Bruce Dickinson Starring in ABBA-Themed Horror Movie

Bruce Dickinson is starring in a horror-comedy movie about an ABBA tribute band that sounds like a future cult classic in the making.

According to Deadline, the movie is titled Bjorn of the Dead. (Get it?) The outlet notes, "[The plot] centers around an ABBA tribute band who find themselves, along with various other tribute acts, trapped in a nightclub at the start of the apocalypse. Bjorn and his band must work together to save themselves, humanity, and the future of music."

(Note: This author had to re-read this news story from Deadline multiple times to make sure this whole thing wasn't a fever dream.)

As for Dickinson, his character is aptly named Bjorn, and he fronts the ABBA tribute band called Abbatoir.

Bjorn of the Dead screenplay writer/producer Andrew Prendergast called the film a "blood-drenched gore fest." A release date is not yet known, but if you find yourself in the center of the ABBA/Gore Fan Venn diagram, this gives you something to really look forward to.

In addition to Bjorn of the Dead, Dickinson will be releasing a new solo album in 2024 titled The Mandrake Project. It's Dickinson's first solo effort since 2005's Tyranny of Souls. On top of that, Iron Maiden will return to North America in Fall 2024 with their "The Future Past Tour." The tour kicks off on Oct. 4 and wraps on November 17. A full list of dates is below.

10/4 - North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre -  San Diego, CA
10/5 - Michelob ULTRA Arena - Las Vegas, NV
10/8 - Kia Forum - Los Angeles, CA
10/12 - Aftershock Festival - Sacramento, CA
10/14 - MODA Center - Portland, OR
10/16 - Tacoma Dome - Tacoma, WA
10/18 - Delta Center - Salt Lake City, UT
10/19 - Ball Arena - Denver, CO
10/22 - Xcel Energy Center - St. Paul, MN
10/24 - Allstate Arena - Rosemont, IL
10/26 - Scotiabank Arena - Toronto, ON
10/27 - Videotron Centre - Quebec, QC
10/30 - Centre Bell - Montreal, QC
11/1 - Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA
11/2 - Barclays Center - Brooklyn, NY
11/6 - DCU Center, Worcester - MA
11/8 - PPG Paints Arena - Pittsburgh, PA
11/9 - Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
11/12 - CFG Bank Arena - Baltimore, MD
11/13 - Spectrum Center - Charlotte, NC
11/16 - Dickies Arena - Fort Worth, TX
11/17 - Frost Bank Center (formerly AT&T Center) - San Antonio, TX

As Iron Maiden’s third album (and first with singer Bruce Dickinson), ‘The Number of the Beast,’ hits its 40th anniversary, the question on everyone’s mind is... how the HELL has this band not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Go to any major rock festival in the U.S. this year (or any year), and nearly every band on the bill owes Maiden a debt (and they all probably have worn out their share of Maiden cassettes, CDs and t-shirts).

The band has released a handful of classic albums, including The Number of the Beast. And with their most recent two double(!) albums, The Book of Souls and Senjutsu , they've shown that there's still more gas in the tank. Here, we rank their classics, starting with their debut album, going all the way up through 2021’s excellent Senjutsu. And here's hoping that the Rock Hall does the right thing and puts Maiden on the ballot in 2023 (in the meantime, they'd better induct Judas Priest this year). 

The album’s title track was the one that parents and religious “leaders” were sweating (and moaning) over, but had ‘The Number of the Beast’ LP been released today, “Run To The Hills” might have gotten more attention. It depicts the colonization of America, and the first verse comes from the perspective of Native Americans. The first lines: “White man came across the sea/He brought us pain and misery.” A later verse includes the quote “the only good Indians are tame.” The song has been played so many times, and the repetition may have dulled the lyrics to those who have heard them over and over. But listen to them carefully, they’re as hard-hitting as the music (no mean feat) and are as thought-provoking as the best metal and rock and roll lyrics.