Ex-IRON MAIDEN Singer PAUL DI'ANNO Scraps 'Retirement' Plans, Launches New Band ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ

Former IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno has scrapped his retirement plans and is in the process of recording a new album with his new band called ARCHITECTS OF CHAOZ (also featuring members of Paul's longtime German touring backing group THE PHANTOMZ).

Due to a number of health issues, including a knee problem, Di'Anno announced in July 2012 that he would stop touring in 2013. His farewell tour had since been extended to 2014.

Asked in a brand new interview with "The Metal Voice" about his "farewell" tour, Di'Anno interjected (hear audio below): "It's not a farewell tour. I was gonna retire because of a bad knee. And it was really pissing me off. What it is, I've got a knee replacement, 'cause it's all damaged; I've had a couple of motorcycle accidents. I thought about quitting — not because I wanted to, but I thought, 'This could get worse. I'm doing more damage to it.' But then I thought, it doesn't make a difference; it's about the voice. So it's not the farewell tour. And I spoke to the wife and she said, 'Oh, my God. If you stay home for two months, I'll probably murder you.' So I decided in the end, 'Fuck it.' Doing all these things is great, but I actually wanna be part of a band."

Paul Di'Anno's April 9 performance at Lizard Club in Krakow, Poland as part of the Doładowanie festival was professionally filmed for an upcoming DVD, titled "The Beast Arises", to be released on October 6 in Europe through Metal Mind Productions and October 7 in North America via MVD. "The Beast Arises" will also be made available on CD, digital and vinyl.

The setlist for Di'Anno's concert in Krakow included some of the best IRON MAIDEN tracks from the period when Di'Anno was the band’s lead singer, as well as KILLERS and Di'Anno solo tracks. The DVD will also contain bonus features such as an interview with Di'Anno, a photo gallery and more.

Di'Anno recorded two classic albums with IRON MAIDEN before being fired and replaced by Bruce Dickinson. He went on to front a number of other bands, including KILLERS and BATTLEZONE, and released several solo records.

Asked why he thinks his two LPs with MAIDEN became timeless and iconic in the rock history, Di'Anno told Spotlight Report: "I think because when we started, the whole punk thing was so bloody huge, which I loved and still love punk to this day, and the heavier music just became so distant; they called it dinosaur rock back in the day."

He continued: "When we got signed and the whole New Wave Of British Heavy Metal started, that's what really kicked off what we have today. If it wasn't for MAIDEN and bands like SAXON, MOTÖRHEAD, etc., you would never have had bands like METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX. If you didn't have those bands, you would never have had SEPULTURA, MORBID ANGEL and then PANTERA, etc. So at the time, they were just bloody good albums, but in the history of things, they really kicked off what started for anything today that has heavy guitar. And yeah, they are timeless. Those albums still sell millions. You don't see the crap that was around then still selling shit, like SHAKIN' STEVENS or SPANDAU BALLET, do ya?"