“We approached this album in a different way to how we’ve recorded previously. A lot of the songs were actually written while we were there in the studio and we rehearsed and recorded them straight away while they were still fresh, and I think that immediacy really shows in the songs, they have almost a live feel to them, I think. I’m very proud of ‘The Book Of Souls’, we all are, and we can’t wait for our fans to hear it, and especially to take it out on the road next year!” is what Steve Harris has to say about “The Book Of Souls”, Iron Maiden‘s 16th studio album and first ever in double format, given its 92-minute running time. Recorded in Paris with producer Kevin “Caveman” Shirley in late 2014, the band had to delay its release to the 4th September 2015 due to Bruce Dickinson‘s illness (the singer was diagnosed with a tumour but is now totally recovered).
Bruce himself says: “We’re really excited about ‘The Book Of Souls’ and had a fantastic time creating it. We started working on the album in late summer 2014 and recorded it at Guillame Tell Studios in Paris, where we’d done the ‘Brave New World’ album back in 2000 so the studio holds special memories for all of us. We were delighted to discover the same magical vibe is still alive and very much kicking there! So we immediately felt at home and the ideas just started flowing. By the time we’d finished we all agreed that each track was such an integral part of the whole body of work that if it needed to be a double album, then double it’s going to be!”
Tracklist:
Disc 1
1. If Eternity Should Fail (8:28)
2. Speed Of Light (5:01)
3. The Great Unknown (6:37)
4. The Red And The Black (13:33)
5. When The River Runs Deep (5:52)
6. The Book Of Souls (10:27)
Disc 2
7. Death Or Glory (5:13)
8. Shadows Of The Valley (7:32)
9. Tears Of A Clown (4:59)
10. The Man Of Sorrows (6:28)
11. Empire Of The Clouds (18:01)
Formats:
2CD deluxe hardbound book limited edition
2CD standard edition
Triple heavyweight black vinyl
High res audio (24-bit Mastered for ITunes and non-Mastered for iTunes)
Standard res audio (16 bit/ 44.1 kHz)
More information on the band’s usual places:
Valkyrian Music 