Mad About Rock

  In 1994, having left Iron Maiden for a time (he rejoined in 1999), Bruce Dickinson released his second solo album, entitled Balls To Picasso. Named in honour of the cubist pioneer whose representations of spherical objects were as squares, and reflected on the cover in graffiti style on a tiled bathroom wall, the album belied its irreverent title by solidifying Dickinson’s reputation as a serious solo artist. His first record with collaborator Roy Z, and recorded with Z’s band Tribe Of Gypsies, it went through various iterations before its release, produced by Shay Baby. The original album included a number of classic tracks and live favourites from Dickinson including the singles ‘Tears Of The Dragon’ and ‘Shoot All The Clowns’, alongside the much-loved epic ‘Laughing In The Hiding Bush’, which was the original title for the album. Yet despite its positive reception at the time, it never quite captured Dickinson’s original vision which was even more expansive in scope and ambit...

  2024 was the year of Bruce Dickinson, as he rocked the world with the release of his seventh solo album, THE MANDRAKE PROJECT, and an accompanying tour across Europe and South America. Never content to simply do the expected, Dickinson also released a companion comic series by the same name as an integral part of The MANDRAKE PROJECT identity. The series, which had been brewing in Dickinson’s head for over a decade, was received to thunderous acclaim. Now, Z2 is proud to announce the impending release on August 5th 2025 of THE MANDRAKE PROJECT: YEAR ONE, which collects the first four issues in the series, along with the prologue. (Previously only available in the vinyl release of the single for Afterglow of Ragnarok.) Additionally, the oversized 12”x12”, 184 page volume Deluxe Editions include an extensive series of interviews and essays recounting the road Dickinson and the creative team took in bringing the album, tour, and comic series to life. With an introduction by Sons of...

  Bruce Dickinson released the limited-edition CD of his new single ‘Resurrection Men’ last week, featuring two live bonus tracks. The accompanying video has been unveiled today and is a joyous look at life on the road which started in LA on April 12th and finished in Athens, Greece on July 21st playing to over 350,000 people!     “The tour was one of the very best,” says Dickinson. “The band were just so pumped and on it every night that it was a joy. The audience reactions everywhere for songs old and new were pretty overwhelming & I already can’t wait to go back out again ! The video is my thank you to everyone that came to see us at festivals, clubs, theatres and arenas. Who said a metal audience can’t appreciate a theremin, bongos and ‘Dick Dale-esque’ surfer guitars? Mine certainly do!!” The three track CD comes in gatefold digi-sleeve and includes the bonus songs, ‘Afterglow Of Ragnarok’ and ‘Abduction’, both of which were also recorded live at Dickinson’s s...

  In the week that Bruce Dickinson starts his hugely-anticipated European tour in support of his brand new solo album The Mandrake Project with a string of UK headline shows, the Iron Maiden frontman is delighted to be announced as Patron of The Blake Cottage Trust. Having been a life-long devotee of the lauded visionary, artist and poet William Blake, Bruce has frequently referenced Blake’s hugely influential works within his own creative output, including extensively on The Mandrake Project itself. In fact the video for his recent single ‘Rain On The Graves’ references Blake in many different ways, from the mystical and arcane through to the more prosaic image of Bruce uncovering a replica of Blake’s grave at the end. The Blake Cottage Trust owns William Blake’s only surviving house, in Felpham on the Sussex Coast, where William and his wife Catherine lived between 1800 and 1803. It was in the Cottage that he wrote the words to what we now know as the hymn Jerusalem. William’s...

  It’s by far one of the most impressive line-ups of 2024: For this year's 31st edition, ROCKHARZ festival at Ballenstedt airfield in Germany has announced over 50 bands and a billing that impresses not only by featuring big names but also with its diversity. Headliners include JUDAS PRIEST, DIMMU BORGIR, KREATOR, HAMMERFALL and Iron Maiden frontman BRUCE DICKINSON. Loyal ROCKHARZ fans can also look forward to experiencing bands such as KANONENFIEBER, THE HALO EFFECT, NESTOR, THE NIGHT ETERNAL, D'ARTAGNAN and NANOWAR OF STEEL as well as many other well-known acts live during FOUR days of festival goodness! Desperation has been great for the many metalheads who could not secure their tickets in time, since the festival announced that it was sold out – this year in record time. There is, however, a shimmer of hope now! In addition to info on which bands rocks which day, ROCKHARZ has now also published pre-sale details for a limited contingent of single day tickets (available excl...

  Bruce Dickinson’s brand-new album, The Mandrake Project, has become a global smash hit with huge chart success already announced across Europe and further major worldwide chart positions to follow this week. In Germany and Sweden Bruce has topped the album charts, whilst in the UK the album has entered the Official Album Charts at No.3, just behind Liam Gallagher & John Squire at No.1, and narrowly pipped to the No. 2 spot by Rod Stewart and Jools Holland with a last-minute Mother’s Day surge of sales. Elsewhere the album is already a Top 10 success in many European countries’ national charts including Finland, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and France. And in Latin America’s iTunes charts The Mandrake Project is Top 10 in both Brazil and Mexico, with many more countries following suit in the days to come. Bruce – pictured above with his No.1 Award in Germany – comments; “I’m delighted that so many people love the record. It’s been incredible to hear directly fro...

  Bruce Dickinson has released his brand-new solo album, The Mandrake Project today. Featuring the singles ‘ Afterglow of Ragnarok’ and ‘Rain On The Graves’ the ten-track collection is already receiving huge global acclaim, with rave reviews and front cover features running in publications all around the world. Sonically heavy and rich in musical textures, the album sees Bruce bring to life a musical vision long-in-the-making. Created with co-writer and producer Roy Z, they have crafted one of the defining rock albums of 2024. Supporting the release of the album in Europe Bruce is under-taking an instore signing run which started with a midnight opening in Wales on this St David’s Day at HMV Cardiff. He will also be appearing at HMV London this evening, with further events taking place over the next two days in Birmingham, Sheffield and Manchester. Last weekend he attended pre-listening events & a pre-order signing session in two major Swedish cities and will return to main...

  Bruce Dickinson has released his brand new single, ‘Rain On The Graves’, accompanied by a thrilling video introducing Bruce’s live band, comprising guitarist Roy Z, drummer Dave Moreno, bass-player Tanya O’Callaghan and keyboard maestro Mistheria. ‘Rain On The Graves’ is the second single to be taken from Bruce Dickinson’s forthcoming solo album The Mandrake Project which will be released on March 1st, via BMG. Riding on a towering guitar riff, with dramatic keyboards and a commanding vocal performance, it was inspired by a rainy visit to Romantic poet William Wordsworth’s grave in the Lake District. The song grew into a rumination on the nature of mortality and the deal with the Devil that artists have come to feel themselves making ever since Robert Johnson proved it worthwhile back in the 1930s. “I had the chorus lyric since I visited Grasmere for a wedding back in 2012,” explains Bruce, “and it wasn’t difficult years later to create the rest of the song with so much rich i...

  LONDON December 1st: Bruce Dickinson last night unveiled the dramatic, action-packed video for ‘Afterglow Of Ragnarok’, the first single to be taken from his upcoming solo album The Mandrake Project. In front of a packed audience on the opening day of CCXP23, Brazil’s huge Comic-Con event in Sao Paulo, he premiered the spectacular film and revealed further details about the album and forthcoming comic series in partnership with Z2, including releasing 2,000 CCXP-exclusive versions of the comic to the delight of the international comic community. The Mandrake Project will be released on March 1st, via BMG. Across ten inventive, expansive and absorbing tracks, Bruce Dickinson and his long-term co-writer and producer Roy Z, have created one of 2024’s defining rock albums. Sonically heavy and rich in musical textures, it sees Bruce bring to life a musical vision long-in-the-making, and features some of the finest vocal performances of his career. Recorded largely at LA’s Doom Room ...

  Having set the rock and metal world alight in September with the announcement of a forthcoming solo album and Latin American tour dates, further details of Bruce Dickinson’s The Mandrake Project are revealed today. The first single to be taken from it will be ‘Afterglow of Ragnarok’, a dramatic and epic track that introduces the world not just to the music of the album but to the compelling narrative that forms the basis of The Mandrake Project. “It was important to set the tone of the project with this track,” 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!” The Mandrake Project is a dark, adult story of power, abuse and a struggle for identity, set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius. Created by Bruce Dickinson, scripted by Tony Lee and stunningly illust...

  Renowned around the world as one of the greatest and most distinctive heavy metal vocalists of all time, Bruce Dickinson will be releasing a brand new solo album in early 2024 on BMG Records. Entitled The Mandrake Project it sees him reunited with long-time musical collaborator and producer Roy Z. The Mandrake Project will be Dickinson’s seventh solo album and his first since Tyranny Of Souls in 2005. Dickinson explains, “This album has been a very personal journey for me and I am extremely proud of it. Roy Z and I have been planning, writing and recording it for years, and I am very excited for people to finally hear it. I’m even more excited at the prospect of getting out on the road with this amazing band that we have put together, to be able to bring it to life. We’re planning to play as many shows as we can in as many places as possible, for as many people as we can! “As for what The Mandrake Project actually is… all will be revealed soon!” The first live shows to be ann...

  Trooper Beer, the hugely successful and award-winning beer produced in collaboration between British music icons Iron Maiden and Stockport-based Robinsons Brewery, celebrates its 10th birthday this year on Tuesday 9th May, 2023. To celebrate the milestone, and the achievement of over 35 million pints sold worldwide, a brand new 10% ABV Trooper X Imperial Stout has been created by Bruce Dickinson and the Robinsons team. Each 660ml bottle of Trooper X comes in a presentation box and will be available to order online from IronMaiden.com and Drinks Aisle from 9th May. The new brew has again been created by Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce, alongside Robinsons’ Head Brewer Martyn Weeks. Martyn Weeks says: “Trooper X is packed full of roasted malt flavours which perfectly balance the complex and delicious aromas. This is the ultimate super smooth sharing beer which, if you can resist drinking straight away, will mature in the bottle and get even better with age." In further celebrations, th...