got you got a groove a slide guitar Arabic Arabic sort of scales parent. What do you think about this song? This is my favorite song on the record. I think it's been my favorite song on the record since I heard it I can't believe how much this song gets done in under four minutes It's actually incredible what this song gets done In in under four minutes and it should be a lesson in brevity to to every any musician out there This should be a lesson in brevity and how much you could accomplish in four minutes if you do it Right. I agree with K-man that the the keys and piano in this are beautiful Bruce's voice is soaring in this song I don't know if it's sitar middle eastern indian vibe that we kind of seg you to into the song But I think that's beautiful And I think this could become an epic This is a song that I close my eyes and it's taking me on a voyage. I could just close out the world to the clouds No, I could really You know what this one sailing isn't that difficult to listen It's so pleasant to listen though that you could put on headphones close your eyes and it takes you to another place so this is Far and away in my favorite song on the record Tanvir, what do you want to add to everything that these guys have already said? Yeah, you want to take a trip to munch y'all. That's what you're gonna say You want to go by ship? But you want to go by ship? But one thing I would say one thing I will say is the orchestration is is tastefully done it really complements the song and I've heard so many power metal bands use orchestration in their intros and it's and it's And it's not it's not subtle. It's not tasteful. It's almost abrupt and it's almost Immature And and and this was this was beautifully done um And you're right. It's got these far eastern motifs and it's got um tubular drums What sound like tubular drums? I don't know whether they are so they're all these kinds of imagery. Um Are they authentic sounding? Um No, but I don't think that's the point. I I think this is fun. Um, I think it's Music theater. It's over the top Um, and it works because it's executed so well it it works really well Yeah, now here's an interesting one. I'm going to get came into comment Eternity has failed. I know I've talked about this on the other review. Eternity has failed Which is sort of the cover song of Eternity should fail if Eternity should fail Which was actually a cover song of Eternity has failed So originally written by Bruce and Roy Z to be on the solo album They change it up for the iron maiden album and then they change that up again to appear on this solo album So There is some differences there. I'm gonna ask came in right now came in. What do you notice as the differences? I hear the difference. They cut away the verses You know, but what did you notice? What did you like? Which one did you like better? How's that? That's a better question. Do you like the maiden version or do you like this version better? Well The main thing about this song is this song was meant to be the centerpiece around Bruce's whole concept And album like the album was supposed to be called if Eternity should fail The whole story was started formed around this song and so Maiden Steve needed a song and Bruce gave it to Steve and then regretted it You know It's one of the strongest maiden openers In a long time and now It's existed as a maiden song for the past five years and Bruce was like, well, wait a minute. I want my song back. I really love that song so then he's obviously decided that he doesn't want to just Change it a little bit and have it be Just another version of Maiden song, which is actually his song So he's kind of sequelized it and called it Eternity has failed and Part of me finds it interesting. He's added the flute and he slowed it down. He's made it a bit more grungier Um, I love the lyrics. I think it's very smart that he's He's sequelized the song and he's finished closed it off a little bit but I just wish that if He was going to sequelize it. He could have written a whole new song and The maiden song could still exist And this song could be a successor and it doesn't quite do What it wants to do Or you're you believe it does like in your opinion. You like the maiden song better It's kind of Both feet and either can't like everyone will know it's a maiden song Because it's existed for the past five years as a maiden song and he's tweaked it enough to make it His song still his song but it's always been his song but I like it. I like the changes. I like the fact that he's been but here the original question Yes, or no, do you like the maiden song better? I like the maiden song better. All right. All right, parent. Let's go Um, do you prefer this song over the maiden version or vice versa? I I think I like this better But the question is a little unfair because I've lived with the maiden song for so long The question is not unfair. It's very It's hard to answer because I've lived with the maiden song for a long time I've experienced it live as an opener of the show And this is like a shiny new toy. So I I like what bruce has done with it. I I find it more musical I like some of the nuance that he put into it You know ask me the same question in a year or two and my answer might be different And you know, maybe I read too much into this, right? But I I see this song included on the album and I'm like Did you want to sequelize it? And that's why he did it and it fit in with the concept or was it like he wants to say to steve You see this is how it's supposed to be done So it just got my mind going because I haven't really sat there lyric versus lyric and compared to that closely But I just kind of wondered. Hmm. Is this Indicative of any kind of a political dynamic that exists in maiden, which is why he did it So the conspiracy theorist in me is kind of this like why do this? Why do this but I do like the result quite a bit I do like the result quite a bit and It's in my top three on the record. I really do Do like it Tanvir, what are your thoughts on this? Yay or nay? Is that how they say it in the uk? Yay or nay? Is that how they say I I will Be a politician here, Jimmy, and I won't answer the question But I will go on to a Go on to a divert so to speak Look, I I don't understand why any bands do sequels to songs, you know when mega death did it with return to hangar 18 When metallica did it without unforgiven to I find they never work Um So I'm not a massive fan of that and I'm sort of glad I'm glad bruce sort of stuck to his guns on this and did this version um When you first when you first hear it it is rather It is odd you you're you're constantly reminded of The opening to book of souls and because that's a great track And the rest of it, but I find the more I've listened to the album The more I've actually appreciated this song for what it is um, and and you know once again, it's it's um It's you know, it's a it's a brave new world this song and what I mean by that is that you've got all these Sort of woodwind instruments. You've got the a beautiful Use of the flute at the beginning of the song, but you get this great flourish Um at the end and you're thinking maybe that's a bit of a nod for bruce to where jethro tell um, and then you've got this maiden midsection And rather than having two dueling guitars once again, you have the repetition of the guitar working in harmony not in um, not in Conflict with the keyboards um, and and you have this sort of Musical crescendo at the end as well. Um, it it's very intricate. It's got a lot of moving parts to it um in some parts it's quite dainty um, and it's quite it's very progressive um Which the maiden song isn't um and This version version is no less I still love the maiden version, you know, it it's a great version And and their bruce is plant of the band whereas in this track bruce is very much pushed to the forefront And I and as I say I've listened to this track now four times At first I was very lukewarm and every time I hear it I get more and more Uh more and more into it, you know, yeah, so I think you It's fair to say that tan vir likes this song better than the maiden version, right? No, I did not say that Well, what did you say? I heard this and that Well, tell me tell me yay or nay. Yay or nay. What is it? There is and not everything is primary jimmy the world is a complex place But on this show it's not it's easy. It's easy peasy Listen, tell me yes or no. Do you like the maiden version better than the bruce version or vice versa? Sorry jimmy the sound I can't hear you that clearly brah. Okay. Sorry Do you like the bruce? Just tell me answer the question What's the question which one would prefer? Um, yes at the moment The maiden version Okay, as I say at the but that man could change that could change that could change in in two weeks quickly quickly Maiden version or the bruce version I I already stated I like this version better. I like okay, but because it's tiger just got me so Mixed up. I didn't remember you should have left him alone because we had I like bruce k-man likes maiden All right, all right. So I'm I'm with the tanvir parent gang on this. I no, sorry Did you say you like maiden version better tan here? No, he said today I said I said at this present moment the main the maiden version Okay, so k-man and tanvir are the maiden side of things and me and parent are more on the bruce side of things I I think they they This is the way the song should have been I think I think this version works for this album Yeah, and I think that's yeah, that still doesn't answer my question But but I know what you're saying you prefer the maiden version today more than the bruce. I prefer the bruce version More than the maiden version, but let's leave it at that. Let's leave it at that. It's a two-two tie Okay, we're not gonna we're not gonna convince. I see the uk is against canada here. That's what I'm seeing My point is there's no competition We need to take this to the king to this He specifically written this song As a simple so as to not compare the two, you know, no, I get that I get that but there's still, you know The melody is the same the everything's the same I mean, you know, it's pretty much the same minus a few verses And a couple of changes on the chorus and the words but more or less It's the same song But is the king working this week or is he taking? I know he had to take a medical Perrin Perrin you're you're mentioning the king to a scotsman And Your king not your king but your king But not really but anyway my king mistress of mercy Probably the heaviest track on the album Tanvir, what do you think of mistress of mercy? I I really enjoyed this track. I mean, this is what this for me is one of the stronger tracks on the album Though I surprised myself with that because it sort of starts with this sort of supercharger rob zombie supercharger heaven sort of riff which Which is slightly odd But it sort of junks to supposed with this euphoric chorus. There is this beautiful anthemic euphoric chorus in this song that elevates That is a great contrast to that very based almost industrial riff that it starts with And then there is and then there is this sort of the the sat it sort of cuts in with this guitar riff which is almost commercially sort of made in commercially sounding very sort of late 80s It could have been it for some reason it reminded me of something that could have been from somewhere in time In in terms of the sound and the tone on that. So it it's that sort of late very late 80s Made in guitar sound and then you have this extravagant Musical drum Orgasm at the end. Oh, nice, which is That it climaxes too, which which is great fun as well. I mean it's sort of Um, it's slightly showy, but it works for the song sort of builds up builds up and builds up these rolling drums And it sort of you know, you've got that flourish at the end. So yeah, I I thoroughly enjoyed this track, you know, what you got is that build up is that sort of fusion Guitar the jazz fusion guitar and the drums in the midsection and the outro So apparently what you think very progressive jim in this album a lot of A lot of stuff in here fusion fusion jazz So, you know often on a record and maybe this happens with a lot of us Have you ever been in a situation where all of your friends Love a song and you're just having a hard time with it And and that's me with this song like for whatever reason All of the people I know who've heard the album Are really kind of pointing to this song as one of the highlights And I'm I'm just not there yet and the funny thing is it has a lot of ingredients that I like, you know I it's not the kind of the grungy kind of intro because I don't mind that For I kind of feel like this song has a bit of an accident birth vibe and I love that record And I even wrote down John Bush era anthrax I feel like there's a point in this song that it has that only industrial feel So but for whatever reason and a big chorus So I like big choruses. I like accident birth. I like John Bush singing anthrax I don't mind a grungy opening and it's all these ingredients that I like But the cake didn't come out the way I want the cake to come out So I don't know why I just I'm up there yet, you know, I'm up there yet So everyone I know cites this is one of the highlights of the album. It's not one of the highlights for me I suspect the more I listen to the record I'm probably like eight or ten lessons in and eventually I'll be 20 and 30 that this will grow on me But this one's gonna have to grow on me for whatever reason. All right It's not resonating with me as much as some of the others Okay, man, would you say that this is the closest thing to Bruce Dickinson and samson Very samson. Yeah, you know, it's straight ahead rocky, you know, it's got that I would say this is the most conventionally Bruce Dickinson song on the album This should have been the lead single because it has all the elements of what you would expect from a Bruce Dickinson song Uh, it reminds me of freak of the accident buff It's got that mistress the the titans rubbish. By the way, he should have called it something else and But it reminds me of freak and it reminds me of head switch off of Skunkworks, it's got that kind of grungy kind of ballsy in your face thing like tanviar said Just such an amazing chorus probably the best chorus on the album And that's saying a lot considering all the choruses are really good Well, that's why I said samson, right because samson had those sort of melodic choruses, right? And if you listen to think about it Listen to the song again then think about samson and the kind of choruses they had in that band very straightforward And you know catchy melodic what tanviar said about the guitar sound Having that kind of somewhere in time Style it does but it also reminds me of the man that would be king that whole jam Section off of final frontier. It's got that kind of vibe to it I really like it. I think if they put this out as the lead single I would have Shouted from the house that this was going to be The best bristic and sonar mother because it's just it makes such a statement. I think Hit the chorus he sends his ass off on the chorus And I really hope they do it live But the title he should have came up with a better title a more Unique title than than that because we already have mother of mercy You know, I mean there's your master's Kenny ties back at the freak, but I just feel like It deserves a better title than a store face in the mirror. All right now I I hear a lot of buzz on the internet about this song some it's very polarizing A lot of people like it a lot of people fall asleep to it tanviar. Are you one of those sleepers? Yeah, look, this is the ballad And it's not a good one And I'm not sure whether that's because of the song itself. I mean it for me. It's very simple It standard. There's a nice piano background Atmosphere behind it You know what it reminded me of empire of the clouds without actually going anywhere So that didn't seem to be a destination on the song um, it wasn't playful which meant that when you're surrounded with so many tracks that are That have got so many components and changes and mood changes So it just for it for me. It felt very flat. Um All right perron I agree now. I don't think there's any Bad songs on this album But I would say this is the weakest song on the album like the The lowest rating I gave on the album is a six on ten for a song and this is my six on ten So it gets a passing grade, I suppose and tanviar described it really well most ballads There's beautiful instrumentation as there is in this song And it kind of starts slow and it builds to this apex And then the money shot is that apex and then it brings you back down gently this is more just This flat line right through the song where it doesn't go anywhere. There isn't that payoff. There isn't that moment Where it just brings you up and soars And then brings you back down That's that's what I feel most ballads attempt to do and and very often they do do uh Yeah, this one I agree that it just doesn't go anywhere. It's a little too Flat for me if the album I mean the album's 60 minutes It's not too long But if this had been cut from the album and we had like a 53 minute album minus this song I would have been perfectly satisfied. Yeah to me. I agree with everything parents said It's like it had it has a nice sort of momentum But then it kind of falls flat on the chorus. I think could have been something else there Go ahead. What do you want? It was the rest of the album is so creative and so adventurous This is I think has attempt to just have a simple sing-along type song like For I don't like this song, but for all that I don't like about it. It is catchy. It still does stick in your In your head the fact that he sings this song and it is a sad song Apparently he wrote it about alcoholism and getting older and I love Bruce's ballads. He's written loads of beautiful Sad songs as well marisoros the tears of the dragon No way out. It's a really good sad song um, but I feel like Concerned he's made a career on writing beautiful Songs this one doesn't do anything for me at all. All right, I feel like it's it's kind of lazy All right guys next song shadow of the gods. I don't know to me. This is this is grand dose tanvir. What do you think? I love the These two actually the older songs apparently this song was written about 20 20 years ago um So it's an epic seven minutes long. It has a um Bruce sounds fantastic in this song. I mean that as I say I Mentioned his denunciation. You can hear every single word he sings you hear it clearly that um And you'd be surprised in terms of how many singers you listen to and you don't actually know what they're saying so um You know all credit to him on that front. Um The best thing about the song is that it has this sort of cutting riff in the middle of the song That sort of converts into this powerful chug and then you have this ascending guitar outro so Once again, not one of the stronger tracks for me on the album one of the weaker ones Um, I did like the outro at the end um solid solid but um Fairly unremarkable So not as unremarkable as you know facing the mirror You know a solid track. All right my parent Look, I I think this is what facing the mirror should have been You know, I don't know if I would quite call this a ballad. I might call it more of an epic than a ballad Uh, but I mean there are slow parts. I love the melancholy opening I would call this song cinematic. I find this song is very cinematic I love the or I find the orchestration almost like michael cayman like in the song like it's just Uh, and that's not k-man. That's michael cayman like really I I this is kind of like a soundtrack song for me And in like a big epic movie that you're watching an i max all around you like so I I found it musical. I find it cinematic I agree about the nice kind of heavy riff about to halfway two thirds of the way through and it ends in a very Grand way. So This is the kind of thing I I expect from bruce. This is bruce again Take me on this journey lift me up Give me highs and lows throughout the song. That's what this does So, yeah, this one is is in my top half of the album in terms of ranking the songs. I I like this one What do you think of this song? I think a Just to go back to what tanvir said like this song was written it As part of the three tremors project that didn't happen with halford and jeff tate And he wrote it at the same time as terny of souls And I think this song is like a sister to terny of souls if you compare the two songs They're very similar in in their progression. They're very similar in their scope and they're like it's cinematic It's traumatic. It's got that chugging cut and rift in the middle that tanvir spoke about almost exactly the same And I think that's probably why bruce didn't use it For terny of souls or uh or until now because it's been kept because the songs are so Similar, there's some nice callbacks to like chemical wedding and it really has that that majestic feel Uh, he's telling a big story in a big way with this song But it just I think because of where it is on the album and after After facing the mirror, which is a sad song this also has a kind of sad feel to it So it slows the album right right down And I wish that it just had something Different this is it's just a bit too close to terny of souls and not as good And if it was maybe earlier in the album or or there was something else to it It's missing something for me And I can't I don't I enjoy it. It's a beautiful song, but it just It's just missing something so nada. I mean another Slow song jimmy this this is this is their pink floyd song That's what I felt I listened to this and I felt this was I'm sorry perrin You might want to switch off now, but we're going to talk about a bit of floyd Um, I thought yeah, I thought this was their pink floyd song actually the intro reminded me of um had the same slow tone of um roger waters is deja vu from his last album and the outro was almost gilmore-esque It was almost like comfortably numb In terms of there is this beautiful outro two minutes from the end which is Um sort of harked back the tone harked back to you know gilmore's second solo uncomfortably numb The one thing I would say about bruce's this and it's a tiny floor. I mean I'm really sort of Um being very slight here and and there's a line in this that says save me now save me now Save me now help me help me live again. It's very touching but I don't I don't buy into it because bruce still Sounds he doesn't sound vulnerable. He still sounds very powerful. He sounds too strong even when he's Singing the mid-paced songs. They're so powerful That you don't buy into the vulnerability. Whereas if you had someone like a fish Or a piece of gabriel singing that it would have been a more poignant and I think that I mean, it's a small point and it's I just say bruce is A I think save me now save me now. He's crying out for help And he is vulnerable and I think that's just a great way to end me up But I'm saying it's a little point. What are you saying? Yeah, I mean that's fine But what I'm saying is it would have been even more effective if you could hear more fragility More a vulnerability in his voice and you don't really you don't hear that as I say It's a small point He's a heavy metal singer in a heavy metal band And I think a hogarth or a fish or a piece of gabriel Would have elevated that even more because I really think this is a This has the makings of being a really epic Prog track We'll leave it there. We'll leave parent you want to weigh in If I have any issue of the record is I find it ends on a kind of a dull note with the last three songs And again, not that they're bad songs But they're all kind of slower Melancholy the word I used to describe this song was eerie It had kind of an eerie vibe to it an eerie production Different from the rest of the record Again, it's interesting And it even opens up kind of almost a little bit of a techno beat, you know So there it's it's again the thing I like about this record is it challenges the listener. It's not an easy listen Not one of my favorite songs. I would have liked to see the album end on a more powerful note the banger And maybe it's just the placement of the songs. I don't know. So Yeah, a little A little lackluster for me, but interesting because it's an eerie song Oh, you know what before we get to k-man's comment. I'm gonna say and I said this before We are all accustomed to cookie cutter metal songs Cookie cutter metal albums like it's gotta start like this It's gotta end like this gotta admit and as soon as somebody does something different like bruce has three slow tracks at the end Everybody's like what the hell is going on so boring and this and that I'm not saying you guys are saying that I'm just saying that the overall perception is I'm saying that a little You know, you are saying that a little I guess I I'm not saying that I want to but I I really like this song I just I'm gonna I'm gonna say to you I'm gonna say to parent's point He's challenging the listeners with so much information And so many so much variety That we as a as a sort of a community we can't process That it's not cookie cutter This is gonna this is gonna be a masterpiece in years to come k-man. Tell me your thoughts I've got a lot to say about this song bruce said he came up with these lyrics off the top of his head And I think that's total misdirection because this song is actually a It's a continuation of taking the queen and midnight jam All three songs tell a story and this is the final chapter of the story If you listen to if you read the lyrics on taking the queen, which I recommend because it's a masterpiece fairy tale And so I think to what tanviar was saying about not feeling Bruce's human emotion that probably comes from the fact that he's telling the stories It's not necessarily about him or his life He is speaking from the point of view of this character who has lost the love of his life And he's she's been spirited away by evil Well, I'm happy somebody's paying attention to the lyrics I absolutely love this song and I feel like it does justice to taking the queen it does justice to midnight jam, which I also love but the thing about it is There's one thing that lets this album down is the the musicianship Although it's colorful and it's creative and it all blends into Bruce Bruce's ideas for songs There's not many moments where the instrumentation Really really stands out like it's not a riff driven album. There's not a lot of drum fills There's not a lot of prominent bass parts It's it really is Just each song is a vehicle from Bruce to tell whatever story he wants to tell Hey, man, do you not do you not think that's deliberate though? Because I mean I pick up on that one because I think this is a story teller's album so I think Bruce is right at the forefront And you the instrumentation I should say does kick in on the solos when it's meant to It sort of comes in and then it goes afterwards and the focus is back on Bruce All right guys As one of one of the greatest metal guitarists there is He is playing to Bruce's strengths He's not playing to his own strengths And I think that's all the all the other musicians on the album are doing the same as well They're playing what the song requires or they're they're painting up the song And I just feel like it does challenge metalheads It does challenge this idea that music or especially the singer of Iron Maiden Should what make a metal album? I love all of Bruce Dickinson's work But I expected this to be a metal album. I expected it to be a concept album. I expected it to be A continuation and it is in places like Sonata is as fan service if you if you pick up on these references Then you you get satisfaction But he does it in a way that that is that challenges convention Very well said guys 10 seconds each It's gotta end 10 seconds each parent closing remarks. Did you like it? Did you not like it? What do you think 10 seconds? Very good to excellent album. I enjoyed it immensely. I'll use the word challenge again I love that bruce is gonna challenge the listener and to everything that came in and tanvir just said If you're gonna be a solo artist outside of your band This is what you should do You should stand on your own and you should do something different and you should be the star of your own show So bravo. Well done bruce and I agree. This will be an album that we'll be listening to Four or five six years from now and even discovering new things then quick rating Uh at a 10 eight to eight and a half on 10 tanvir 10 seconds then a rating This is I think this is I think this is a very strong album 7.5 probably will be an eight to 8.5 in two weeks time I I don't think this is a metal album And I don't think that's a bad thing. I think this is a just a great musical adventure Okay, all right game and you got the last word rating it rate it and then you got 10 seconds Then i'm cutting you off I would just say like take this album as the songs present themselves, you know Don't compare it to chemical way. Don't compare it to terny souls. Don't compare it to accident But as is the magic project for better and worse. I would say it's a strong seven And he's done himself proud All right, I'm gonna I'm gonna let everybody go with this. I already gave my rating It's like a nine out of 10 I know but I've listened to it for a lot longer than all of you have And I've absorbed it and I just think this will be one of bruce's Best solo albums in years to come people will go back this and say, you know what? That was one of his best solos because of the diversity the variety and just so many influences That you can hear in it and little nuances in his voice and the music the guitar drums and so on guys Thank you very much pick up the mandrake project. It's out