Since I saw Bruce Dickinson’s "The Mandrake Project" live and am still feeling mesmerized, I thought I should do this ranking. Bruce Dickinson is a treasure for humankind—a fact we should all agree on. Not only have his brilliant works with the metal giants Iron Maiden shaped today’s music, but his solo works are also definitely worth keeping an eye on. Let's dive in and rank Mr. Dickinson's solo discography, highlighting some of his now-classic works.
7. Tattooed Millionaire (1990)
While I'm grateful that Bruce started his solo career, considering how amazing and influential some of his later material is, "Tattooed Millionaire" was not it. The birth of this record was actually the result of a request for a movie soundtrack, which later found its place on a Maiden album. But that was enough for Bruce to decide to pursue a solo career. With Iron Maiden's Janick Gers, Bruce started to write "Tattooed Millionaire," and this was an exciting journey for them.
Unfortunately, "Millionaire" does not showcase Bruce's true potential. While it has strong alternative materials influenced by mainstream rock, I believe Bruce's intention was different. Tracks like "Son of a Gun" and "Hell on Wheels" are still going strong thanks to Bruce's impressive performance, but the rest of the record is unfortunately forgettable.
Highlights: Son of a Gun, Hell on Wheels
6. Balls to Picasso (1994)
While Bruce's second solo album still has some glam and 90's weirdness in it, it was a breath of fresh and heavy air for the legend's discography. By that time, Bruce had left Maiden, and his solo career was his first priority. While the metal world was trembling and the grunge and nu-metal movements were taking over, Bruce managed to create an album that both contained modern elements changing the music scene and elements that felt nostalgic at the same time. While this created a little unbalanced feeling throughout the record, I consider "Balls to Picasso" a success.
With the catchy opener "Cyclops" and its 90's inspired riff, Bruce states that this record will feel different. Tracks like "Gods of War" and "Tears of the Dragon" create an epic atmosphere and a Maiden-like feeling throughout the record, and the headbanger "Laughing in the Hiding Bush" does its job well in making the listener jump. Even though some tracks like "Shoot All the Clowns" and "Sacred Cowboys" have that weird "let's follow the trends" vibe, you can still find enjoyable moments in them. "Balls to Picasso" was a step in the right direction for Mr. Dickinson.
Highlights: Cyclops, Gods of War, Laughing in the Hiding Bush, Tears of the Dragon
5. Skunkworks (1996)
Unlike the majority, I don't think "Skunkworks" is a mess. Well, actually I do. But it's a good mess. "Skunkworks" was Bruce's most diverse and maybe honest recording. It wasn't intended to be a solo album under the name of Bruce Dickinson; it was intended to be the debut record of a new band called Skunkworks. But the label declined to release a record under that name and insisted that it be released under Bruce's name. You know, some high-quality 90's record label nonsense. Why am I saying this? Whenever record labels make demands, things go sideways. While this was not the case with "Skunkworks," it could have destroyed an album that became a strange and interesting journey for us and Bruce himself.
"Skunkworks" is a collection of songs heavily inspired by grunge movements and modern prog rock. I think the majority of bands that tried the new grunge or nu-metal movement in the 90s were trying to save their careers. While it was not the case in the end, it's not easy to digest that your beloved music genre is dying and taking you with it. We witnessed the creation of some of the worst material by legendary bands—I won't name names since I consider some of those materials my guilty pleasures—however, "Skunkworks" was not a fail for Bruce.
Highlights: Space Race, Back from the Edge, Faith, Solar Confinement, Headswitch
4. The Mandrake Project (2024)
Almost 20 years in the making. When "The Mandrake Project" was finally announced, fans of all the music Bruce has produced over the years felt both excitement and worry. What will it be like? Will it be similar to his monumental works, or will it be a collection of all his past works? After hearing the lead single "Afterglow of Ragnarok," doubts were cleared. "The Mandrake Project" is an epic concept album revolving around the theme of “a dark, adult story of power, abuse, and a struggle for identity, set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius,” as described by Bruce. While the concept is well-structured and the main lines beautifully produced, the record also feels like a cohesive composition atmospherically.
While "Afterglow of Ragnarok" is an instant classic for Bruce, tracks like "Rain on the Graves" and "Resurrection Men" also shine with their experimental approaches. The second half of the record starts with Bruce's original demo for Iron Maiden's "If Eternity Should Fail," similarly titled "Eternity Has Failed." Tracks like "Mistress of Mercy" and "Shadow of the Gods" become the backbone of the record towards its end. While I couldn't connect with "Fingers in the Wounds" and "Face in the Mirror," there's no single factor that detracts from the record's cohesive feeling. "Mandrake" is a huge success for Bruce and showcases that the latest Maiden decisions that upset so many fans were not his. Although I have only small problems with Maiden's “non-mastered” sound, it's good to hear Bruce's vocals in a properly mastered album.
Highlights: Afterglow of Ragnarok, Rain on the Graves, Resurrection Men, Mistress of Mercy, Shadow of the Gods
3. Tyranny of Souls (2005)
Being a part of Bruce's winning streak is not easy. After his small step outside the metal territory, Bruce picked up his old inspirations and decided to go heavy. "Tyranny of Souls" is the third record of that streak. While the first two are incredibly powerful, "Tyranny" is not far behind.
The opener "Abduction" is so addictive that no other song in Bruce's amazing records surpasses its immediate first strike. The case is the same with "Soul Intruders" and its intro, which is probably the heaviest among both Maiden and Bruce's discography. The main problem that prevents "Tyranny" from sitting at the top of this ranking is that it loses focus after some time. The middle of the record doesn't hold up like its beginning, and the fact that the title track at the end is a brilliant closer makes the record's unbalanced moments more visible. Nevertheless, "Tyranny of Souls" is a brilliant record and shows Bruce Dickinson's strongest points.
Highlights: Abduction, Soul Intruders, Kill Devil Hill, Power of the Sun, A Tyranny of Souls
2. Accident of Birth (1997)
It's so hard to decide which Bruce Dickinson album will take the crown when one of the records is "Accident of Birth." "Accident of Birth" marks a new era for Bruce Dickinson, being the record of his return to the metal territory. While it atmospherically and musically surpasses the last two Maiden records with Bruce, it definitely crushes the Blaze Bayley era of Iron Maiden.
With the heavy opener "Freak," the groovy "Starchildren," and the simply amazing "Darkside of Aquarius," the record begins with a bang. As it carries on, it gives us stone-cold classics like "Road to Hell" and the undeniable highlight of the record "Accident of Birth." Bruce Dickinson's re-discovery of heavy metal couldn't be better.
"Accident of Birth" is a near-perfect heavy metal record with the touch of modern metal's new heavy elements. While it's a perfect example of modern heavy metal, it doesn't miss the nostalgic feeling of classic heavy metal sound. There's only one monster of an album that can surpass the success of "Accident of Birth," and that is…
Highlights: Freak, Starchildren, Darkside of Aquarius, Road to Hell, Accident of Birth, Omega
1. The Chemical Wedding (1998)
"The Chemical Wedding" is a god-damn perfect heavy metal record. Its heaviness is unmatched among Bruce's entire discography, and it's definitely up there with Iron Maiden's most shining moments. It features Maiden's beloved Adrian Smith as well as the previous output and Dickinson's companion from "Balls to Picasso" and "Accident of Birth," Roy Z.
While the record draws inspiration from William Blake's works and the cover art is also a Blake painting called "The Ghost of a Flea," the main inspiration revolves around the Rosicrucian manifesto "The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz" Bruce stated that all the songs on this record operate within a sort of frame. This way, Bruce created a concept record that follows a single line and also separates beautifully among itself.
With "The Chemical Wedding," we witness the mentality that created the monstrous "Accident of Birth" has evolved and taken its final form. It's bigger, heavier, more focused, and very unpredictable. While the guitar work from the legendary Adrian Smith and Roy Z shines in every brilliant moment on the record, the rhythm section also delivers a superb performance. "The Chemical Wedding" is a stone-cold classic that is not easily topped by any other artist out there. The pinnacle of Bruce Dickinson's discography.
Highlights: King in Crimson, Chemical Wedding, The Tower, Book of Thel, Jerusalem, Machine Men, The Alchemist
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