Is Bruce Dickinson going full death-metal on his upcoming solo album? The 65-year-old Iron Maiden belter can be heard unleashing ferocious growls on the new teaser clip of "Afterglow of Ragnarok," the lead single from Dickinson's first solo LP in nearly 20 years.
A couple months back, Dickinson announced that he'd be releasing The Mandrake Project in 2024, which will mark his first non-Maiden album since 2005's Tyranny of Souls. Dickinson confirmed his return to longtime collaborator, guitarist-producer Roy Z, for the album, and today (November 6th) he's formally announced its first single and dropped a heavy-as-fuck teaser.
The 10-second clip features chugging guitars, epic synths and vocals from Dickinson where he screams the song's titular phrase in a fierce, death-metal howl. It sounds more like Amon Amarth than Iron Maiden, which is not at all what Revolver HQ expected The Mandrake Project would sound like.
Check out the teaser of "Afterglow of Ragnarok" below. The full single arrives December 1st.
"It was important to set the tone of the project with this track," Dickinson said in a press release. "As befitting its title, it's a heavy song and there's a great big riff driving it.
"But there's also a real melody in the chorus that displays the light and shade that the rest of the album brings. And just wait until you see the video!"
The Mandrake Project doesn't have an official release date yet, but it's set to arrive in 2024.
