“Rain On The Graves” is the second single from BRUCE DICKINSON’s long-awaited upcoming solo album “The Mandrake Project”, which will be released on March 1st via BMG.
Featuring a massive guitar riff, dramatic keyboards and a commanding vocal performance from BRUCE DICKINSON, the song was inspired by a rainy visit to the grave of Romantic poet William Wordsworth in the Lake District. The piece grew into a reflection on the nature of mortality and the deal with the devil that artists have been forced to make since it became so worthwhile for Robert Johnson in the 1930s.
BRUCE DICKINSON explains:
“I’ve had the lyrics to the chorus since I visited Grasmere for a wedding in 2012. Und it wasn’t difficult to write the rest of the song even years later, with such rich symbolism in my head!” It’s a classic Dickinson/Roy Z collaboration; a catchy but heavy piece: full of melody, it peels a partial chant out of the verses in an almost poetic way – perhaps another ode to the great wordsmith who inspired the title and combined with music suitable to express the spirit of Robert Evoking Johnson at his metaphorical crossroads.
In the video, shot entirely in wintry Cornwall – again directed by Ryan Mackfall – we see Bruce, the actor and preacher, making his own pact with the devil, involving his “house band from hell.”
“Rain On The Graves”, the follow-up single to the highly acclaimed track “Afterglow Of Ragnarok”, showcases the imaginative, expansive and intriguing nature of “The Mandrake Project”.
Tonally heavy and rich in musical textures, with this album Bruce brings to life a musical vision that he has been working on for a long time. Together with co-writer and producer Roy Z, he created one of the groundbreaking rock albums of 2024.
However, “The Mandrake Project” is not just an album. The comic of the same name is a dark, adult story about power, abuse and the struggle for identity, told against a backdrop of scientific and occult genius. Created by Bruce Dickinson for Z2 Comics, the series consists of graphic novels written by Tony Lee (Dr. Who), stunningly illustrated by Staz Johnson (2000AD), and covered by industry heavyweight Bill Sienkiewicz. It will be published in twelve quarterly issues, which will be combined into three annual graphic novels, the first of which will be published in late 2024. The first single volume hit comic shops on January 17th and the special collectors’ edition sold out within 48 hours of release.
“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. April – Diana Theater, Guadalajara, MEXICO
20. April – Pepsi Theater, Mexico City, MEXICO
24. April – Live Curitiba, Curitiba, BRAZILIEN
April 25 – Pepsi On Stage, Porto Alegre, BRAZIL
27. April – Opera Hall, Brasilia, BRAZIL
April 28 – Arena Hall, Belo Horizonte, BRAZIL
30. April – Qualistage, Rio De Janeiro, BRAZILIEN
02. May – Quinta Linda, Ribeirao Preto, BRAZILIEN
04. Mai – Vibra, Sao Paulo, BRAZILIEN
16. Mai – The Halls, Wolverhampton, UK +
18. Mai – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK
19. Mai – O2 Academy, Manchester, UK
21. Mai – Arena, Swansea, UK
23. Mai – Rock City, Nottingham, UK
24. Mai – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, UK
May 26th – L’Olympia, Paris, FRANCE
May 28 – 013, Tilburg, NETHERLANDS
29. Mai – De Oosterport, Groningen, NETHERLANDS
01. June – Barba Negra, Budapest, HUNGARY
June 3rd – Arenale Romane, Bucharest, ROMANIA
June 6th – Mystic Festival, Gdansk, POLAND *
June 5th – 8th – Sweden Rock Festival, Solvesborg, SWEDEN *
June 9th – Rockefeller, Oslo, NORWAY
11. June – Grona Lund, Stockholm, SWEDEN
June 13 – House Of Culture, Helsinki, FINLAND
14. Juni – Noblessner Foundry, Tallinn, ESTLAND
June 16 – Huxley’s New World, Berlin, GERMANY
June 17 – Grosse Freiheit 36, Hamburg, GERMANY
June 19 – 22 – Copenhell, Kopenhagen, DENMARK *
21. June – Graspop Metal Meeting, Dessel, BELGIUM *
June 22nd – Summerside Festival, Grenchen, SWITZERLAND *
June 24th – Rhein-Neckar Tent Festival, Mannheim, GERMANY *
June 25th – Circus Krone, Munich, GERMANY
26. – 29. June – Resurrection Festival, Galicia, SPAIN *+
June 27th – 30th – Hellfest, Clisson, FRANCE *
June 30 – Rockhal, Esch-Sur-Alzette, LUXEMBOURG
July 3rd – 6th – Rockharz Open Air, Ballenstedt, GERMANY *
05. July – Ippodrome Delle Capannelle, Rock In Roma, Rom, ITALIEN *
06. Juli – Bassano Del Grappa, Metal Park, Vincenza, ITALIAN *
July 9th – E-Werk, Cologne, GERMANY
July 11th – 14th – Masters Of Rock Festival, Vizovice, CZECH REPUBLIC *+
July 13 – Hall, Zagreb, CROATIA
16. July – Kolodrum Arena, Sofia, BULGARIA
July 19 – Kucukciftlik Park, Istanbul, Türkiye
July 21st – Release, Athens, GREECE *
* – Festival appearance
+ – Newly added
All information about the tour and tickets can be found at:
https://brucedickinson.lnk.to/tourPR
Band-Links:
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