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Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson returns with this, his sixth studio album. Although it's taken him seven years to follow up his last solo release, Bruce hasn’t been lazy - as well as returning to his rightful home fronting Maiden, Bruce is also a pilot, novelist, BBC DJ and Olympic standard fencer. It would appear the record buying public should be thankful he has found the time to fit this record in at all. Renewing his partnership with guitarist/producer/writer Roy Z the album was recorded in a single room with just Pro-Tools, a microphone and a bed. Fortunately the bed was not there due to Bruce’s exhausting schedule but because of torn chest muscles he could only sing for 10 minutes before having to lie down. Bless him. Intro ‘Mars Within’ is eerie, atmospheric with Bruce’s fantastic vocals cutting through the darkness like a light sabre through a Sith Lord. ‘Abduction’ is your more typical metal fare, catchy, good guitars with a brilliantly flamboyant guitar solo from Roy Z. While ‘Soul Intruders’ has a fast, thrashy, mean opening. Bruce’s voice sounds great as it belts out the sing-a-long chorus and respect to the man as he manages to hold the final note for 15 seconds. Chirst, he must have needed a lie down after that.
Later tracks ‘Kill Devil Hill’, ‘Devil On A Hog’ and ‘Believil’ are all trademark Dickinson yet have a hint of a man going through the motions, lacking in essential metallic bite. ‘Navigate The Seas Of The Sun’ is a slow, pretty little track that just doesn’t work for me. Yes Bruce’s voice and lyrics sound great and the guitars hold their own but the full metal assault of songs like ‘Power Of The Sun’ with its sizzling solo and rousing chorus have infinitely more impact. Album closer ‘A Tyranny Of Souls’ has a dark, epic feel about it with yet more fantastic lead guitar licks and is a triumphant end the album.
With one of the most infamous voices in metal, Bruce Dickinson proves, once again, that he can cut it on his own just as well as with Maiden. Let’s just hope it won’t take seven years for Mr Dickinson to commit his seventh album to CD.
