Iron Maiden studio album 17 rumours and speculations

[DJ James]

Some of the entitlement being displayed is getting to be a bit too much. I'm ready for a new album as much as anyone but I'm not going to start disparaging the band. Flame away...

Yeah, since when has this band owed us anything. There is a commitment made to perform when you buy an album let's say. If this album contains music, that commitment is fulfilled. You buy a ticket to a show and the band is there, that commitment is fulfilled. As far as I'm concerned, we haven't paid for anything yet, so why are we expecting so much?

 

[Poto]

All I want is that they communicate with their fans. The silence is deafening like someone else said.

 

[Helmuth Von Moltke]

Some of the entitlement being displayed is getting to be a bit too much. I'm ready for a new album as much as anyone but I'm not going to start disparaging the band. Flame away...

It's a fair point well made by you. They don't need to assemble like performing monkey's for our sakes, and they have more than stacked up the deserved down time to enjoy their money and families. However, I think it reasonable to point out that if the band shifts gear and effectively becomes inert, it may be worth communicating with fans.

Taking a year off from Maiden in 1989? Announce it. Cutting down to shorter tours after 2003? Announce it. Bruce has to be given the space to recover from cancer? Massive and sensitive news, so communicate it delicately. Pandemic means delaying the 3rd leg of our retro tour into year five since it began? ..... mic drops... nothing ....

My sense is that Maiden are not really meeting their own standards at the moment. I also agree with some fans (some here and others I know personally) that the bond established between band and fans could have been used rather well during the pandemic period. I don't think it was, but if others think it was used well, or others still don't care at all, those are valid views too. Respect to all.

 

[Meliegree]

Yeah, since when has this band owed us anything. There is a commitment made to perform when you buy an album let's say. If this album contains music, that commitment is fulfilled. You buy a ticket to a show and the band is there, that commitment is fulfilled. As far as I'm concerned, we haven't paid for anything yet, so why are we expecting so much?

Well. First of all - Bruce said that they are more than band. They claim to be a brand. And being a brand means being commited to your fans and customers at least. So yeah, if they are a brand they failed at almost any level. They are kind of brand that care about us only when they can sell us what they want and as soon as we buy they vanish with comments that they dont owe us anything. That's not how brand works.

 

[Fabio Maiden]

I'm sorry, but their modus operandi over the last years has given life to 2 sides of fans. The "they don't owe us anything. So you shut up" fans (also, the fans Rod hopes to have...), and the "I'm not okay with this lazy cabaret, anymore" fans.

I respect the first side, but I strongly claim the right to be part of the second one.

I repeat: pandemic is not a deal anymore.

You can OFFICIALLY update your fans about the album existence (without giving out nothing more than a confirmation, if they're scared to) any day, pandemic or not pandemic. It just takes 2 minutes to write a post / brief statement. The "If we told you what we have in store, they would have to kill us" is a silly, childish thing, during these times. They know half the world know they have an album ready, and they still act as if they don't.

 

[Fabio Maiden]

Well. First of all - Bruce said that they are more than band. They claim to be a brand. And being a brand means being commited to your fans and customers at least. So yeah, if they are a brand they failed at almost any level. They are kind of brand that care about us only when they can sell us what they want and as soon as we buy they vanish with comments that they dont owe us anything. That's not how brand works

So true.

 

[srfc]

They know half the world know they have an album ready, and they still act as if they don't.

Half the world don't know. A few nerds do. The album marketing campaign is not aimed at fans like us, who know what brand of porridge Bruce buys when he's in Paris, they don't need to tell us about the album, we know, they know we know from the amount of traffic Kevin Shirley's instagram, or even a random studio employees instagrams, gets.

When the album release campaign starts it won't be aimed at us, it will be aimed at the vast majority of fans, who have never creeped on Nicko's wifes instagram, or hung around lanes near a recording studio hoping for a peek of somebody, it will be a shock to them and therefore a good marketing tool. It would be a complete damp squib if they had announced it two years ago for those fans.

And the thing is, those fans will actually buy it. It's the nerds who will download it illegally before release date and rain on everyone elses parade with their pre-destined whinging and moaning comments.

 

[Randalf]

You can OFFICIALLY update your fans about the album existence (without giving out nothing more than a confirmation, if they're scared to) any day, pandemic or not pandemic. It just takes 2 minutes to write a post / brief statement. The "If we told you what we have in store, they would have to kill us" is a silly, childish thing, during these times. They know half the world know they have an album ready, and they still act as if they don't.

Yes, it would be great if they communicated a bit more. Or just released some old live shit or whatever on YouTube. It would go in line with Bruce's remarks about having a "special relationship" with their fans and whatnot.

But as they, or their social media team, whatever, don't do it, I'm ok with that. Obviously, I'd want and like to see more, but simultaneously I don't really bother to waste too much energy and effort to feel angry or disappointed about it. I understand those who do, but it's more of a "meh" thing for me.

Given their usual formula with the announcements and whatnot, they usually want to deliver something specific. Announcing that there is an album they'll tell more about later and release it when the LOTB III has quite a bit of loose ends and unspecific stuff for Maiden Marketing Machine. They - presumably - want to give some exact dates and details or nothing at all. They want to give 100% spotlight to the album, with no Legacy of the Beast cycle or anything else underway. I'm very optimistic about them having a tour or two left in them, but anything can happen. Maybe Nicko will, for reason or another, drop out from touring after next year's LOTB dates. They want to be as sure as possible about their plans for the next year or two before they'll go out with a big announcement, as the new album & tour announcement will (I assume) go more or less hand in hand.

Besides, assuming they wouldn't announce title, artwork or anything quite yet, before LOTB is done, it wouldn't have that much informative value anyway to give it away that they've completed the record and just sit on it. Hardly anything new for us who know/assume it's done and for the others, I think the shroud of mystery and uncertainty, spiced up by vague rumours about the album #17 being a thing, works just as well, if not better than posting something along the lines "yes yes, it's done, we'll release it next year, bye."

Obviously, these are just my thoughts and pointless pondering.

 

[Kalata]

But this isn't a bootleg. It's a properly (some really poor and/or questionable mixing decisions, but still) mixed and mastered album. Yeah, it isn't very good (the vinyl is somewhat better), but it certainly isn't what a bootleg usually is - A live feed mixdown.

Agree. Although I like the production of Live Chapter more, the only annoying thing in Nights Of The Dead is the audience noise. It was a strange move (for now) from the band to release only the live album without a video release - maybe they are planning to film some shows during the 3rd leg next year. They will release/stream again the video after the tour is over next year, I guess. Shortly afterwards, new single & album release.

If they put out any information about the album now knowing that it's probably still going to be over a year until it's released is not going to help the situation.

You're right, but if they share the album cover and the track list we at least will have something to discuss... sadly, not gonna happen until we are close to releasing it.

Given their usual formula with the announcements and whatnot, they usually want to deliver something specific. Announcing that there is an album they'll tell more about later and release it when the LOTB III has quite a bit of loose ends and unspecific stuff for Maiden. They - presumably - want to give some exact dates and details or nothing at all. They want to give 100% spotlight to the album, with no Legacy of the Beast cycle or anything else underway. They sure want to be sure about their plans for the next year or two before they'll go out with a big announcement, as the new album & tour announcement will (I assume) go more or less hand in hand.

^ Spot on.

Edit: and as Adrian said, live shows will happen first.

 

[RLonger]

Yes, it would be great if they communicated a bit more. Or just released some old live shit or whatever on YouTube. It would go in line with Bruce's remarks about having a "special relationship" with their fans and whatnot.

But as they, or their social media team, whatever, don't do it, I'm ok with that. Obviously, I'd want and like to see more, but simultaneously I don't really bother to waste too much energy and effort to feel angry or disappointed about it. I understand those who do, but it's more of a "meh" thing for me.

Given their usual formula with the announcements and whatnot, they usually want to deliver something specific. Announcing that there is an album they'll tell more about later and release it when the LOTB III has quite a bit of loose ends and unspecific stuff for Maiden Marketing Machine. They - presumably - want to give some exact dates and details or nothing at all. They want to give 100% spotlight to the album, with no Legacy of the Beast cycle or anything else underway. I'm very optimistic about them having a tour or two left in them, but anything can happen. Maybe Nicko will, for reason or another, drop out from touring after next year's LOTB dates. They want to be as sure as possible about their plans for the next year or two before they'll go out with a big announcement, as the new album & tour announcement will (I assume) go more or less hand in hand.

Besides, assuming they wouldn't announce title, artwork or anything quite yet, before LOTB is done, it wouldn't have that much informative value anyway to give it away that they've completed the record and just sit on it. Hardly anything new for us who know/assume it's done and for the others, I think the shroud of mystery and uncertainty, spiced up by vague rumours about the album #17 being a thing, works just as well, if not better than posting something along the lines "yes yes, it's done, we'll release it next year, bye."

Obviously, these are just my thoughts and pointless pondering.

Probably you're pretty right. They wanna focus all attention on new album AFTER the Legacy tour.

 

[GhostofCain]

Well. First of all - Bruce said that they are more than band. They claim to be a brand. And being a brand means being commited to your fans and customers at least. So yeah, if they are a brand they failed at almost any level. They are kind of brand that care about us only when they can sell us what they want and as soon as we buy they vanish with comments that they dont owe us anything. That's not how brand works.

Bruce has been saying a lot of corporate crap in the last decade. Time to put his money where his mouth is.

 

[Kalata]

I realized something - Maiden seems want to keep everything ''in secret'' about the album and says nothing about it, but I forgot that after the first two shows (I think) of the LOTB tour in 2018, Steve confirmed (in an interview) that Maiden will begin working on a new album in early 2019:

Spoiler

“Well, as is normal after a very long tour, we will take some time off… well, rather them, because I plan to do some performances with British Lion this fall in Canada, Latin America and Japan, and I’ll have to put the band back to the point. But I think that at the beginning of the year we will meet to start working on new issues, in fact we already have several ideas and some half-assembled songs for a new album.”

So, it was not that secretly.

 

[RLonger]

Exactly.

 

[Trevoire]

Aye and Bruce spent the US leg telling audiences that they would be back with a shitload of new songs very soon. So it's not THAT secret, despite them wanting to pretend it doesn't exist currently.

 

[Iron Lurker]

You're right, but if they share the album cover and the track list we at least will have something to discuss... sadly, not gonna happen until we are close to releasing it.

Edit: and as Adrian said, live shows will happen first.

If they put out a cover and track listing this far out from release this will happen: "If you have all this then go ahead and release the album" X a million.

 

[Iron Lurker]

AC/DC released an album last year with no tour support. Anyone know how that album has sold?

 

[srfc]

AC/DC released an album last year with no tour support. Anyone know how that album has sold?

I don't know, but I've completely forgotten about the album by now, and that was a pretty good album

 

[GhostofCain]

Aye and Bruce spent the US leg telling audiences that they would be back with a shitload of new songs very soon. So it's not THAT secret, despite them wanting to pretend it doesn't exist currently.

Perhaps they went back home, listened to the album, and realised they would be back with a load of shit songs and decided to extend the LOTB tour ad nauseam as a result.

Joking aside (if the new album is like most of the reunion material I would be more than happy), didn't Bruce only tease the new material earlier in the 2019 leg and then stopped? I suspect the 3rd leg might have been added after he made those early comments...

 

[GhostofCain]

AC/DC released an album last year with no tour support. Anyone know how that album has sold?

According to Wikipedia (quoting reports from the industry), it was the 6th highest selling album of 2020, with 1.37 millions of copies sold. No mean feat in this day and age, especially considering the album was released in November!

 

[Kalata]

If they put out a cover and track listing this far out from release this will happen: "If you have all this then go ahead and release the album" X a million.

Besides, it's not the style of Maiden to put info about something that will be released a year later.

I suspect the 3rd leg might have been added after he made those early comments...

I think their original plan was the LOTB tour to have three legs. He made those comments in 2019, Steve's interview was in 2018, the album would have been released in 2020 after the (cancelled) 3rd leg - it fits. That's why he made those comments during the 2nd leg in 2019, methinks... the album was ready.