It’s the end of 2014. Are we the only ones who can’t wait for 2015?
2014 finally saw the end of Iron Maiden’s most recent retro cycle. Since the start of the Maiden England World Tour in 2012 we’ve had reissues of the 1980s catalog on picture disc and 180g vinyl, we’ve finally had a proper DVD and CD release of Maiden England ’88, and we’ve seen the first ever Maiden tour to span three calendar years.
Now it’s over, and the band have spent the last few months of 2014 recording a brand new album in Paris with producer Kevin Shirley. Band and management have kept a tight lid on the project, but we’ve stayed up-to-date with speculation in this post, if you want to catch up.
Anyway, we’ll soon know more about the new album and whatever touring plans are being lined up for 2015. So far, the signals from the band amount to this illustration for the new Fan Club magazine:
Hervé Monjeaud’s artwork for Fan Club magazine issue 99 probably hints at a few things coming up in 2015, most obviously a new studio album.
We will keep up with Maiden in 2015 and head out on tour when we have the chance. Meanwhile we will keep adding features to all our categories. The in-depth FEATURE FRIDAY will return with nerdy action including bits about the period after the 80s (yes, the 90s!), we’ll dig more stuff out FROM THE VAULT, we’ll keep discussing what’s BEST & WORST about all things Maiden, and there will be more FUN FACTS coming your way. If you click on these links, you’ll find what’s already there!
Oh, and if you’d like to write for us, about whatever Maiden’s on your mind, don’t hesitate to get in touch! We’re easy to reach through our Facebook page.
Enjoy your holidays!
Iron Maiden’s gonna get ya in 2015!
Maiden Revelations 
In light of the Ninjas, it would almost seem to suggest an Asia Pacific tour is on the cards & hopefully that includes Australia (just look at AJ’s response to one of my tweets) There’s been a lot of paraphernalia spruiking the Stranger In A Strange Land single. It’s a long shot, but a tour where they play 16 songs with a song from every album including the illusive 16th album. Something like:
1. Intro/Wickerman
2. Futurereal
3. Infinite Dreams
4. Stranger In A Strange Land
5. Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
6. The Trooper
7. Killers
8. Sign of the Cross
9. Rainmaker
10. New Song
11. Powerslave
12. Fear of the Dark
13. Iron Maiden
ENCORE
14. Short version of satellite 15/The Final Frontier
15. No Prayer For The Dying
16. Hallowed Be Thy Name
I know some of the 80s rare gems I put in there are a little unrealistic (except for maybe Stranger In A Strange Land)! Assuming Hallowed was dropped in 2012-14 due to Bruce’s voice struggling with the higher notes, one thinks Bruce would be able to sing it lower and still have it sound good.
AJ also gave the impression that Australian dates were possible in 2014, even when we knew for sure they were not. Maiden’s year was obviously lined up with a European tour and a new album production well in advance.
But yeah, 2015 is a much better shot. 😉
I’d pay to see that set, Lucas, but Infinite Dreams is sadly gone for good after having been dropped for the Maiden England tour of all things. The final two 80s gems I’ve not completely given up on returning is Stranger In A Strange Land and Flight Of Icarus. I hope you’re right.
Personally, I think they’ll release the album before touring and thus have more new songs in the set. Might be a good idea after three years of retro touring.
The album is done, maybe except for a few overdubs and some mixing in the new year, and no dates have been announced yet. So I just think they’ll release the album in the spring, tour North America in the summer, and come your way later in the year.
Maybe they’ll do the 30th anniversary of Rock In Rio in September and head your way after that?
Merry Christmas, Lucas! I hope everyone in your part of the world gets some great news in January. 🙂
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you as well Christer 🙂
Wishing all Maiden fans who visit this page an awesome festive season and all the best for 2015!
I’m hoping for good news as well, but I’ve already got something to look forward to i.e. Soundwave 2015.
It will be the sixth time in a row that I’ve gone to Soundwave in Melbourne. I went to my first at SW10 as Faith No More were headlining back then and SW15 is going over two days, not one, for the first time. The two main reasons I’m going are Judas Priest, who are playing for 90 minutes on Saturday (pretty good since their not an official headliner) and FNM are headlining again on the Sunday!
Not only is Redeemer of Souls a great album, but Rob Halford still sounds great on that album, pretty good at age 63! My two favourite Priest albums are Defenders of the Faith and Screaming for Vengeance and looking at the set list for their recent North American tour, a number of great songs from those albums like Jawbreaker, Devils Child and You’ve Got Another Thing Coming are all in their set list so hopefully those songs will ream at SW15.
I love FNM also, Angel Dust would be my favourite album with Album of the Year and King for a Day not far behind those two.
I was in the Mosh Pit for Iron Maiden at SW11 during the Final Frontier Tour, I was great seeing them live for the first (and hopefully not last) time. Looks like I may have seen them live in the final year that they played Hallowed though, but you never know!
I’m tipping North America will have the inaugural dates for Maiden’s 2015 tour. That was the case with both Final Frontier and Maiden England (and probably previous tours) so fingers crossed for my part of the world maybe late 2015 or earlier 2016.
We all know that the days of set lists where every song except FotD is from the 80’s, are gone for good, but Rob Smallwood only ruled out all 80’s set lists going forward, he didn’t rule out rare gems from the 80’s so you never know. You’re probably right about Infinite Dreams being gone for good, but even if the Irons actually did something like my wish list, but replaced Infinite Dreams with Can I Play with Madness or The Evil That Men Do, Killers with Wrathchild (though I still reckon Bruce could pull off Killers) and Hallowed with either NotB or Run to the Hills, that would still make fans who thought Maiden England was getting a little repetitive by 2014 think “Finally, they’ve done something different and interesting”!
I think it’s amusing that Maiden has pretty much announced new material on the way and the discussion turns immediately to touring and live DVDs. Lol! I mean, for Goddess’ sakes, guys, they tour more often than I get to go clothes shopping…But, this, though? A new album! NEW. MAIDEN!! It’s been about 4 years since they’ve been in the studio.
Yes, a Maiden show is a thrilling, cathartic experience, don’t get me wrong. It’s one of my favorite reasons to stay alive. But, am I on crack? Does anyone else here find this as exciting as I do?! They’re writing! They’re crafting! They’re doing the very thing that makes their live shows thrilling and cathartic and Rick Rubin has nothing to do with it!!
I saw those ninjas and actually, my first thought was, “I bet that’s the new album’s theme.” I. Am. PSYCHED! Please tell me I’m not alone here…
I think it’s pretty fair for fans to be disappointed that the 2012-14 tour doesn’t get a live album/DVD. I don’t think that’s a “lol” matter, and it doesn’t rule out enthusiasm for a new record. Maiden’s idea of teasing is quite funny though – we all know they’ve been in the studio since September, and when they delay a FC mag to get more exciting info in it, there’s nothing but the tease of the band being in the studio. 😀
I’ll show you how enthusiastic I can get about a new Maiden album once the band actually tell me something about it I didn’t already know. 😉
Was still hoping we’d get a live CD/DVD from the Maiden England tour(s) as our Christmas present.
Any idea is there more live DVDs in the making ?
The band would never release a DVD that interfered with a new album, so the Maiden England tour won’t get one. It’s a shame. Between the Maiden England and Early Days tours not getting official live albums/DVDs, we have zero properly Shirley-mixed recordings of Phantom Of The Opera in the reunion era… It’s a good bet they’ll do another DVD from the next tour, when the set is back to the same old classics plus some new songs.
But at least we have the great bootlegs of Gothenburg 2005 and Rock Am Ring 2014. 🙂
Here’s my Christmas wish: When the next tour is done, whether they decide to do a farewell tour or not, I’d like them to release two separate box sets. One box of History DVDs, including Donington 92 and featuring one Blaze era concert as a bonus. And one box of “Missing Pieces” – a CD of the 1999 tour, a DVD of the 2003 summer tour, a DVD of the 2005 tour, a CD and/or DVD of the 2006/07 tour and a DVD of the 2012-14 tour.
I’m with you on that one, Christer! Actually, I think I’ll start saving my pennies now, just in case!
My Christmas (Yule/Solstice) wishes: That yours come true and this new album doesn’t suck.
You’re not asking for much !! That’s some list – great to get donnington 92 – awful pity they’ve no decent footage of somewhere in time stuff
I’m not asking that much really, just that they actually release material from their vaults, some of which was semi-announced for release at the time of recording and then canned.
Keep up the posts anyway great website
I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought of the following:The ninjas on the roof = a hint that Martin “The Ninja” Birch as he is credited on MSG’s Assault Attack is lurking around the studio! I don’t believe Birch would come back to twiddle the knobs but it makes for a fun theory! Happy Holidays everyone UTI!
What would he be lurking around the studio for? Making tea for Kevin Shirley? 🙂
I didn’t even know Martin had that nickname. Come to think of it, I didn’t even know he had a nickname at all. I always just thought of him as Mr. Birch.
Christer — yeah, wouldn’t that be comfy! (About as comfy as Blaze and Doogie White doing a Maiden tribute album…which is reportedly happening, in fact).
Oh, he had lots of nicknames with Maiden, he was the “Headmaster” when they recorded Killers, he was the “Pool Bully” for Powerslave, and my favorite – Martin “Disappearing Armchair” Birch for Seventh Son. 😀
Bring on the reported tribute album, I’m sure the reported new Maiden album will be in a completely different league, as in new and as in great. 🙂
Ooooh, HE was the “Headmaster!” For some reason, I thought that was another name for the Sheriff…Those Maiden boys are too funny.
Where’s the “like” button? 😀
Hey, guys!! Just found this: http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/iron-maiden-and-onkyo-join-forces-for-new-audio-venture-maiden-audio/
Well Bruce did say there was something exciting in the pipeline….or words to that effect. And it does sound exciting.
I don’t know, maybe they don’t sound good? 😀
I just hope they will change their setlist.
It’s strange, they didn’t have made a tour about the “somewhere in time” album, nevertheless it is an excellent album.
I hope they will play “stranger in a strange land” or “sea of madness” or whatever in the “somewhere in time” album. I also hope they will make a tour about the albums “No prayer for the dying” and “fear of the dark”, they are so energetic, I love “from here to eternity”, “hooks in you” and some others. I think these songs are much oriented for actually Bruce’s voice, because with the age, his voice is becoming much deep and hoarse.
PS: I’m french, so maybe my english isn’t very good.
UP THE IRONS!!!
The window for Somewhere In Time has come and gone, unfortunately. Don’t expect anything more than the two songs that were featured on the History tours.