Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has officially completed tracking for his next solo album, laying down 16 songs during a rapid three-week recording session earlier this year.
The yet-to-be-titled LP, which is not expected to arrive before 2027, will serve as the direct follow-up to his acclaimed March 2024 release, The Mandrake Project. Recording sessions took place throughout January and February at Studio 606, the Northridge, California facility owned by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the legendary vocalist offered a positive update on his physical health while detailing the raw, old-school approach his band took in the studio.
“I got two metal hips, I got a busted Achilles I had stitched back together five years ago, various contusions and lumps and bumps. But I’m still running around like a lunatic, and the voice is doing great,” Dickinson shared.
He then highlighted the organic nature of the recent studio sessions: “I just finished a solo record: We did 16 tracks in 21 days, all 100 percent live. It’s like the anti-A.I. generation.”
While The Mandrake Project largely relied on his longtime producer and co-writer Roy “Z” Ramirez handling both guitar and bass duties, this new effort features his full live touring lineup. The studio band consisted of keyboardist Mistheria, drummer Dave Moreno, bassist Tanya O’Callaghan, and guitarists Chris Declercq and Philip Näslund. Both Mistheria and Dave Moreno are longtime collaborators, having also appeared on 2005’s Tyranny Of Souls.
The album will also feature a special guest appearance. In February, Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser shared photos from Studio 606, revealing he contributed percussion tracks to the record.
Bruce Dickinson previously teased the musical direction of the new material last August in a conversation with Metal Hammer, promising a dynamic mix of sounds.
“If it’s heavy, it’s heavy, but if it just happens to be acoustic, it’s acoustic. That’s the deal, you know? It’s whatever the song dictates, whatever the story is you’re trying to tell, but it’s really exciting. I’m so stoked about these tracks. I played the demos to a few people in the record label and stuff, and everybody is like, ‘Wow!’”
Dickinson also revealed that his Iron Maiden bandmate Steve Harris has already heard the new material and given it high praise. The bassist happened to overhear the demos while Dickinson was playing them for the band’s management team. Dickinson recalled the exchange: “He came out and he went, ‘Is that your new stuff?’ I went, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘That’s the best stuff you’ve ever done. That’s the best stuff I’ve ever heard from you!’ I went, ‘Well, thank you very much, boss!’”
