Bruce Dickinson’s The Mandrake Project: a legacy unleashed – Part 2

Written by Ece Seçen

Bruce Dickinson’s new album The Mandrake Project set the heavy metal world alight, but the legendary Iron Maiden frontman wasn’t done there. He and his band followed it up with a blockbuster, spellbinding world tour that electrified crowds across the globe.

March 1, 2024 was a long-awaited date for metalheads around the world, as heavy metal’s greatest vocalist’s first solo album in nearly 20 years was finally set to be released. The Mandrake Project wasn’t just an album – it was a complete concept which included the record, but also a comic series, and of course, a thunderous world tour. The House Band of Hell played 51 concerts for 350,000 fans across 24 countries and set stages ablaze around the world for four months. The setlist included the new record’s highlights, such as “The Afterglow of Ragnarok” and “Resurrection Men”, alongside long-time classics like “Tears of the Dragon”, “Chemical Wedding”, and “Road to Hell”.

All Concert photos are from Hellfest Festival at Clisson, France. By Antoine de Montremy. Duke TV. DR.

Bringing these iconic tracks to life on stage was no easy task and it was made possible by the incredible musicians who joined Bruce on tour. Tanya O’Callaghan, who has previously worked with Whitesnake and Dee Snider, rocked the bass, while Dave Moreno, former drummer for Puddle of Mudd, kept the beat on drums. Guitarist and producer Roy Z, originally set to play had to step down due to personal commitments, and was replaced by two talented musicians. Swedish-born guitarist and multi-platinum credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring musician Chris Declercq shredded the guitars on stage. Finally, Italian keyboardist Mistheria – founder of the symphonic metal act Vivaldi Metal Project, and a collaborator on 2005’s Tyranny of Souls – returned for The Mandrake Project. He set the atmosphere for each song, whether it was through his keyboards or his iconic keytar!

The tour started off with a warm-up show at The Observatory in Santa Ana, Orange County, USA on April 15. “We’re not afraid of doing some growing up in public, so this show will be as close to a rehearsal as you can get, it’s exciting to think what these musicians can do – and will do – when there are over one thousand fans in the room!” commented Bruce regarding the first show. The band then moved to Central America, before heading to Europe, finalising the tour with two shows: one in Istanbul on July 19, and another in Athens on July 21, where they played the Maiden classic “Alexander the Great” to their Greek fans.

At the end of the tour, the official video for the song “Resurrection Men” was released as a recap. Bruce said, “The tour was one of the very best. The band were just so pumped and on it every night that it was a joy. The audience reactions everywhere for songs old and new were pretty overwhelming and I already can’t wait to go back out again! The video is my thank you to everyone that came to see us at festivals, clubs, theatres, and arenas. Who said a metal audience can’t appreciate a theremin, bongos and ‘Dick Dale-esque’ surfer guitars? Mine certainly do!!”

This end, however, is obviously not the end, as the first 2025 date was announced on December 13: a blazing concert at the Town Festival, São Paulo, Brazil, awaits the House Band of Hell and fans from all around the world! So… stay ever watchful for new updates and much more Mandrake magic to come!