Iron Maiden Marking 'Live After Death' 40th Anniversary With Special Release

10-14-2025

Metal legends Iron Maiden have revealed that they will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of their landmark "Live After Death" album with a special limited collectors 2LP color vinyl edition on December 12th via BMG in the U.S.

The band shared these details: Featuring the original revered gatefold sleeve artwork, the album comes with two 140g vinyls (one in blue, the other in yellow) featuring the 2015 audio remastering. The package also includes a replica 24-page World Slavery Tour program, bringing back to life the original tour program for new generations.

Additionally the vinyl features a replica tour pass and a glossy 12-page booklet, which contains the original eight-page booklet alongside an exclusive and brand-new essay entitled Rime And Punishment: Celebrating 40 Years Of Live After Death, where Iron Maiden fan club editor Alexander Milas interviews Steve Harris, Nicko McBrain, Rod Smallwood and acclaimed illustrator Derek Riggs about the legendary album.

As Steve Harris explains of the time, "We were touring our arses off. It was literally just, 'record, tour, record, tour' - we didn't stop. Rod was cracking the old whip, and that was the right thing to do. I mean, we were totally up for it, it's not like we were doing stuff that we didn't want to do. You think you're invincible - 'Yeah, we'll take that on, no problem.' That's the way to crack it. It's the only way for a band like us because we had no radio play whatsoever back then."

Widely acclaimed as not just the greatest heavy metal live album of all time, but one of the most iconic live releases in any musical genre, Live After Death was recorded mostly during the four nights that Maiden played at Los Angeles' Long Beach Arena in March 1985. The final side of the double album was recorded during the four nights the band played at Hammersmith Odeon in October 1984.

Both sets of concerts were part of the ground-breaking World Slavery Tour, in support of the band's 1984 album Powerslave, which started in Poland and featured 187 concerts across 331 days. The tour firmly established Iron Maiden as one of the most exciting live bands on the planet, a reputation that they carry to this day.

A documentary film about Iron Maiden by Universal Pictures Content Group will be released in early 2026, and the band will continue their two year Run For Your Lives World Tour through Europe and beyond. The tour includes a huge and historic performance at Knebworth Park in the U.K. on July 11th 2026.