BRUCE DICKINSON - "I’m Remixing Skunkworks, We’re Remixing Balls To Picasso To Make It The Record It Should Have Been"
March 7, 2024, 8 months ago
Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickinson, recently released his new solo album, The Mandrake Project. In a new interview with Martin Popoff for Goldmine, Dickinson and co-writer/producer Roy Z discuss the new album in depth, and reveal that Bruce's catalog is getting a nice overhaul.
“I’m pretty proud of everything I’ve done with Z, like [1997's] Accident Of Birth,” reflects Bruce. “[The] Chemical [Wedding, 1998] is extraordinary, but Tyranny [Of Souls, 2005] was unfortunately orphaned, with nowhere to go because there was no way to promote it, no way to do anything. But it’s still a beautiful record and there are some lovely songs on it. So yeah, I hope people can dig through the catalog as a result of listening to this one and go, 'Wow, I should reassess those albums.'
"I’m remixing Skunkworks [1996] . We’re remixing Balls To Picasso [1994] to make it the record it should have been. There’s guitars missing on Balls To Picasso that Roy did that never made it onto the record because the producer kind of wanted it to be middling, middle of the road. I’m determined that that record should sound like we really wanted it to sound. But Roy and I had only just met; I was just getting to know Z. But yeah, there’s lots of cool stuff we will be doing.”
Read the complete interview at Goldminemag.com.
The Mandrake Project is available worldwide on multiple formats. Across ten inventive, expansive and absorbing tracks, 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, The Mandrake Project 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 with Roy Z doubling up as both guitarist and bassist, the lineup for The Mandrake Project was rounded out by keyboard maestro Mistheria and drummer Dave Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce’s last solo studio album, Tyranny Of Souls, in 2005.
Order The Mandrake Project here.
The Mandrake Project tracklisting:
"Afterglow Of Ragnarok"
"Many Doors To Hell"
"Rain On The Graves"
"Resurrection Men"
"Fingers In The Wounds"
"Eternity Has Failed"
"Mistress Of Mercy"
"Face In The Mirror"
"Shadow Of The Gods"
"Sonata (Immortal Beloved)"
"Rain On The Graves" video:
"Afterglow Of Ragnarok" video: