As frontman for Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson sings in one of the most popular and iconic metal bands in history. The group is known for epic songs with a signature gallop and lyrics that run from the historical to the fantastical. Starting in 1990, Dickinson also embarked on a solo career that has spanned 34 years, seven studio albums, live releases, and some rare tracks.
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Right out of the gate he chose to take a different approach, exploring musical styles that would not necessarily fit within the Maiden realm. His latest album, The Mandrake Project, which inspired the comic book series of the same name, is another example of such a collection of songs.
An essential team player in this solo continuum is guitarist, producer, and co-songwriter Roy Z. Dickinson met Z’s band Tribe Of Gypsies while they were all recording in the same studio complex. Z has worked with Dickinson on five of his seven studio albums, and has been an invaluable collaborator for the metal vocalist affectionately known as the “Air-Raid Siren.”
Here are seven outstanding tracks from Dickinson’s solo career, one from each of his studio releases, that showcase the breadth and depth of that work.
“Born in ’58” (from Tattooed Millionaire, 1990)
The title track to Tattooed Millionaire is also great, but as it has been covered by American Songwriter, here’s another top-notch choice. The nostalgic and bittersweet “Born in ‘58” is an autobiographical electric ballad from Dickinson about growing up in a working-class steel town and being raised by his grandfather, who tried to teach him solid moral principles. It also discusses the difficulties in surviving there. Dickinson recently told Stereogum it’s his favorite track on the album.
“Tears of the Dragon” (from Balls to Picasso, 1994)
The most well-known song on Balls To Picasso, “Tears of the Dragon” is a truly classic track with nice tempo shifts and stylistic changes. It’s an epic metal ballad with a video that will appeal to fantasy fans, but which deals with the themes of facing past fears and releasing bottled emotions to move forward in life. This majestic song also has an unusual reggae-inflected section that is an example of a musical style that would not show up in Dickinson’s main group. It makes for an intriguing departure here. The singer performed a live version of “Tears Of The Dragon” with a Bulgarian orchestra last year.
“Innerspace” (from Skunkworks, 1996)
Dickinson’s third album Skunkworks was a more grunge-influenced album, and this song actually has an ‘80s-meets-‘90s vibe. It’s very anthemic, very direct, and very potent. The hard-rocking, fast-charging “Innerspace” is the kind of three-and-a-half minute anthem that Maiden abandoned awhile back in favor of longer songs. Perhaps reflecting on the new life Dickinson faced after quitting Iron Maiden three years earlier, the song includes this lyrical nugget: Whatever demons torture me / I love them like a friend / Nothing lasts forever but the certainty of change / I’d rather move around and be than figure out life and what it means / Fire up some beast and ride the skywaves.
“Darkside of Aquarius” (from Accident of Birth, 1997)
Of all the songs on this list, this one is the closest to having a Maiden vibe. It’s aggressive and propelled by catchy riffs and glorious guitar harmonies. Eddie Casillas, then bassist for Tribe of Gypsies, adds a little Latin vibe to his rhythmic work in the choruses. The mellow, post-solo mid-section goes really retro with guitar work imitative of Renaissance recorder work. Like “Tears of the Dragon,” “Darkside of Aquarius” takes listeners on a diverse musical journey.
“The Tower” (from The Chemical Wedding, 1998)
The Chemical Wedding ranks for some fans as Dickinson’s best solo release, and it is easily one of the best metal albums of the 1990s. It’s a great collection of tracks that also includes three songs featuring original ‘60s shock rocker Arthur Brown. Inspired by tarot-card imagery, “The Tower” serves up a grooving bassline, instantly memorable riffs, and epic choruses. Like the equally powerful title track, this is a classic Dickinson song that shows how much he had matured as a solo artist. It’s also one of a few tracks on this and the previous album featuring guitar soloing from Adrian Smith, who departed Maiden for a time after his bandmate did. Like the previous entry on this list, “The Tower” also emanates Maiden vibes.
“Kill Devil Hill” (from A Tyranny of Souls, 2005)
Named for the place where the Wright Brothers succeeded in the first flights of a powered airplane on December 17, 1903, this North Carolina town did not bear the name Kill Devil Hills at the time. That happened some 50 years later, so the brothers’ closest place of reference was Kitty Hawk. However, Kill Devil Hills is the actual spot of their great achievement; the Wright Brothers National Memorial resides there. This track is a grand metal anthem devoted to the beginnings of modern aviation, and it makes sense that Dickinson would explore that topic. He was a commercial airplane pilot for many years and has also flown Iron Maiden’s Ed Force One. This song is particularly unusual in that its last two minutes transition into a mellow coda with hazy guitar work and cascading piano.
“Resurrection Men” (from The Mandrake Project, 2024)
The fourth track from Dickinson’s latest album is another unusual gem. At the start, the song invokes a spaghetti western vibe a la Ennio Morricone with Spanish guitar and bongos. Then in its midsection it dives into a slower, deeper, Black Sabbath-like groove. It’s an interesting contrast for this epic song that features Dickinson playing the surf guitar part. The characters in the song’s title are Dr. Necropolis and Professor Lazarus, characters from The Mandrake Project comic involved in keeping the human soul alive after death. This anthem is certainly animated.
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