Brave New World

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Most songs were written before The Ed Hunter Tour and recorded at Guillaume Tell Studios in Paris. This session was historic for being the band's first collaboration with producer Kevin Shirley and their initial attempt at recording live in the studio. Adrian Smith revealed that 'The Nomad', 'Dream of Mirrors', and 'The Mercenary' originated from 1998 sessions for Virtual XI, with former vocalist Blaze Bayley contributing uncredited lyrics to 'Dream of Mirrors'. Steve Harris also noted that work on 'Blood Brothers' began during that era but remained incomplete until this album. The song 'Brave New World' was not the only track to carry over to the subsequent Dance of Death World Tour; 'The Wicker Man', 'Ghost of the Navigator', and 'Blood Brothers' were also played on that tour.

In Their Own Story

During the Brave New World Tour, the band captured their performance at Rock in Rio for a live album and video release. The track 'The Wicker Man' saw a unique promotional radio version featuring extra vocals in the chorus absent from other releases. Later, the legacy of the album extended beyond its initial run; a live rendition of 'Blood Brothers' from the 2012 En Vivo! performance was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance on 6 December 2012. The song served as a tribute throughout various tours: dedicated to Ronnie James Dio in 2010 following his death, and later honoring victims of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the Tōhoku tsunami, revolts in Egypt and Libya, and the 2011 Norway attacks.

Reader's Guide

The album received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the return of Dickinson and Smith. Kerrang! called it 'truly towering' and 'bombastic', while Sputnikmusic ranked it alongside classics like Powerslave. Classic Rock noted it successfully reeled back to the band's heyday. Conversely, NME felt the band looked obsolete compared to acts like Korn, and Blabbermouth.net described them as 'tired and uninspired'. Commercially, it peaked at No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart, earning a Gold certification, and debuted at No. 39 on the US Billboard 200. By 2008, it had registered over 307,000 sales via Nielsen SoundScan. The album was recognized as the 8th greatest of the 2000s by Decibel, named one of the top 20 metal albums of 2000 by Metal Hammer in 2020, and placed 15th on their 2023 list of best 2000s metal albums.

Did You Know?

• The album cover was created by Steve Stone, while Derek Riggs contributed only to the booklet and other design elements.
• The promotional radio release of 'The Wicker Man' does not feature extra vocals in the chorus.
• Contrary to some claims, 'Blood Brothers' was never nominated for a Grammy; Iron Maiden has never won or been nominated for a Grammy.
• In 2008, the album registered over 307,000 sales on the Nielsen SoundScan system in the United States.
• Adrian Smith confirmed that 'The Nomad', 'Dream of Mirrors', and 'The Mercenary' were originally written for the 1998 album Virtual XI.