IRON MAIDEN recently spoke exclusively to the U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine (web site) about their upcoming 14th studio offering, "A Matter of Life and Death", due in September. The CD was recorded at Sarm West Studios in London with producer Kevin Shirley, who also worked on the last two MAIDEN albums, 2000's "Brave New World" and 2003's "Dance of Death".

"'Brave New World' and 'Dance Of Death' were both good records," frontman Bruce Dickinson told Kerrang! "But they weren't anywhere near as good as this one! This one is 'Dance of Death' without the effort. This whole album feels effortless. It's like driving a big, gas-guzzling motor car. You just put your foot down and there's limitless power under the bonnet."

"It's been unbelievable," added bassist/founder member Steve Harris. "We booked the studio for three months and we finished the whole thing in two. I think the preparation was good. We didn't have the rows we usually have! We really focused on each song and it was a very positive experience."

"The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg", which will be the first single to be taken from the record, is described by Kerrang! as "an intricate seven-minute epic that starts with a creepy, ominous intro before erupting into a crushing, almost LED ZEPPELIN-esque riff and a powerful, emotive chorus."

"It's very different for us." admitted Harris. "It's very riffy. The intro has an almost nursery rhyme eeriness. Sometimes you try to create a mood and sometimes it's just there. Everyone's going to ask who Benjamin Breeg is, but you'll just have to find out for yourself!"

With regards to whether "A Matter Of Life And Death" marks a fresh lease of life for MAIDEN, Harris said, "Five years ago we were thinking about possibly retiring at this point, but now we're at this stage there's no way! Why should we? I don't know why, but I always had it in my head that we'd do fifteen studio albums, so we've got at least one more to go!"

(Thanks: Maiden Fans United)