Bruce Dickinson has shared details about his upcoming 2027 solo album — and Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris is already a fan. “He told me, ‘That’s the best work you’ve ever done!’” Dickinson revealed.
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While Iron Maiden’s 2026 calendar is already packed, their frontman’s sights are set even further ahead.
Iron Maiden may have a busy 2026 ahead, but frontman Bruce Dickinson is already looking further down the road — to 2027, when he plans to release his next solo album.
Speaking exclusively to Metal Hammer, Dickinson revealed that his eighth solo record will arrive two years from now, after Maiden’s still-unannounced live shows in 2026. His most recent solo effort, The Mandrake Project, was released in 2024.
“We’ve got about 18 tracks demoed, which I finished in April,” he said. “The album won’t be out next year — we’ve got plenty of Maiden commitments, which is great — but 2027 is when it will see the light of day.”
According to Dickinson, fans can expect an eclectic mix: songs that are “bone-crushingly heavy” alongside moments that “pull at the heartstrings.”
“If it’s heavy, it’s heavy,” he explained. “If it turns out to be acoustic, then it’s acoustic. That’s how it works — the song decides what it’s going to be. The stories these tracks tell are really exciting, and I’m thrilled about them. I’ve played some demos to people at the label, and the reaction’s been, ‘Wow!’”
One unexpected early listener was Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris. Dickinson recalled playing the demos for Maiden’s management, unaware that Harris was next door in the middle of a physio session.
“He came out and asked, ‘Is that your new stuff?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ Then he goes, ‘That’s the best stuff you’ve ever done — the best I’ve ever heard from you!’ I told him, ‘Well, thank you very much, boss!’”
Fans will have to wait three years for the new album — though that’s relatively short compared to the 19-year gap between Tyranny of Souls and The Mandrake Project. Dickinson explained to Classic Rock that work on the latter began in 2014 but was delayed by his throat cancer diagnosis later that year and, more recently, by pandemic travel restrictions that kept him from the US for two years. By the time he reconnected with guitarist and producer Roy Z, the project had evolved significantly.
Just last week, Dickinson reissued his 1994 sophomore solo album Balls to Picasso under the title More Balls to Picasso. The updated release includes remixed versions of the original tracks as well as fresh live-in-studio takes of “God of War” and “Shoot All the Clowns.”
Meanwhile, Iron Maiden recently concluded the European leg of their 50th-anniversary Run For Your Lives tour, which is expected to continue into 2026. No new tour dates have been announced yet.