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 Don't compare it to "Chemical Wedding". Jun 29, 2008
There's no point in comparing this to Bruce's seminal "Chemical Wedding" album. No point whatsoever. That album was just too amazing, too phenomenal. Anything, even many Iron Maiden albums, look inferior when held up to that album.
So, if a comparison is what you want, hold it up against "Accident Of Birth". And in that light, what you have is an album that's heavier and darker, but not as cohesive. So, what you gain from column A, you lose from column B.
Songs like "Abduction" and the title track have metal to spare, more then you'll get out of a proper Maiden song. In fact, "Abduction" and "Soul Intruders" have moments that sound like Bruce is dabbling in 80's-style speed metal, which is kinda cool. And no Bruce solo album would be complete without a couple eerie ballad-like songs; here, this obligation is fulfilled by the Wright Brothers' tribute "Kill Devil Hill" (which is a lot better then the subject matter sounds) and "Navigate The Seas Of The Sun", which sits somewhere between "Omega" and "Arc Of Space" on the creepy scale.
But the album's sequencing seems like he drew the songs out of a hat. "Accident" had peaks and valleys; a couple rockers, then a dip into a ballad, then a mid-tempo, and back up again. This album never does that; the two ballads are back to back, and then the album goes right back to strong metal. And further hampering that is that the album's most forgettable songs are on the latter half; "Devil On A Hog" is a good riff, but some cheesy lyrics, and "Believil", owner of the dumbest song title outside of a Helloween album, is startlingly generic. And the title track, while catchy, seems to have an identity crisis going on, as it feels like it should be an entirely different song, sung and played at an entirely different tempo. You'll see when you listen to it.
Ultimately, it depends on how much Bruce you want in your musical diet; if you've already followed his solo career thus far, and the long wait in between Maiden albums is driving you batty, it's far from a bad album. It doesn't match up against some of his prior solo material, but it's more listenable then, say, Maiden's "No Prayer For The Dying". But if his solo work is unknown to you, don't let this be the introduction.
 Bruce is back Apr 15, 2008
This Tyranny of souls cd is great.Bruce and Roy Z have done it again.
there are 10 killer tracks on this collection of songs with ripping
guitar work, killer vocals and great drum tracks.
As with a lot of Bruce Dickinson's stuff the lyrics are doused with
his cultism style of poetry.
True, Bruce had a lot of hit and miss with his solo career but
there is a lot more hitting than missing on this one.
Another great cd of his would be 'the best of Bruce Dickinson'
He and guitarist ROY Z work great together.
Roy also did a good job on the production as well.
If you are a guitar player, this cd is great to play along with.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Bruce is getting better with Age Feb 25, 2008
With so many bands (mostly hair metal) that had huge amounts of success in the 1980's and early 90's, releasing albums of failure, I rub my head and wonder how does Bruce Dickinson continue to release outstanding material? Easy, Bruce has proved that he wasnt just another flash in the pan. Both as a Solo Artist and with Iron Maiden, he is proven that he is just getting better with age. Sure, Bruce is the vocalist here, not the entire band, but he writes the music, and chooses the band memembers, and once again its a treat to hear his albums are all getting better as he moves on through age. Its actually strange, since his solo works seem better then the newer Maiden albums. Dont get me wrong, Iron Maidens last two releases were both very good, but still wind up a bit short of the classics such as "The Number of the Beast" and "Powerslave" . It is in this reviewers opinion, that not only has every solo album gotten better since the release of "Tattooed Millionare" , but 2005's "Tyranny of Souls" is his best solo album to date. This is the heaviest album that Bruce has done, and even though at times there are hints of Iron Maiden's sound, he manages to create a powerful crunching dose of heavy metal, played exactly the way it should be. No frills, no hip-hip overtones, no un-neccassry whimpy screams (ugggh metalcore anyone, no thanks) just straight up heavy metal. All Metal fans should love this realease. Thumbs up to Bruce for still being able to deliver after all this time. ENJOY This!
Brilliant Feb 19, 2008
I wanted to add mine to the chorus of voices praising this album. I've actually owned the album since the week it came out, and I simply can't listen to it enough. It perhaps suffers slightly in comparison to Bruce's magnum opus, The Chemical Wedding (especially the reissue), but not by much.
For me, the standout tracks are "Tyranny of Souls," with it's introductory quotation from Macbeth; "River of No Return," which seems to describe the feeling a person has upon achieving spiritual awakening; and "Kill Devil Hills," a song about the flights of the Wright Brothers whose soaring chorus and impassioned lyrics give me chills everytime I hear them.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Bruce Dickinson Tyranny of Souls Oct 27, 2007
I'm amazed that anyone would rate this album less than 5 stars. What we have here is a Metal God, Bruce Dickinson, that has evolved beyond the vocalist that he was back in the day with Maiden. This album is one of the best rock albums put out in the past 20+ years. I'd even rank it as one of the best of all time. Dickinson's voice is unreal on this album, his imagination and lyrical style has reached a new level. The guitar parts by Roy Z are phenomenal, the recording is top rate, everything about this album is great. I recommend buying this album over nearly any other other rock or metal album put out...ever. One of the BEST OF ALL TIME!!!
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