“Their songs have gotten so long – I just can’t be bothered with it”: Kerry King on Iron Maiden’s new music
“I haven’t heard Bruce’s new album, but I have a friend who told me it’s better than Maiden.”
Images: Scott Dudelson (left) and Kevin Mazur (right) / Getty
Kerry King isn’t fond of Iron Maiden’s more recent work, as he feels their songs have gotten “so long”.
King, who’s just released a solo project of his own, has shared his opinion on Maiden’s recent albums when discussing frontman Bruce Dickinson’s recent solo work, The Mandrake Project.
- READ MORE: Kerry King recalls learning about Slayer’s retirement from Tom Araya: “Of course I was hurt”
Iron Maiden released their most recent album, Senjutsu, back in 2021. Though King doesn’t appear to name any specific tracks, the album has many songs sitting above the five-minute mark, including Lost In A World at over nine minutes, and The Parchment over 12 minutes. 2015’s The Book Of Souls also sees track Empire of The Clouds reaching 18 minutes long.
In an interview with RIFFX (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), King says, “[I] haven’t heard Bruce’s new album, but I have a friend who told me it’s better than [Iron] Maiden. Wouldn’t surprise me – nothing against Maiden, but their songs have gotten so long, man, I just can’t be bothered with it. And my attention span isn’t that much.”
Additionally, King shares his thoughts on Judas Priest’s new record, Invincible Shield which follows on from their 2018 album Firepower: “I haven’t heard the entirety of Priest’s new album, but I heard a handful of songs on satellite radio.
“Some are, you know, typical. I heard one that stood out. The Serpent and the King. That’s really cool; it sounds like a progression of what Priest [does]. I enjoyed that one. I haven’t heard the whole album, but I definitely will. Actually, I’m going to be playing with Priest in a couple of weeks.”
Kerry King’s debut solo album, From Hell I Rise, is out now. King will also be reuniting with Slayer for three festival dates in the US this summer.