BRUCE DICKINSON – “Resurrection Men” (2024 BMG CD single)

The Mandrake Project is a dense album.  It takes a lot of time to absorb and understand.  The concept goes way over my head, but the songs are heavy and the direction is metal.  Bruce Dickinson is nothing if not ambitious, and of course that means taking the new album on the road.  His live band this time out includes the always reliable Dave Moreno on drums, and Whitenake bassist Tanya O’Callaghan.  Bruce has released two singles from the album with exclusive B-sides, and the second is “Resurrection Men”.

“Resurrection Men” is long for a single, at almost six and a half minutes.  It is loaded with drama, and the acoustic intro really sets a mood.  Then it goes into something more western, like from a Clint Eastwood film, with interesting percussion.  That soon subsides and we go full electric.  This song lunges all over the place, from slow grinding verses to quiet bass-driven parts, and a powerhouse chorus.  Ultimately it’s not really single material, but that’s one thing that makes this release so interesting.  It’s also impressive how Bruce continues to sing with such lung power.

Live from Sao Paolo comes “Afterglow of Ragnarok“, the first single from The Mandrake Project.  A song about “what happens after the end of the world,” according to Bruce.  It is tight, and does not deviate far from the original cut.  The live setting is unforgiving, but even without multitracked vocals, Bruce nails it.  The stage energy is palpable, and Moreno kills it on drums.

The most exciting track is the very first live version of “Abduction” from Tyranny of Souls.  This one absolutely smokes, with breakneck pace, lightning drum fills, and melodic guitar harmonies.  A lot of solo Bruce stuff could almost be considered Iron Maiden made modern, louder and more intense.  “Abduction” falls into that category.  This live version has some really cool guitar solo work, very different from Roy Z’s on the album.

It is truly wonderful to see artists such as Def Leppard, Deep Purple, and Bruce Dickinson releasing physical singles with actual B-sides in 2024.  Keep it up.

4.5/5 stars