BRUCE DICKINSON Says His Next Solo Album Will Be Recorded In 2026 And Released In 2027

In a new interview with Charlie Kendall of Charlie Kendall's Metalshop, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson spoke about his plans for more new solo music following the release of his latest solo album, "The Mandrake Project", which arrived in March 2024. Bruce said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We're going in the studio in January next year to record the album with Brendan Duffey, who remixed [Dickinson's second solo album, 1994's] 'Balls To Picasso' and did an amazing job. So we go in the studio with him in January, and we are looking to release the album in '27… The amazing band that is gonna record the new record with me is gonna be the same band that toured in Europe with me, and it's gonna be the same band that's gonna tour with me in 2027 when we release the new record. Or at least that's the idea anyway, to release a new record [in 2027]."

Dickinson also talked about his upcoming "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour, which is scheduled to kick off on August 22 in Anaheim, California. He said: "This summer I'm touring the USA for the first time with 'Mandrake', and also we're playing stuff from [1998's] 'The Chemical Wedding', [1997's] 'Accident Of Birth'… I mean, I've got seven studio albums to pick from. Obviously, I'm gonna be playing some stuff from 'Balls To Picasso', so 'Tears [Of The Dragon]' is gonna be in there and some other stuff, 'Gods Of War' probably, for sure. And a real cool mix of tracks. I mean, stuff like 'The Alchemist', people in Europe, they're, like, 'Oh my God. He's playing 'The Alchemist' from 'The Chemical Wedding'.' I went, 'Yep, we're doing that. And 'Chemical Wedding'.' And other things too that people will go, 'Oh, that's really cool.' I hope they do anyway."

According to Bruce, his setlist for the upcoming solo tour will include one IRON MAIDEN song, "Revelations", which was written solely by him and originally appeared on the band's 1983 album "Piece Of Mind". He explained: "Because I'm going down to South America on this run just for one show — 'cause the reason is it's the 40th anniversary since I set foot in Rock In Rio, and there's a big festival in São Paulo called The Town. So it's a huge festival. I'm down there. I'm gonna be doing the show [on September 7]. So I'm gonna play one of what I might call my MAIDEN songs, 'cause obviously I wrote some of them completely on my own. Da da. People say, 'Hey, who wrote the guitar part to 'Revelations'?' I went, 'You know the bit where it says who wrote the song? Did you see anybody else's name there?' They go, 'Oh, man, I didn't know you played guitar.' So anyway, I used to play guitar with MAIDEN for 10 seconds on stage, but I think the bastards never plugged it in."

Reflecting on MAIDEN's 1985 performance at the Rock In Rio festival, Bruce said: "So, I'm in Rio, and the sound was awful. I got so pissed off. I took the guitar off. I was so grumpy. I hit myself in the head, blood cold coming down from a head wound, from the guitar, from the edge of the guitar. That was all on the big screen. So the audience were, like, 'Oh my God. He's bleeding for his heart.' The manager asked me to squeeze it some more 'cause it looked great on the cameras. And that photograph became kind of legendary in Brazil. So I'm gonna do that song ['Revelations'] down in Brazil. And I thought, 'Hell, if I'm gonna rehearse 'Revelations' for Brazil, oh, damn it, I might as well do it in the USA as well.' So I think that'd be kind of cool. We're not playing it on this next tour, this next MAIDEN tour. And I think because it's my song, if I wanna tweak a few things and make a few little alterations that I think might maybe make it a little bit better, then, yeah, it's my song. I'll do what I damn well like."

Joining the IRON MAIDEN singer on the "The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour will once again be his 2024 backing band, featuring Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O'Callaghan (bass),alongside the group's latest additions, Swedish guitarist, songwriter and multi-platinum-credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq (who played on Dickinson's "Rain On The Graves" single). Bruce's longtime guitarist and collaborator Roy "Z" Ramirez is not part of the touring lineup.

"The Mandrake Project Live 2025" North American tour kicks off in Anaheim, California at the House of Blues on August 22 and takes the band across North America including shows in New York, Los Angeles, Texas, Florida and Canada, with festival appearances at Rocklahoma (Oklahoma) and Louder Than Life (Kentucky). The tour also includes a quick return to Brazil for the aforementioned prestigious The Town festival at the City Of Light in São Paulo.

Prior to the April 12, 2024 Whisky A Go Go show, Bruce last performed with his solo band on in August 2002 at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.

Roy played guitar on Dickinson's 1994 album "Balls To Picasso" and went on to produce, co-write and perform multiple instruments on Bruce's subsequent three solo albums, "Accident At Birth" (1997),"The Chemical Wedding" (1998) and "Tyranny Of Souls" (2005).

O'Callaghan is an Irish musician who joined WHITESNAKE in 2021 and toured with the David Coverdale-fronted outfit the following year. She also hit the road with Dickinson last year as part of a performance of Jon Lord's "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" on nearly a dozen dates in Europe and South America.

Californian drummer Moreno previously played on "Tyranny Of Souls" and has worked with BODY COUNT, Jizzy Pearl, Dizzy Reed and Steve Stevens, among others.

Italian keyboard wizard Mistheria has collaborated with an array of artists live and in the studio, including Rob Rock, Mike Portnoy, Jeff Scott Soto and Joel Hoekstra.

"The Mandrake Project" arrived on March 1, 2024 via BMG.

Bruce and Roy recorded "The Mandrake Project" largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by Mistheria and Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's previous solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

Dickinson's reworked version of his classic 1994 album "Balls To Picasso", now titled "More Balls To Picasso", arrived on July 25.

Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith.

Photo credit: John McMurtrie