IRON MAIDEN are delighted to announce the premiere on www.ironmaiden.com of the “Director’s Cut” video for the title track from their new album, ‘THE FINAL FRONTIER ‘. The album is due for release on August 16th and the video is an edit of the opening song on the album, entitled ‘Satellite 15… The Final Frontier’.
The video, which can be viewed now at www.ironmaiden.com, was produced by award-winning production company Darkside Animation Films. Darkside’s creative team includes animators who’ve created effects for feature films including ‘Lost in Space’, ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Black Hawk Down’. The script was written by the director of BBC Radio’s ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’, and the live action was co-ordinated and directed by Nick Scott Studios.
As well as working round the clock to turn out over three months of animation in eight weeks flat, the Darkside team developed entirely new technology to bring to life as never before Iron Maiden’s mascot, EDDIE, in his new alien incarnation. A total of 141 shots combined live action with integrated CGI as well as full 3D animation, resulting in a complete running time of five minutes – that’s over seven thousand frames, taking up to half an hour to render each frame!
Intriguingly, some of the integral footage was shot at Rendlesham Forest in Southern England, which is associated with The Rendlesham Forest Incident due to a series of reported sightings of unexplained lights and alleged landing of a craft of unknown origin.
The album ‘The Final Frontier’ which features 10 tracks listed below, including ‘El Dorado’ (which was released as a free download to great worldwide excitement in June) runs for over 76 minutes.
Confirmed for release on EMI on 16th August, the album will be released in a unique Limited Edition Collectors ‘Mission Edition’ CD case and will include access to extra bonus content including the Director’s Cut of this new video, filmed band ‘Mission Debrief’ interview footage, wallpapers, photos and the exclusive game ‘Mission II : Rescue & Revenge’. Maiden are also for the first time making the album available as an iTunes LP with bonus content as well as the traditional digital format. There will also be a Limited Edition Double Picture Disc.
The full tracklisting for the album (total running time 76:35) is:
THE FINAL FRONTIER
1. Satellite 15…..The Final Frontier 8:40
2. El Dorado 6:49
3. Mother Of Mercy 5:20
4. Coming Home 5:52
5. The Alchemist 4:29
6. Isle Of Avalon 9:06
7. Starblind 7:48
8. The Talisman 9:03
9. The Man Who Would Be King 8:28
10. When The Wild Wind Blows 10:59
The band are currently touring North America playing sell out arenas and Amphitheatres and receiving tremendous reactions from fans and media alike. After these 25 shows “The Final Frontier World Tour’ then travels back across the Atlantic for a series of headline festival and stadium appearances around Europe. The remaining dates are as follows:
JULY
Wed 14th – Pittsburgh, PA – First Niagara Pavilion
Thur 15th – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
Sat 17th – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
Sun 18th – Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Tue 20th – Washington D.C. – Jiffy Lube Live
Fri 30th – Ireland – Dublin, The O2
AUGUST
Aug 1st – UK – Knebworth Sonisphere Festival
Thur 5th – Germany – Wacken Festival
Sat 7th – Sweden – Stockholm Stora Skuggan Sonisphere Festival
Sun 8th – Finland – Pori’s Kirjurinluoto Sonisphere Festival
Wed 11th – Norway – Bergen Bergenhus Festning — Koengen
Sat 14th – Hungary – Sziget Festival
Sun 15th – Transylvania – Cluj Napoca — Polus Center Mall
Tue 17th – Italy – Villa Manin, Udine
Thur 19th – Belgium – Pukkelpop Festival
Sat 21st – Spain – Valencia Auditorio Marina Sur