BRUCE DICKINSON Says 'Taking A Wander Around The Graveyard' Cheers Him Up

In a new interview with Germany's EMP, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson was asked if there are certain places, people, situations, hobbies that influence his creativity and inspiration. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think if you're creative, then you just have to be aware of when creativity may strike and be prepared to abandon all those ordinary things that everybody else thinks are important for that special moment, which has just fallen and hit you on top of the head, which can be very frustrating for the rest of humanity when they want you to go to dinner, but you actually want to write the last page of something because you just happen to be in the mood. Things like that happen at odd and unusual times. It happens to me when I'm driving around, which is very inconvenient, because you want to pull over and write something immediately, and often you can't. Or sitting on trains, strangely enough. But then somebody starts making a noise and distracting you, and you just get very inconvenient. So I like to be kind of lonely in a crowded room sometimes when I create. Sometimes I go off and just take a wander around the graveyard. I find that cheers me up."

Dickinson's new solo album, "The Mandrake Project", will arrive on March 1 via BMG.

Earlier this month, Bruce revealed the addition of two new guitarists to his solo touring band.

Swedish-born guitarist, songwriter and multi-platinum-credited producer Philip Näslund and Swiss session and touring guitarist Chris Declercq (who incidentally played on Dickinson's current single, "Rain On The Graves") will accompany previously announced members Dave Moreno (drums),Mistheria (keyboards) and Tanya O'Callaghan (bass). Bruce's long-term co-writer and producer Roy "Z" Ramirez will not be part of the touring lineup.

The first chance to see the six-piece live will now be at The Observatory in Orange County, California on April 15.

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 last solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

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. Since then, Dickinson has only released one more solo album (the aforementioned "Tyranny Of Souls") but has previously said that his solo career is not over.