Fresh off the global success of his latest solo album, The Mandrake Project, a creatively energized Bruce Dickinson has revealed ambitious plans for his next record. In a new, in-depth interview, the Iron Maiden frontman announced that his next solo effort will be recorded “live” in the studio with his road-tested band, a deliberate move to create a more cohesive feel after he described The Mandrake Project as being “a bit like stitching together Frankenstein’s monster.“
Speaking on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Dickinson provided a fascinating look into his creative process and long-term vision. He explained that while he is proud of The Mandrake Project, its decade-long creation resulted in a record that was sonically fragmented.
“It will be a different feel to the album because this is gonna be recorded live,” he said of the next project (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “I mean, Mandrake was a bit like stitching together Frankenstein’s monster, ’cause it was stuff from 2014 and then it was stuff from after COVID, and all of it glued together. So sonically it was a little bit all over the place.”
To achieve this new, organic approach, Dickinson is leveraging the power of his current solo band, whom he repeatedly praised as being “on fire” and “incredible.” He revealed that the upcoming North American leg of his “The Mandrake Project Live 2025” tour, which kicks off on August 22, will serve as the final step in preparing the group for the studio. He described the tour as a “great way of just getting the band locked in into the mentality of that” new album.
The band is already deep into the creative process for the next record. “We are gonna do a new album — we are recording the new album, rather — in January next year here in L.A.,” he confirmed, targeting a 2027 release. The project is remarkably advanced, with a wealth of material already written. “We’ve got 18 tracks demoed for the album,” he revealed. “And we won’t record 18 tracks, but I think we’ve probably settled on — nine, 10, 11 of them are absolute bangers.” He added that the band just spent several days in the studio re-recording the initial demos, a process that “just takes the songs to another level.”
While the next album is a major focus, Dickinson is equally excited about the upcoming North American tour, which he sees as “unfinished business.” He promised a career-spanning setlist packed with surprises for American audiences. In addition to classics like “Tears Of The Dragon” and deep cuts like “The Alchemist,” he announced that the tour will feature the first-ever live performances of “Shadow Of The Gods,” a standout track from The Mandrake Project.
He also confirmed he will perform one Iron Maiden song per night. The Piece Of Mind classic “Revelations” is a definite inclusion, but in a tantalizing tease for fans, he revealed that he is also preparing another Maiden song “which has never ever been played — ever.”
