Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has officially unveiled a visually stunning new music video for the orchestral reworking of his classic 1994 solo single, “Tears Of The Dragon.”
The newly reimagined track is pulled directly from last year’s More Balls To Picasso, a massive, ground-up remix and reissue of his second solo album, Balls To Picasso. The updated version of the beloved ballad heavily emphasizes rich orchestral arrangements, which are brought to life in the new music video featuring his current solo backing group, House Band Of Hell, alongside a haunting interpretative dance performance.
To capture the epic scale of the reworked track, the vocalist teamed up with familiar creative partners to build a highly theatrical visual experience.
“When we reimagined the whole More Balls To Picasso album we always wanted to do an orchestral version of ‘Tears Of The Dragon,'” Bruce Dickinson explained. “Antonio Teoli scored it and we recorded it, then we called up the filmmaker Leo Liberti who previously shot a load of live stuff for me in Brazil that was fabulous.”
The production took the crew to a unique, highly atmospheric location that perfectly suited the song’s dramatic tone.
“We found this amazing location, an enormous old school brewery that was almost like a renaissance building, and we made up the orchestra so they looked slightly zombified,” he continued. “All the HBOH [House Band Of Hell] band members are in the video and I gave them all instruments to play. The whole thing was brilliant madness. Leo also came up with the idea of having a ballet dancer interpreting the song, and she was amazing, poetic, and that adds an incredible extra-emotional dimension to the video.”
Bruce Dickinson released More Balls To Picasso last July, driven by his long-standing dissatisfaction with the original 1994 album’s thin mix. The comprehensive update was handled by producer Brendan Duffey, who also worked extensively on the singer’s 2024 solo triumph, The Mandrake Project.
Reflecting on the sonic upgrades, the frontman explained that he “beefed up the guitars” for the reissue and “added some really beautiful work by Adassi Addasi on ‘Tears Of The Dragon‘ as well.”
The original Balls To Picasso marked a major turning point for the singer, serving as his first solo output following his initial departure from Iron Maiden in 1993. The record saw him stepping away from traditional heavy metal to experiment with acoustic, rock, and folk textures. He went on to release three more defining solo records—1996’s Skunkworks, 1997’s Accident Of Birth, and 1998’s Chemical Wedding—before ultimately rejoining Iron Maiden in 1999.
Since his return to the legendary metal institution, his solo output has been sparse but highly celebrated, delivering 2005’s Tyranny Of Souls and the recent The Mandrake Project. Looking ahead, Bruce Dickinson has already tracked his next solo studio album earlier this year. The upcoming project was recorded live at Studio 606, the California facility owned by Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl, and will reportedly feature guest appearances from members of Brazilian metal pioneers Sepultura.
