80s Heavy Metal Legend Bruce Dickinson Has Exciting Update on Anticipated Album
Bruce Dickinson flies planes, fences at an Olympic level, beats cancer, and fronts the biggest heavy metal band on the planet. Now, barely a year after dropping The Mandrake Project, the Iron Maiden icon is already deep in the trenches for his next solo outing. But he isn’t just hiding away in some London basement. He’s set up shop at Studio 606 – yes, the hallowed ground owned by Dave Grohl – and if the early buzz is to be believed, this new album might just blow the lid off his last one!
The Leak Came From Inside the House (Sort Of)
We aren’t just getting another standard rock record here. The leaks coming out of Northridge, California, suggest a collision of heavy metal royalty that feels less like a solo project and more like a fever dream for anyone who grew up headbanging in the 90s.
We have Jeff Scott Soto to thank for the great intel. The vocalist, who has sung for everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Journey, dropped by Studio 606 to visit keyboardist Mistheria and stumbled right into greatness. According to Soto, he walked in just as Dickinson was laying down the final vocal tracks.
Soto, per Metal Injection, didn’t just get a wave and a handshake; he got a listening party. He took to social media to claim that not only is Dickinson singing at the absolute top of his game (which, let’s face it, is terrifyingly high), but that this material might be his strongest work outside of the Maiden camp. That is a massive claim considering Chemical Wedding and Tyranny of Souls exist, but Soto seemed genuinely floored by the vibe. Oh, and he also got to taste-test a prototype for a new Iron Maiden Trooper IPA, because apparently recording a musical masterpiece isn’t enough multitasking for one day.
Bruce Dickinson is Ditching the Frankenstein Approach
One of the most interesting nuggets of information involves how this record is being made. Dickinson has been open about the fact that The Mandrake Project was a bit of a “Frankenstein” creation – a monster stitched together from demos dating back to 2014, post-COVID ideas, and bits and pieces glued into a cohesive whole. It worked, but it was a product of disjointed times.
This time around? They’re doin’ it old school.
Dickinson revealed that the plan for this new album was to record everything live on the floor. No over-polishing, no fixing it later, no “we’ll keep the drums and re-do the guitars.” The philosophy is simple: if it stinks, they do it again. If it rocks, they keep it. This approach usually results in a grittier, more organic sound that breathes a lot better than the digitally snapped-to-grid metal we hear so often today. It’s shorter, punchier, and reportedly much more cohesive sonically than its predecessor.
Bruce Dickinson’s Brazilian Connection
If recording at Grohl’s place wasn’t enough to pique your interest, check the guest list. We know that long-time collaborator Roy “Z” Ramirez is back steering the ship (thankfully), along with drummer Dave Moreno and keyboardist Mistheria. But photos from the studio confirmed that Andreas Kisser of Brazilian heavy hitters Sepultura has been laying down percussion. Nice!
There’s something incredibly cool about the thrash grooves of Sepultura colliding with the operatic soaring of Dickinson. Sepultura vocalist Derrick Green was also spotted hanging out with the legend himself. While we don’t know the full extent of their involvement, adding that kind of South American rhythmic heaviness to Dickinson’s theatrical style is a recipe for something definitely distinct.
When Can We Hear It?
Here is the bad news. You’re going to have to wait. Like, “2027” wait. Ugh.
Between touring The Mandrake Project and his day job flying Ed Force One (metaphorically speaking these days) with Iron Maiden, the release schedule is packed. However, knowing that the vocals are effectively done and the band is grinding away in one of the best rock studios in America gives us plenty to anticipate ahead of the release.
