Iron Maiden are set to release their 16th studio album on September 4th worldwide. The new album titled “The Book of Souls” will be a double album and was produced by Kevin Shirley and recorded in Paris, France. He has worked with other well-known bands in the past such as Aerosmith, Dream Theater, Black Country Communion, Journey, The Black Crowes, Silverchair and Rush. Finishing touches on the highly anticipated album from the metal stalwarts was just recently completed, and in many ways answers the questions that were posed when Bruce Dickinson had shockingly released news he had a tumor on the back of his tongue back in 2014. Chemotherapy and radiation have helped and Bruce has been given the all clear from his medical staff, although most recently it has been said the band may have to postpone a full scale tour until next year. The new album contains 11 tracks, and is a whopping 92 minutes long. This will be the first double studio album that Iron Maiden has released. The cover art was completed by 62 year old British artist Mark Wilkinson who is well known for his work on Judas Priest albums Ram It Down, Painkiller, Jugulator, Nostradamus and Redeemer of Souls. Eddie is looking as fierce as ever I might add as well.
Here is the album cover:
Bruce Dickinson via Iron Maiden’s Facebook stated:
“We’re really excited about The Book Of Souls and had a fantastic time creating it. We started working on the album in late summer 2014 and recorded it at Guillame Tell Studios in Paris, where we’d done the Brave New World album back in 2000 so the studio holds special memories for all of us. We were delighted to discover the same magical vibe is still alive and very much kicking there! So we immediately felt at home and the ideas just started flowing. By the time we’d finished we all agreed that each track was such an integral part of the whole body of work that if it needed to be a double album, then double its going to be!”
The full tracklisiting is:
Disc 1
- If Eternity Should Fail (Dickinson) 8:28
- Speed Of Light (Smith/ Dickinson) 5:01
- The Great Unknown (Smith/ Harris) 6:37
- The Red And The Black (Harris) 13:33
- When The River Runs Deep (Smith/ Harris) 5:52
- The Book Of Souls (Gers/ Harris) 10:27
Disc 2
- Death Or Glory (Smith/ Dickinson) 5:13
- Shadows Of The Valley (Gers/ Harris) 7:32
- Tears Of A Clown (Smith/ Harris) 4:59
- The Man Of Sorrows (Murray/ Harris) 6:28
- Empire Of The Clouds (Dickinson) 18:01
Formats:
2CD deluxe hardbound book limited edition
2CD standard edition
Triple heavyweight black vinyl
High res audio (24-bit Mastered for ITunes and non-Mastered for iTunes)
Standard res audio (16 bit/ 44.1 kHz)
