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''The Book of Souls'' is the sixteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 4 September 2015. It is the band's first studio double album, and therefore also their longest to date, with a total length of 92 minutes. The album's launch and its supporting tour were delayed to allow vocalist Bruce Dickinson time to recover from treatment which he received in early 2015 to remove a cancerous tumour. The album was produced by long-time Iron Maiden collaborator Kevin Shirley and recorded at Guillaume Tell Studios, Paris from September to December 2014, which they had previously used for 2000's ''Brave New World''. The band wrote and immediately recorded many tracks in the studio, resulting in a spontaneous live feel. The first song to be released from the album, "Speed of Light", was issued as a music video on 14 August, while simultaneously made available as a digital download and CD single exclusive to Best Buy. In addition to being their longest studio record, it also contains the band's longest song, "Empire of the Clouds", at 18 minutes in length. While not a concept album, references to the soul and mortality are prominent, realised in the Maya-themed cover artwork, created by Mark Wilkinson. The record was a critical and commercial success, receiving positive reviews and topping the album charts in 24 countries. It earned the band their fifth UK No. 1, following 1982's ''The Number of the Beast'', 1988's ''Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'', 1992's ''Fear of the Dark'' and 2010's ''The Final Frontier''. In the US, it matched ''The Final Frontiers success on the ''Billboard'' 200, repeating the group's highest placement at no. 4. It also marks the longest gap between studio releases in the group's entire career; at five years, following ''The Final Frontier''. ==Background== The band's intention to record a sixteenth studio album was first revealed by vocalist Bruce Dickinson in September 2013, who expected a possible release in 2015. The album was recorded at Guillaume Tell Studios, Paris with producer Kevin Shirley from September to December 2014, with the finishing touches added in early 2015. They had previously used the studios for 2000's ''Brave New World'', with Dickinson stating "the studio holds special memories for all of us. We were delighted to discover the same magical vibe is still alive and very much kicking there!" The band originally intended to release the record earlier in 2015, but it was pushed back to 4 September while Dickinson received treatment for a cancerous tumour.〔 The album's title, artwork and track listing were revealed on 18 June 2015. Released by Parlophone, this is the band's first original studio album not to be issued by EMI, after both companies were acquired by Warner Music Group in 2013. In the US, the album will be issued by Sanctuary Copyrights/BMG. On 14 August, the band issued a music video for the song "Speed of Light", directed by Llexi Leon. In addition, the song was simultaneously made available as a digital download and was issued as a single-track CD via Best Buy in the US. The album cover features the original version of the Iron Maiden logo, not used on a studio album since 1995's ''The X Factor''. The artwork was created by Mark Wilkinson,〔 whose previous works for Iron Maiden include ''Live at Donington'' (1998 remastered version) and ''Best of the 'B' Sides'' (2002 compilation), as well as "The Wicker Man" and "Out of the Silent Planet" singles covers. According to bassist Steve Harris, the cover art ties in with the title track, as the depiction of the band's mascot, Eddie, is based on the Maya civilization, who "believe that souls live on (death )". To check the accuracy of the artwork, the band hired Mayanist scholar Simon Martin, who also translated the song titles into hieroglyphs. According to Martin, although the civilisation had no Book of Souls, "the Mayans are very big on souls ... So as a title, it's appropriate to Mayan culture, but it's very much Iron Maiden's own thing."〔 Although not a concept album, references to the soul appear throughout,〔 as do ruminations on mortality in general, with Harris explaining "as you get older, you start thinking about your own mortality and these things more".〔 A supporting tour based on the album has been delayed until early 2016 so that Dickinson can fully recuperate from his cancer treatment. The Book of Souls World Tour is scheduled to begin in February with the band performing in 35 countries across North and South America, Asia, Australasia, Africa and Europe. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Book of Souls」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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