The First Single Off Bruce Dickinson’s Solo Album to be Released on Dec. 1, Teaser Posted

It’s been a couple months since we’ve heard anything really substantive about Bruce Dickinson‘s first solo album in nearly two decades, but we now know when the first single off The Mandrake Project is expected to drop.

According to a teaser posted on Dickinson’s official solo artist page on YouTube, “Afterglow of Ragnarok” will be released on Friday, December 1. The 20 second teaser, which you can check out below, gives a slight taste into the track’s sound, which feels more akin to Amon Amarth than Iron Maiden. Dickinson says the track was an important first glimpse into the overarching project and thus made a perfect first single.

“It was important to set the tone of the project with this track. 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!”

In addition to the new song, Dickinson also revealed that his solo project will include a 12-episode comic series spread across three graphic novels. Those comics will be launched next year. Yet if you’re a huge fan and want to know more about the story behind The Mandrake Project, the 7″ vinyl single for “Afterglow of Ragnarok” will include an eight-page comic prequel to the album. The single will also include a demo version of “If Eternity Should Fall,” which was featured on Iron Maiden‘s The Book of Souls album.

Dickinson also revealed that even more details will be revealed at the end of this month when he attends the opening day of CCXP23, Brazil’s massive Comic-Con in Sao Paulo as its keynote speaker.

Finally, the European tour planned to support The Mandrake Project has been expanded. The full list of dates can be found below.

Bruce Dickinson – The Mandrake Project European Tour

18^th May – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK
19^th May – O2 Academy, Manchester, UK
21^st May – Arena, Swansea, UK
23^rd May – Rock City, Nottingham, UK
24^th May – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, UK
26^th May – L’Olympia, Paris, FRANCE
28^th May – 013, Tilburg, HOLLAND
29^th May – De Oosterport, Groningen, HOLLAND
1^st June – Barba Negra, Budapest, HUNGARY
3^rd June – Arenale Romane, Bucharest, ROMANIA
5-8^th June – Mystic Festival, Gdansk, POLAND *
5-8^th June – Sweden Rock Festival, Solvesborg, SWEDEN *
9^th June – Rockefeller, Oslo, NORWAY
16^th June – Huxleys Neue Welt, Berlin, GERMANY
17^th June – Grosse Freiheit 36, Hamburg, GERMANY
19-22^nd June – Copenhell, Copenhagen, DENMARK *
24^th June – Zeltfestival Rhein-Neckar, Mannheim, GERMANY *
25^th June – Circus Krone, Munich, GERMANY
27-30^th June – Hellfest, Clisson, FRANCE *
30^th June – Rockhal, Esch-Sur-Alzette, LUXEMBOURG
3-6^th July – Rockharz Open Air, Ballenstedt, GERMANY *
5^th July – Ippodrome Delle Capannelle, Rock In Rome, Rome, ITALY *
6^th July – Bassano Del Grappa, Metal Park, Vincenza, ITALY *
9^th July – E-Werk, Koln, GERMANY
13^th July – Hala, Zagreb, CROATIA
16^th July – Kolodrum Arena, Sofia, BULGARIA
19^th July – Kucukciftlik Park, Istanbul, TURKEY

* – festival performance