Steve Harris revealed last week to Classic Rock that Iron Maiden may be coming to an end when it comes to releasing new music. According to the bassist, the group will focus solely on live performances.
“Who knows for sure? Right now, we want to tour as much as we can. But even if we partially retire, we could still make albums. I don’t know. We’ll see. I always thought it would be good to make 15 albums, something we’ve surpassed. It’s all downhill from here, isn’t it?! But each of us is still enjoying it – possibly more than ever – maybe because we know we’re nearing the end. We try not to think about it too much, but as long as everyone enjoys what we do, we’ll keep going as long as we can.”
Senjutsu (2021) is the band's 17th and most recent album. When asked about a possible successor, the musician replied: “The truth is, I don't think about it. The time will come when I can no longer do what I do today. I don't even want to consider it. I'm just going to do my best while I still can. We're all getting older, that's what happens. All you can do is smile, drink a beer, and reminisce about the good times. There's no point in being depressed. Life is meant to be celebrated.”
“If this is our last album, then I want to use the best ideas we’ve ever had. There will always be people who think the band died in 1988, and as much as that affects me, it’s okay for them to think that. Maybe they expect us to go back to doing something in the style of 1999, but we’ll never do that. The present is the present. Why would anyone want a part two of something from the past?”
The 67-year-old bassist still plans to continue playing with his side project British Lion and play football between Iron Maiden performances.
In 2022, Bruce Dickinson said that the group didn't intend to retire anytime soon . "I think we'll probably drop dead on stage. We still have a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm."
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