Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson recently teased secret surprises for the band and confirmed a new solo album during an interview with Radioacktiva.
Dickinson discussed his upcoming recording and touring activities for the next two years, highlighting his plans for both Iron Maiden and his solo project.
“The new solo album, frankly, is up there with the best stuff that I’ve ever done,” Dickinson said. “I mean, it’s a whole level above [2024’s] ‘The Mandrake Project’, and it’s absolutely amazing. You have to wait till next year to hear it, although there will be something out very soon, a first track. And the videos, we shot five videos for it now. The whole thing fits together as a story. So, it’s really exciting, that world.”
He then explained how his solo work fits alongside his commitments with Iron Maiden, hinting at upcoming plans for the band.
“As to how it fits with Iron Maiden, it fits very easily because everybody in the band — Steve [Harris, Maiden bassist] loves the new [solo] material that I’ve done,” he continued. “So, we have a few surprises up our sleeve with Iron Maiden, which I can’t tell you about.”
Dickinson also shared his touring plans for the upcoming year to promote the new solo record.
“But, obviously, I’ll be touring next year with my solo record,” he added. “I’ll be promoting it. But all of that we’ll get around to telling people when the time is right. And that time will be quite soon. But people will be, I think, pretty excited.”
More details regarding the release and tour dates are expected to be announced soon.
Dickinson’s latest remarks arrive with a strong recent track record behind them, as his previous solo effort, “The Mandrake Project,” marked one of the most successful releases of his career outside Iron Maiden.
“The Mandrake Project” was released on March 1, 2024, through BMG, and became Dickinson’s first solo top-10 album in the U.K., entering the chart at No. 3. The record also topped the album charts in Germany and Sweden, giving him his first-ever solo No. 1s anywhere in the world.
The album was not only a musical project but also a broader creative undertaking, as it was tied to a comic-book series created by Dickinson. The story was scripted by Tony Lee and illustrated by Staz Johnson.
Dickinson himself has described how the two projects related to one another. “That’s how the comic ended up being effectively linked, but separate from the album,” he told V13.net. “So we did the comic with Tony and Staz Johnson.” The approach reflects the wider storytelling ambitions he now appears to be carrying into his next solo release, which he says will also be accompanied by a linked set of videos that “fits together as a story.”
Dickinson’s ability to move between his solo career and Iron Maiden has a long history. He quit Iron Maiden in 1993 to pursue solo work before returning to the band in 1999.
That reunion remains one of the defining moments of his career. He summed up the decision at the time with a simple statement: “The world needs Iron Maiden!” The same balancing act is now set to play out again, with a new solo record, a solo tour, and unspecified Iron Maiden surprises all on the horizon.
