Bruce Dickinson The Chemical Wedding 2LP (Brown & Blue Vinyl)

The Chemical Wedding was the fifth solo album by English heavy metal singer Bruce Dickinson, originally released on September 15, 1998. The record draws inspiration from the works of William Blake, featuring sung and spoken excerpts of his prophetic works and poetry (notably "And did those feet in ancient time" on the track "Jerusalem"), and with cover art from his painting "The Ghost of a Flea." As with the previous Dickinson albums, it features Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith, then also a member of Dickinson's solo outfit.

...Bruce Dickinson's fifth solo effort, The Chemical Wedding, continued to provide a welcome sanctuary (blatant reference intended) for disgruntled Iron Maiden fans suffering through the all-too-long mediocrity of the Blaze Bayley era. By avoiding the experimental pitfalls of prior solo outings to fully embrace his metallic origins, Dickinson - the solo artist - is at his creative peak on these two records. The importance of co-songwriter, producer, and guitarist Roy Z's guidance in this revival cannot be overstated, and reuniting with fellow Maiden alum Adrian Smith wasn't a bad idea, either. Muscular anthems such as 'King in Crimson,' 'Killing Floor,' and the title track manage to deliver with aggression, confidence, and, most importantly, a modern metal aesthetic sorely missing in Iron Maiden's efforts of the time.... a storming parting shot of 'Machine Men' (a classic Dickinson-Smith collaboration if ever there was one) and 'The Alchemist' (which revisits the title track's main theme in Seventh Son fashion) offer a worthy finale to this very impressive album.