PRESS RELEASE FROM WARNER MUSIC UK
Global Chart Domination For Iron Maiden “The Book Of Souls”
Debuts At #1 In 24 Countries Reported So Far – More To Follow
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
Warner Music is proud to announce that their first collaboration with IRON MAIDEN for their new album has resulted in a resounding first week Global Chart success. Maiden’s sixteenth – and first ever double – studio album, The Book Of Souls, was released worldwide on Sept 4 through Parlophone Records (BMG in the U.S.A).
IRON MAIDEN maintain their status as one of the foremost contemporary and influential Rock bands in the World as they debut at #1 in the UK with The Book Of Souls (their fifth No 1 album here, the first being 1982’s seminal ‘The Number of the Beast’ album) and 23 other countries to date with many more still to be reported.
In addition to the phenomenal amount of No.1 debuts in all parts of the world, Maiden are currently No.2 in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, New Zealand Poland, No.3 in Turkey, No.4 in South Africa and USA (BMG)
Miles Leonard, Chairman, Parlophone Records, comments,
“The team at Parlophone and WMG are delighted to announce that ‘The Book Of Souls’ is Number 1 in 24 countries with more to come, but more impressively has even sold more than ‘The Final Frontier’ in it’s first week five years ago – a remarkable achievement in a market place where physical sales are dipping and streaming is becoming the dominant force! Iron Maiden and Phantom management are one of the most potent forces in Rock music and we’re delighted to be part of their team and their exciting plans for 2016 and beyond!”
Dave Shack, Managing Director at Phantom Music adds,
“The team at Phantom are delighted with the results of our very first album through Warners after so many great years with EMI. They have backed up our vision for ‘The Book Of Souls’ in every sense and really been fantastic partners to us all around the world- as these charts & sales clearly show”
Having recorded the new double album at Guillaume Tell Studios in Paris at the end of last year, the band’s 2015 plans were put on hold whilst vocalist Bruce Dickinson underwent treatment for a cancerous tumour on the back of the throat, from which he has now been given the all-clear. Maiden recently announced an extensive world tour starting in February 2016, with the band expected to visit 35 countries flying over 55,000 miles across 6 of the 7 continents, taking touring to a whole new level by using a Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet, which will be piloted by Bruce who is currently in training to qualify for his 747 licence.
Thirty-five years after their eponymous debut album in April 1980 and with more than 90 million albums sold, IRON MAIDEN are an institution. They have come to embody a spirit of fearless creative independence, ferocious dedication to their fans and a cheerful indifference to their critics that’s won them a following that spans every culture, generation and time-zone.
All chart positions received to date are as follows:
No. 1 – Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
No. 2 – Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland
No. 3 – Turkey
No. 4 – South Africa, USA
What the UK media are saying about ‘The Book Of Souls’
“The biggest and best heavy metal album of 2015” (5/5) – Kerrang
“This is as bold as music gets” (10/10) – Metal Hammer
“The sound of a band at the peak of their powers. Is there anything that Iron Maiden can’t do? The Book Of Souls suggests not.” (9/10) – Classic Rock
’Game Of Thrones has proved there is an audience for overblown but superbly executed fantasy drama and Maiden’s album is its musical equivalent” (4/5) – The Times newspaper
“Truly monumental riffage” (4.5/5) – The Sun newspaper
“The UK metal veterans hit redoubtable form on this ambitious and often thrilling double album” (4/5) – Daily Mirror newspaper
“..full-throttle fare with plenty of fresh ideas” (4/5) – Daily Star newspaper