Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson announces new solo single ‘Afterglow Of Ragnarok’, confirms UK and Ireland tour
Bruce Dickinson has teased new single ‘Afterglow Of Ragnarok’ and confirmed details of an upcoming tour of the UK and Ireland. Find ticket details below.
‘Afterglow Of Ragnarok’ will be the first single from the Iron Maiden frontman’s forthcoming album ‘The Mandrake Project’. First announced back in September, the upcoming LP will mark Dickinson’s first solo album in 18 years, following on from ‘Tyranny Of Souls’, which was shared back in 2005.
Now, the iconic metal frontman has teased fans with the lead track from the release, promising that the song stays loyal to his “heavy” roots and captures the overarching theme of the album.
“It was important to set the tone of the project with this track,” Dickinson explained 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!”
‘Afterglow Of Ragnarok’ is set for release on December 1 via BMG. Check out a preview of the song below.
As previously confirmed, ‘The Mandrake Project’ will centre on the struggle that comes with establishing power and identity. It also comes with the backdrop of scientific and occult genius.
The exact release date for the album – which will be Dickinson’s seventh solo LP – remains unconfirmed, however, it is expected to arrive at some point in 2024. It will be accompanied by a comic book series that further explores the story of the album.
As confirmed in a press release, further details on ‘The Mandrake Project’ are set to be shared when Dickinson appears at Brazil’s Comic-Con event, CCXP23, on November 30.
A 7″ release of the ‘Afterglow Of Ragnarok’ single will also feature a demo version of Dickinson’s original solo version of ‘If Eternity Should Fail’ as a b-side – a song that ended up being used by Iron Maiden on 2015’s ‘The Book Of Souls’. You can pre-order it here.
![Bruce Dickinson's 'The Mandrake Project'](https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Bruce-Dickinson-artwork@2000x1270.jpeg)
Although specific details on the upcoming album remain sparse, Dickinson has shared details of a UK and Ireland tour, set to take place next year.
The upcoming live shows will kick off in spring 2024, with five shows across the UK. These begin with a stop at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow on May 18, and continue the following day with a show at the O2 Academy in Manchester.
From there, performances at Swansea Arena, Nottingham’s Rock City and London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town are all scheduled to take place, before a run of shows across Europe. These include stops in France, Holland, Hungary, Sweden, Germany and more. Find a full list of shows and tickets here.
In other Bruce Dickinson news, last year, Iron Maiden shared a mini-documentary from their recent ‘Legacy Of The Beast’ tour, taking fans inside the mammoth shows’ production with Dickinson as their guide.
During the tour, the frontman was forced to physically remove a stage-invader, and called attendees out for smoking weed in the crowd.
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Liberty Dunworth
NME