Semi-retired Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain says he would be open to playing on a future Iron Maiden studio album, provided the material is less demanding than some of the band’s more intricate songs.
Speaking to Louder, McBrain said: “If Iron Maiden went into the studio, I’d be delighted to get back on with them. But it’d have to be something more simple really.”
He cited the band’s 1986 Somewhere in Time tracks “Stranger in a Strange Land” and “Wasted Years” as the sort of songs he would like to record.
“[Stranger in a Strange Land and Wasted Years] kind of song,” McBrain said. “I’d love to do something like that.”
McBrain stepped back from Iron Maiden touring after the Future Past tour. He suffered a transient ischaemic attack, or TIA, in 2023, and said the effects have continued to limit his movement.
“The miracle was that I had the stroke in the morning, rather than while I was under the twilight anaesthetic,” he said. “It was incredible to get any use back out of it at all … Like, I couldn’t do the drum fill in the intro of [1983 single] The Trooper, so I had to adapt it. Steve [Harris] and the band were so supportive, but my body just wasn’t bouncing back.”
McBrain’s comments do not confirm that Iron Maiden are making a new album. They do, however, leave open the possibility of a studio contribution from the longtime drummer if the band records again.
