Iron Maiden recently finished recording a new studio album. According to the producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Rush, Dream Theater), there is still some work left that needs to be done, but that the band’s part is complete. It’s in the can, he added. So to speak. The album title and release date have still not been announced. However it most likely will occur before August 1. The band is scheduled to play at the UK’s Sonisphere Festival on that date. Hopefully a tour in the US will follow.

These days, Iron Maiden is going with three guitarists. In 1975 Dave Murray became a member of the band. He’s appeared on each album for Iron Maiden album since their self-titled debut in 1980. He almost always plays on his Fender Stratocaster. For “Killers,” the second release of the band’s in 1981, Adrian Smith joined. Dinky, his signature Jackson model, is his main axe. However during the early years he played a Gibson Les Paul. He also sometimes will switch up and play on SGs, Explorers and other guitars. In 1990 Janick Gers joined Iron Maiden, following his work on “Tattooed Millionaire,” the solo album of Bruce Dickinson. He has a Strat cat as well.

On vocals is Bruce Dickinson. He is an airplane pilot, author and fencer is addition to being Iron Maiden’s frontman and one of the all time elite Metal singers. Nicko McBain is the band’s drummer. He plays on Premier drums along with Paiste cymbals. He looks so casual while playing about a hundred miles per hour. The band’s leader, Steve Harris, is the bassist performing on a Fender Precision Bass and writes most of the group’s material. Harris was the one who founded Iron Maiden. Inside the studio he knows his way around.

Iron Maiden epitomizes what a Heavy Metal band is. From their name, to their looks, to their mascot Eddie, to their albums’ artwork they are metal, particularly their high-speed, guitar drive music, that sounds like a horse running at full gallop.

Iron Maiden is one of the best and most successful Metal bands ever. They’ve sold more than 100 million albums.

“The Tower” from the solo effort of Dickinson’s “The Chemical Wedding” is suggested listening. The bass line in the opening is so sick! Adrian Smith as well as Roy Z (Tribe Of Gypsies, Halford) supply all the guitars.

“Iron Maiden: Flight 666,” the feature length documentary from Iron Maiden will be making its debut in theaters on April 21.

The documentary details the first leg from Iron Maiden’s “Somewhere Back in Time World Tour” that launched in India on February 1, 2008 and wrapped up in Toronto on March 16.

According to a recent press release on the trek the band circled the world, playing 23 sell out shows in South, Central and North America as well as Australia and Asia over a span of 45 days.

The band was able to meet their tour schedule with the help from a Boeing 757 customized airliner. It carried the band and crew along with 12 tons of stage and music equipment on board.

Bruce Dickinson, lead singer, often piloted the 757 which the band named “Ed Force One.”

The film provides a view behind the scenes of Iron Maiden while on the plane, in the cockpit, as well as on and off the stage as they cope with different cultures, time zones, foreign countries and all the pressures and demands that an extensive performance schedule brings.

A movie theater list of where the documentary will be shown will be available soon. Additional information, trailers, teasers and news from the current tour of the band’s can be found on Iron Maiden’s website.

Iron Maiden, British metal veterans, will be boarding their Boeing 757 this summer to perform another around of dates in North America.

Since February, the band has been selling shows out all over the world. They will take a break before late May when they pick things up again. They will kick things off in Texas and then visit several West coast cities before they head to Canada in June for five shows. They will return to the eastern part of the US for arena dates, including a stop on June 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Currently the band’s itinerary wraps us a European tour of seven weeks. Overseas dates are listed on Iron Maiden’s website.

This year the band so far has visited Canada, the US, Puerto Rico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Japan, Australia and India. One of the main reasons why they have been able to maintain such an extensive touring schedule is because they travel the world in their own jet. Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden’s frontman, pilots the plane.

The inspiration for “Somewhere Back in Time- World Tour ’08” came from the re-release recently of the band’s video “Live After Death.” In 1985, over four nights, the video was filmed at Long Beach Arena in Southern California. The outing is focused on classic material of Iron Maiden’s from the 1980s. The stage set even got its inspiration from the “Powerslave Tour” of 1985 that featured a production that was Egyptian style, including Eddie, the colossal mummy. This summer’s outing will revive Eddie as well as other show elements that haven’t been seen for many years.

Dickinson in a recent press release said, we will be bringing all Eddie’s toys that didn’t fit on the plane for the first leg onto the summer tour. On this tour we’re having a really great time. I can’t believe all the excitement it’s creating all over the world as well the huge number of people turning out for our shows. For the band and fans alike it’s a very exciting time.

Iron Maiden is backing “A Matter of Life and Death” from 2006, their 14th studio album. It reached the No. 9 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart.

Iron Maiden, metal veteran rockers, have announced dates for the first leg of their 2008 world tour. The wide ranging trek will span most of the new year’s first six months.

The band is planning to play mainly their 80′s material on their new tour “Somewhere Back in Time.” They will kick off the trek in Mumbai, India on February 1. About 30 city stops around the world have so far been announced, including the first date in North America, a Los Angeles show on February 19.

Currently the only other date in the US on Iron Maiden’s calendar is an East Rutherford, NJ appearance on March 15. According to information on the band’s website, a more extensive North American run in May and June will be announced shortly.

According to promoters, on the outing the band will be traveling almost 100,000 miles and be playing in front of more than 1.5 million fans. A converted and specially commissioned Boeing 757 will transport the band, their crew of 60 members, and over 12 tons worth of equipment. Iron Maiden’s logo will decorate the plane. Frontman Bruce Dickinson, who is a qualified airline captain, is going to pilot the plane on the outing for more than 50,000 miles.

In a recent press statement Dickinson said, last year we got the idea for converting a jumbo jet that we could use as a splitter bus for our tours. Ever since, we’ve worked seriously on this. We’re going to pack as much as we can from the show onto the plane for the first leg. We our intending to give our fans something special for them to remember. This lets me combine two great passions of mine, flying and music.

The band is backing “A Matter of Life and Death,” their latest release from last year. It is Iron Maiden’s 14th studio album. Kevin Shirley (Journey, Aerosmith) from South Africa produced the album along with Steve Harris. The two also co-produced “Brave New World” in 2000 and “Dance of Death” in 2003.

According to the record label for the band, “A Matter of Life and Death” peaked at No. 9 on Billboard’s 200 chart and sold 220,000 worldwide copies when it was released.

During their 2008 world tour Iron Maiden, the iconic British metal band, will be flying the skies in their customized jetliner with frontman Bruce Dickinson as the pilot.

According to a recent press release, band members, their 60 member support staff and crew, along with 12 tons worth of equipment will be traveling from show to show via a converted and specially commissioned Astraeus Boeing 757. Iron Maiden’s logo as well as skeletal mascot Eddie, decorate the plane.

Through a prepared statement Dickinson, who is an Astraeus Airlines qualified Airline Captain said, last year we had an idea to convert a jumbo jet. It effectively is like flying a splitter bus weighing 113 tons for touring. Ever since we had the idea we’ve worked seriously on this. It’s quite complex. However in the end with lots of help provided by Astraeus Airlines, we were able to overcome technicalities involved in customizing the plane to meet our needs. We will take the last ten rows of seats out so we can fit our customized cargo hold in. In the future we’ll be able to use that again if the jaunt works. That’s in addition to the standard storage.

Taking the band, equipment and personnel in one means of transport makes the touring a lot easier and overcomes a lot of the logistical problems of having the equipment and people flying on different planes. Another thing we are doing is figuring out our carbon footprint so we can be responsible about that. For the first leg we will pack as much of our show onto the plane as we can. We intend on giving our fans something that is very special for them to remember. This also lets me combine two great passions of mine, flying and music.

During the tour Dickinson is expecting to log more than 50,000 miles.