The Book of
Souls is the sixteenth studio album by British heavy metal band Iron
Maiden, released on 4 September 2015. It is the band's first studio double
album, and therefore also their longest to date, with a total length of 92
minutes. It also marks the longest gap between studio releases in the group's
career at five years, following 2010's The Final Frontier. The
album's launch and itssupporting tour were delayed to allow vocalist Bruce
Dickinson time to recover from treatment which he received in early 2015
to remove a cancerous tumour.
The album
was produced by long-time Iron Maiden collaborator Kevin Shirley and
recorded at Guillaume Tell Studios, Paris from September to December 2014,
which they had previously used for 2000's Brave New World. The band
wrote and immediately recorded many tracks in the studio, resulting in a
spontaneous live feel. The first song to be released from the album, "Speed
of Light", was issued as a music video on 14 August, while simultaneously
made available as a digital download and CD single exclusive to Best Buy.
In addition to being their longest studio record, it also contains the band's
longest song, "Empire of the Clouds", at 18 minutes in length. While
not a concept album, references to the soul and mortality are prominent,
realised in theMaya-themed cover artwork, created by Mark Wilkinson. by
Track listing The Book of Souls
Name
|
Artist
|
Time
|
||
1
|
If Eternity Should Fail
|
Iron Maiden
|
8:28
|
|
2
|
Speed of Light
|
Iron Maiden
|
5:01
|
|
3
|
The Great Unknown
|
Iron Maiden
|
6:37
|
|
4
|
The Red and the Black
|
Iron Maiden
|
13:33
|
|
5
|
When the River Runs Deep
|
Iron Maiden
|
5:52
|
|
6
|
The Book of Souls
|
Iron Maiden
|
10:27
|
|
7
|
Death or Glory
|
Iron Maiden
|
5:12
|
|
8
|
Shadows of the Valley
|
Iron Maiden
|
7:32
|
|
9
|
Tears of a Clown
|
Iron Maiden
|
4:58
|
|
10
|
The Man of Sorrows
|
Iron Maiden
|
6:27
|
|
11
|
Empire of the Clouds
|
Iron Maiden
|
18:01
|