First (short) review of the album, I believe:
https://roadiecrew.com/roadie-crew-278-jan-fev/(personally I like a lot this specific reviewer, BUT I'm doubting that this album will land for me as a 9.5/10. I would give that to Accident of Birth, which is my Bruce's favorite)
I trusted a bit on Google Translator, so, sorry for any mistakes:
BRUCE DICKINSON - THE MANDRAKE PROJECT (9.5/10) Not that Bruce Dickinson has stood still - which he literally can't do, by the way - but 19 years is really a long time to wait for a new solo album. Fortunately, The Mandrake Project is exactly what fans expected, especially those who were anxious about the quality of the previous three albums. With the same team from Tyranny of Souls (2005) on the instrumental part - Roy Z (guitar and bass), Maestro Mistheria (keyboards) and Dave Moreno (drums), with Tanya O'Callaghan taking over the four strings on the tour - and the partnership with his right-hand man Roy on the creative side, Dickinson gave birth to a work that transcends music, as you can see in the interview that illustrates the cover of this edition. Furthermore, he can boast of having recorded some of the best songs of his career, and one of them has a particular spotlight: Sonata (Immortal Beloved), the most beautiful song you will hear in 2024 (yes, my money is on this), with a chorus whose simplicity is a triumph thanks to an emotional interpretation by Dickinson, as well as a Pink Floyd-like ending that highlights Roy Z's fingers... Fantastic! For those who were waiting for a simpler ballad, to put alongside Tears of the Dragon and Man of Sorrows, there is Face in the Mirror, so everyone leaves satisfied, especially because the rest of the material is well above average. And Afterglow of Ragnarok, believe me, doesn't do it justice alone, especially with the great Many Doors to Hell (more hard/classic rock, with a touch of Scorpions at the beginning) and Rain on the Graves (with something of Alice Cooper in both sections instrumentals and spoken vocal melody) coming next. The Iron Maiden vibes don't just appear in the wonderful Eternity Has Failed, which became If Eternity Should Fail nine years ago at the hands of Iron Maiden, who respected its structure; and that's because Mistress of Mercy could very well be one of those blockbuster tracks, and the guitar theme before the solo is just a confirmation. And after all this, there are three tracks that still manage to stand out with praise: the powerful and surprising Resurrection Men, the short but rich Fingers in the Wounds and Shadow of the Gods, in which Dickinson shows why he is one of the greatest vocalists of all the time.
Tracklist: 01 - Afterglow of Ragnarok 05:45; 02 - Many Doors to Hell 04:48; 03 - Rain on the Graves 05:04; 04 - Resurrection Men 06:23; 05 - Fingers in the Wounds 03:38; 06 - Eternity Has Failed 06:58; 07 - Mistress of Mercy 05:07; 08 - Face In the Mirror 04:07; 09 - Shadow of the Gods 07:01; 10 - Sonata (Immortal Beloved) 09:50.