April 15, 2009

By By Andre Paine, London

Iron Maiden is gearing up for a multi-format release for its "Flight 666" tour movie, on DVD and Blu-ray along with an accompanying live soundtrack album.

The film, documenting the first leg of the U.K. metal band's "Somewhere Back In Time Tour" last year including India, Australia, Japan and South America, will be screened in more than 450 digital movie cinemas in 42 countries on April 21.

EMI will then release the film on Blu-ray and DVD, along with a live soundtrack album on CD and vinyl, on May 25 in the U.K. and June 9 in North America.

"The 'Somewhere Back in Time Tour' reached almost 2 million fans in 39 countries and, if there is one thing I know from managing Maiden all these years, it's that our fans are not happy to wait too long, so we are delighted that EMI are rush-releasing the DVD," said manager Rod Smallwood in a statement.

He added that Iron Maiden will begin work on a new studio album in the summer, with a release scheduled for 2010.

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