Bruce Dickinson Tyranny of Souls
Sanctuary Records 06076-84753-2 May 24, 2005
By Rodrigo Escandon
About the only negative I could find when Bruce Dickinson rejoined Iron Maiden in 1999 is that it probably meant that we would be waiting awhile until Bruces next solo album. The Chemical Wedding is hailed as a musical masterpiece by many, including myself, and a lot of people would have rather preferred for Bruce to have remained as a solo artist. Well as it turned out we had to wait seven years for a new Bruce album and while Tyranny of Souls definitely doesnt measure up to The Chemical Wedding or even Accident of Birth[/I it is still a very enjoyable album that contains some of the best songs that Bruce has recorded in his solo career.
One of these gems is the five-minute Kill Devil Hill that ultimately feels and sounds as an epic. It starts slowly with a guitar melody before Bruces vocals and a crunchy riff take over for the verses. The chorus is well structured and it builds up nicely to some amazing singing by Bruce. As you know Bruce loves to fly airplanes and this song showcases his love for planes since it is an ode to the Wright brothers first flight. Another great song is Believil, which is a slower and moodier piece with some doom elements that would have also fit nicely in The Chemical Wedding. The title track closes the album in grand fashion. It starts slowly and builds to the magnificent chorus where once again Bruces singing is phenomenal and you can just help but sing along with him.
While these pieces have a slower pace there are other songs like Abduction, Soul Intruders and Power of the Sun that speed things up and they are all very enjoyable. Power of the Sun has an excellent chorus, a very cool solo section and I really like the part that comes up right after this section at 2:41 because it showcases a slight change of tempo. Abduction has a very strong and heavy riff and as you can tell from the title the lyrics deal with being abducted by aliens. It also has one of the best guitar solos on the album that start at around 1:45. Soul Intruders starts off with some pounding double bass and thrash-like riffs and both aspects are very surprising in a Bruce album.
The remaining songs is where Tyranny of Souls kind of bogs down. Devil in a Hog sounds like an 80s hard rock song and it would best belong in Tattooed Millionaire. It has a fun vibe but it does feel out of place in this album. While the chorus of the River of no Return is excellent, I cant help but feel that the verses just go nowhere. Finally, Navigate the Seas of the Sun is an acoustic ballad that features some very soulful and emotional singing by Bruce but I have to be in the right mood to hear this one. Sometimes I really enjoy it and sometimes I barely like it.
As I mentioned before Tyranny of Souls definitely ranks below Bruces last two albums but then again it was almost impossible for him to have topped those two albums, especially The Chemical Wedding. However, it is still great to finally have another solo Bruce album and heres hoping that he releases his next effort in less time.
8/10
Sanctuary Records Official Website
Bruce Dickinson Official Website
Sanctuary Records 06076-84753-2 May 24, 2005
By Rodrigo Escandon
About the only negative I could find when Bruce Dickinson rejoined Iron Maiden in 1999 is that it probably meant that we would be waiting awhile until Bruces next solo album. The Chemical Wedding is hailed as a musical masterpiece by many, including myself, and a lot of people would have rather preferred for Bruce to have remained as a solo artist. Well as it turned out we had to wait seven years for a new Bruce album and while Tyranny of Souls definitely doesnt measure up to The Chemical Wedding or even Accident of Birth[/I it is still a very enjoyable album that contains some of the best songs that Bruce has recorded in his solo career.
One of these gems is the five-minute Kill Devil Hill that ultimately feels and sounds as an epic. It starts slowly with a guitar melody before Bruces vocals and a crunchy riff take over for the verses. The chorus is well structured and it builds up nicely to some amazing singing by Bruce. As you know Bruce loves to fly airplanes and this song showcases his love for planes since it is an ode to the Wright brothers first flight. Another great song is Believil, which is a slower and moodier piece with some doom elements that would have also fit nicely in The Chemical Wedding. The title track closes the album in grand fashion. It starts slowly and builds to the magnificent chorus where once again Bruces singing is phenomenal and you can just help but sing along with him.
While these pieces have a slower pace there are other songs like Abduction, Soul Intruders and Power of the Sun that speed things up and they are all very enjoyable. Power of the Sun has an excellent chorus, a very cool solo section and I really like the part that comes up right after this section at 2:41 because it showcases a slight change of tempo. Abduction has a very strong and heavy riff and as you can tell from the title the lyrics deal with being abducted by aliens. It also has one of the best guitar solos on the album that start at around 1:45. Soul Intruders starts off with some pounding double bass and thrash-like riffs and both aspects are very surprising in a Bruce album.
The remaining songs is where Tyranny of Souls kind of bogs down. Devil in a Hog sounds like an 80s hard rock song and it would best belong in Tattooed Millionaire. It has a fun vibe but it does feel out of place in this album. While the chorus of the River of no Return is excellent, I cant help but feel that the verses just go nowhere. Finally, Navigate the Seas of the Sun is an acoustic ballad that features some very soulful and emotional singing by Bruce but I have to be in the right mood to hear this one. Sometimes I really enjoy it and sometimes I barely like it.
As I mentioned before Tyranny of Souls definitely ranks below Bruces last two albums but then again it was almost impossible for him to have topped those two albums, especially The Chemical Wedding. However, it is still great to finally have another solo Bruce album and heres hoping that he releases his next effort in less time.
8/10
Sanctuary Records Official Website
Bruce Dickinson Official Website
