BRUCE DICKINSON – The single “Afterglow Of Ragnarok” is finally here!

2023-12-01 12:27:48

BRUCE DICKINSON, considered worldwide as one of the greatest and most distinctive heavy metal singers of all time, will release a brand new solo album via BMG Records in early 2024. For “The Mandrake Project,” Dickinson reunited with his longtime musical partner and producer Roy Z. It will be his seventh solo album – and his first since the release of “Tyranny Of Souls” in 2005. Now there is finally “Afterglow Of Ragnarok”

Bruce Dickinson unveiled the dramatic, action-packed video for “Afterglow Of Ragnarok,” the first single from his upcoming solo album “The Mandrake Project,” last night. On the opening day of CCXP23, the big Brazilian Comic Con in Sao Paulo, he introduced the spectacular film and revealed more details about the album and the upcoming comic series in collaboration with Z2, including the release of 2,000 CCXP-exclusive versions of the comic Joy of the international comic community.

Fans of Bruce Dickinson and Iron Maiden will note that the album features the suspiciously named “Eternity Has Failed”, which first appeared in a different form under the title “If Eternity Should Fail” on Iron Maiden’s 2015 album The Book of Souls” was released and thus illustrates how long the creative process for “The Mandrake Project” has been going on.

Bruce previously described the lead single “Afterglow Of Ragnarok” as “a heavy song driven by a big riff… but there’s also a real melody in the chorus that suggests the light and shadows of the rest of the album.” And the track is powerfully brought to life in the cinematic video that premiered last night.

Directed by award-winning director Ryan Mackfall and with a screenplay by Bruce Dickinson and renowned British author Tony Lee (who has worked for 2000AD, DC and Marvel, among others, on everything from Dr. Who and Star Trek to Spider Man and X -Men worked) the film presents Dr. Necropolis, the main protagonist at the center of “The Mandrake Project”. It also sets the stage for the story to come, reflecting the dark narrative from the 8-page prequel comic included in the 7″ gatefold vinyl version of the single.

“The Mandrake Project” – Tracklist:
Afterglow Of Ragnarok (05:45)
Many Doors To Hell (04:48)
Rain On The Graves (05:05)
Resurrection Men (06:24)
Fingers In The Wounds (03:39)
Eternity Has Failed (06:59)
Mistress Of Mercy (05:08)
Face In The Mirror (04:08)
Shadow Of The Gods (07:02)
Sonata (Immortal Beloved) (09:51)

Ryan Mackfall comments: “Many years before I became a director, I already had fond memories of various music videos that spoke to me, and one of them was ‘Can I Play With Madness’ by Iron Maiden. For me, it defined what a music video was. Little did I know that many years later I would be on the phone with one of the stars of that video, Bruce Dickinson, to discuss ideas for a music video. Bruce felt like a kindred spirit from that moment on, so it was only right that we sought to bring the story of ‘Afterglow Of Ragnarok’ to life in a live-action form. The music is of course a big part of the driving force behind the music video, and this track was a hit from the first moment. But more than that, I firmly believe that the artist’s passion also determines the outcome – Bruce’s passion is unparalleled. I really hope that fans will continue to revisit the Necropolis journey with Mandrake Sap. This is just the beginning of something very special!”

The first announced live shows will take place in Mexico and Brazil in April and May 2024; further tour plans will be announced in due course.

Bruce Dickinson – “The Mandrake Project” Tour:

18.04. – Diana Theater, Guadalajara, MEXICO
20.04. – Pepsi Theater, Mexico City, MEXICO
24.04. – Live Curitiba, Curitiba, BRAZILIEN
25.04. – Pepsi On Stage, Porto Alegre, BRAZIL
27.04. – Opera Hall, Brasilia, BRAZIL
28.04. – Arena Hall, Belo Horizonte, BRAZILIEN
30.04. – Qualistage, Rio De Janeiro, BRAZILIEN
02.05. – Quinta Linda, Ribeirao Preto, BRAZILIEN
04.05. – Vibra, Sao Paulo, BRAZILIEN
18.05. – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK
19.05. – O2 Academy, Manchester, UK
21.05. – Arena, Swansea, UK
23.05. – Rock City, Nottingham, UK
24.05. – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, UK
05/26 – L’Olympia, Paris, FRANCE
May 28th – 013, Tilburg, NETHERLANDS
29.05. – De Oosterport, Groningen, NETHERLANDS
01.06. – Barba Negra, Budapest, HUNGARY
03.06. – Arenale Romane, Bucharest, ROMANIA
05. – 08.06. – Mystic Festival, Gdansk, POLAND*
05. – 08.06. – Sweden Rock Festival, Solvesborg, SWEDEN *
09.06. – Rockefeller, Oslo, NORWAY
11.06. – Grona Lund, Stockholm, SWEDEN
13.06. – House Of Culture, Helsinki, FINLAND
14.06. – Noblessner Foundry, Tallinn, ESTLAND
June 16th – Huxley’s New World, Berlin, GERMANY
June 17th – Grosse Freiheit 36, Hamburg, GERMANY
19 – 22.06. – Copenhell, Copenhagen, DENMARK *
21.06. – Graspop Metal Meeting, Dessel, BELGIEN*
June 22nd – Summerside Festival, Grenchen, SWITZERLAND *
June 24th – Rhein-Neckar Tent Festival, Mannheim, GERMANY*
June 25th – Circus Krone, Munich, GERMANY
27-30.06. – Hellfest, Clisson, FRANCE *
30.06. – Rockhal, Esch-Sur-Alzette, LUXEMBOURG
03-06.07. – ROCKHARZ Open Air, Ballenstedt, GERMANY *
05.07. – Ippodrome Delle Capannelle, Rock In Rome, Rome, ITALIEN *
06.07. – Bassano Del Grappa, Metal Park, Vincenza, ITALIAN *
09.07. – E-Werk, Cologne, GERMANY
13.07. – Hall, Zagreb, CROATIA
16.07. – Kolodrum Arena, Sofia, BULGARIA
19.07. – Kucukciftlik Park, Istanbul, Türkiye
07/21 – Release, Athens, GREECE *