Iron Maiden's thirteenth studio album, Dance of Death, is slated for a September release on Columbia. The album will be the band's second since the reunion of its classic early-Eighties lineup, starring singer Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith.

The band re-teamed with producer Kevin Shirley, who co-produced 2000's Brave New World, to record Dance's eleven tracks in London in late 2002. "Recording this album was almost like being back when Number of the Beast was recorded in that the speed and the energy that went into the writing and recording was phenomenal," Dickinson said.

In other Maiden news, the band will release a double DVD, Visions of the Beast, on July 15th. In the meantime, fans will have to hope for a sneak peek of Dance through Maiden's Give Me Ed 'Til I'm Dead tour, which will make its way to these shores next month. The twenty-nine-date itinerary begins on July 21st in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Dance of Death track listing:

Wildest Dreams
Rainmaker
No More Lies
Montsegur
Dance of Death
Gates of Tomorrow
New Frontier
Paschendale
Face in the Sand
Age of Innocence
Journeyman

Iron Maiden tour dates:

7/21: Worcester, MA, Centrum Center
7/22: Hartford, CT, Meadows Music Theater
7/23: Camden, NJ, Tweeter Center
7/25: Holmdel, NJ, PNC Bank Arts Center
7/26: Wantagh, NY, Jones Beach
7/29: Washington, DC, Merriweather Post Pavilion
7/30: New York, Madison Square Garden
8/1: Quebec City, Colisee Pepsi
8/2: Montreal, Bell Center
8/3: Toronto, Molson Amphitheater
8/5: Cleveland, Blossom Music Center
8/6: Detroit, DTE Energy Music Theater
8/8: Pittsburgh, Post Gazette Pavilion
8/9: Columbus, OH, Germain Amphitheater
8/10: Chicago, Tweeter Center
8/13: Dallas, Smirnoff Music Center
8/15: San Antonio, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
8/16: Houston, C.W. Mitchell Pavilion
8/18: El Paso, Don Haskins Center
8/20: Denver, Fiddler's Green
8/21: Albuquerque, Journal Pavilion
8/22: Phoenix, Cricket Pavilion
8/24: Irvine, CA, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
8/25: Long Beach, CA, Long Beach Arena
8/26: San Diego, San Diego Sports Arena
8/28: San Jose, CA, Shoreline Amphitheater
8/29: Concord, CA, Chronicle Pavilion
8/30: Sacramento, Sleep Train Amphitheater

ANDREW DANSBY
(June 18, 2003)