The Book of Souls Drum Setup: Nicko McBrain's Gear on Iron Maiden's UK #1 Double Album | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drums does Nicko McBrain use on The Book of Souls?

Nicko McBrain recorded The Book of Souls (2015) on a new Sonor SQ2 kit — his return to Sonor after leaving Premier following business difficulties in mid-2014. He requested the kit be built to match the specifications of the Sonor he played in the early 1990s: 'same sizes, same wood.' The configuration was the largest of his recording career, with a nine-tom array (six rack toms and three floor toms) around a single 22-inch bass drum. His snare was a Sonor Nicko McBrain Signature, 14 by 6.5 inches, maple shell. See the [Nicko McBrain drummer profile](/drummer/nicko-mcbrain) for his complete career gear history.

Why did Nicko McBrain switch from Premier back to Sonor?

In the middle of 2014, business difficulties at Premier left Nicko McBrain without a drum manufacturer just as Iron Maiden were preparing to record The Book of Souls. He contacted Sonor — the company he had played from the late 1980s until 1992, before moving to Premier — and the two sides worked out a new endorsement deal. Nicko asked for a kit built to match his old early-1990s Sonor specifications, and Sonor has remained his drum manufacturer ever since, carrying through to Senjutsu (2021). See the [Senjutsu drum setup article](/articles/senjutsu-drum-setup) for how the Sonor relationship evolved into the SQ1.

Was The Book of Souls recorded before or after Bruce Dickinson's cancer diagnosis?

The Book of Souls was recorded at Guillaume Tell Studio in Paris between September and December 2014 — before Bruce Dickinson's cancer diagnosis. He was diagnosed with a Stage 3 tumor at the base of his tongue in early 2015, weeks after recording wrapped, and underwent seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy before being declared cancer-free in May 2015. The album was released that September, and the supporting Book of Souls World Tour was delayed into 2016 to allow him to fully recover. The album's themes of mortality, chosen before anyone knew of the diagnosis, took on additional weight in hindsight.

What is Iron Maiden's longest song, and is it on The Book of Souls?

Yes. 'Empire of the Clouds,' the closing track on The Book of Souls, runs 18 minutes and 1 second, making it the longest song in Iron Maiden's history — longer than 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' from Powerslave. Written and performed on piano by Bruce Dickinson, it was his first lead piano feature on an Iron Maiden record. Nicko McBrain's drums enter gradually across the track's extended arrangement, captured with a deliberately wide-open, ambient room sound quite different from the rest of the album.

Is The Book of Souls Iron Maiden's first double album?

The Book of Souls (2015) is Iron Maiden's first studio double album, running 92 minutes across 11 tracks. It debuted at number one in the UK — the band's fifth UK chart-topping album — and number four on the US Billboard 200, their strongest first-week US sales figure since Nielsen Music began tracking data in 1991. It followed The Final Frontier (2010) and preceded Senjutsu (2021) in Iron Maiden's run of ambitious, progressive 21st-century studio albums. See the [Final Frontier drum setup article](/articles/final-frontier-drum-setup) for the preceding chapter in Nicko McBrain's progressive arc.