The first couple of times, I just pressed play and sat back. I wasn’t hoping “The Mandrake Project” would amount to anything, but BRUCE DICKINSON pulled up a major surprise on me. The man clearly has the pipes and he better, I have tickets to watch IRON MAIDEN this October in Toronto and almost booked the tickets a year in advance. Right from the get go, BRUCE DICKINSON takes the centerstage as he usually does, the musicians in the band need major props, the band compliments the vocals so bloody well that it is a pleasure to listen to this record. Very traditional combination of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, there’s not an extra note wasted anywhere. I want to start off with track # 2, ‘Many Doors to Hell’, which could be the perfect song on the album. Opening with a nice soft touchy vocals, Bruce kicks into overdrive almost immediately to elevate this song with his high vocals whilst the band keeps up so gently that you won’t even notice till the vocals and the music culminate into the brilliant chorus. What can I say, I’m a sucker for this sound, heavy riffs, traditional drumming, adequate synth giving the vocalist enough space to breathe and express with no hesitations or limitations. And, just as expected in the traditional ’90s songwriting formula, we have a beautiful soft solo, over which we have brilliant vocals spread all across, with the drummer keeping a careful eye on the tempo to guide the track to the next bit. Gosh, this is quite well done in all honesty. It’s not that I don’t like BRUCE but I guess I am tired of some of the mediocre stuff I’ve heard in the last decade and I consciously steered away from his stuff. Anyway, “The Mandrake Project” is the perfect placeholder for all Heavy Metal fans who are still hoping for that elusive late-in-the-career IRON MAIDEN’s gem of an album. I enjoyed “The Mandrake Project” a lot and yes, there are some obvious points which need care, the first of them being the overall mix. I mean, no surprises which is the loudest aspect of the album and could’ve used a more objective view. I have to say the combination of Roy and Bruce have delivered it again and I’m happy. Recommended for all fans of Metal music. www.themandrakeproject.com, www.bmg.com