Brave New World

The first studio record with Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith since 1999, recorded live in Paris as a six-piece.

Brave New World is the twelfth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 29 May 2000. It marked a significant return to form as the first studio release since the rejoining of longtime lead singer Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999. This record also established the band's identity as a six-piece lineup, retaining Janick Gers who had replaced Smith previously. The album draws its title and artwork inspiration from Aldous Huxley's novel of the same name, with the cover created by Steve Stone, while Derek Riggs contributed only to the booklet and other design elements.

Quick Facts

Artist: Iron Maiden
Released: 29 May 2000
Recorded: 1999 – April 2000
Studio: Guillaume Tell (Paris)
Genre: Heavy metal
Length: 66:57
Label: EMI
Producer: Kevin Shirley

Lore & Background

Most songs were written before The Ed Hunter Tour and recorded at Guillaume Tell Studios in Paris. This session was historic for being the band's first collaboration with producer Kevin Shirley and their initial attempt at recording live in the studio. Adrian Smith revealed that 'The Nomad', 'Dream of Mirrors', and 'The Mercenary' originated from 1998 sessions for Virtual XI, with former vocalist Blaze Bayley contributing uncredited lyrics to 'Dream of Mirrors'. Steve Harris also noted that work on 'Blood Brothers' began during that era but remained incomplete until this album. The song 'Brave New World' was not the only track to carry over to the subsequent Dance of Death World Tour; 'The Wicker Man', 'Ghost of the Navigator', and 'Blood Brothers' were also played on that tour.

Reader's Guide

The album received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the return of Dickinson and Smith. Kerrang! called it 'truly towering' and 'bombastic', while Sputnikmusic ranked it alongside classics like Powerslave. Classic Rock noted it successfully reeled back to the band's heyday. Conversely, NME felt the band looked obsolete compared to acts like Korn, and Blabbermouth.net described them as 'tired and uninspired'. Commercially, it peaked at No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart, earning a Gold certification, and debuted at No. 39 on the US Billboard 200. By 2008, it had registered over 307,000 sales via Nielsen SoundScan. The album was recognized as the 8th greatest of the 2000s by Decibel, named one of the top 20 metal albums of 2000 by Metal Hammer in 2020, and placed 15th on their 2023 list of best 2000s metal albums.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	The Wicker Man	Adrian Smith, Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson	4:35
2	Ghost of the Navigator	Janick Gers, Dickinson, Harris	6:50
3	Brave New World	Dave Murray, Harris, Dickinson	6:18
4	Blood Brothers	Harris	7:14
5	The Mercenary	Gers, Harris	4:42
6	Dream of Mirrors	Gers, Harris	9:21
7	The Fallen Angel	Smith, Harris	4:00
8	The Nomad	Murray, Harris	9:06
9	Out of the Silent Planet	Gers, Dickinson, Harris	6:25
10	The Thin Line Between Love & Hate	Murray, Harris	8:26
Total length			66:57

Did You Know?

The promotional radio release of 'The Wicker Man' does not feature extra vocals in the chorus.
Contrary to some claims, 'Blood Brothers' was never nominated for a Grammy; Iron Maiden has never won or been nominated for a Grammy.
In 2008, the album registered over 307,000 sales on the Nielsen SoundScan system in the United States.