Bay Area thrash legends Heathen celebrate Iron Maiden's 50th anniversary with cover of 'The Prisoner' • GRIMM Gent

Quickly following their triumphant returning single “Never A God” earlier this year, Bay Area thrash legends HEATHEN break back out with another offering.

In celebration of the mighty Iron Maiden‘s 50th anniversary, HEATHEN have taken a stab at the Number of The Beast classic, “The Prisoner.” Pulling samples from the TV show of the same name, enlisting artist Dan Goldsworthy (known for his work with Accept, Inhuman Condition, and Haken) to Eddie-ify the goblin from “Goblin’s Blade”—a callback to their HEATHEN’s 1987 record Breaking The Silence—and reworking their logo to look like Maiden‘s, HEATHEN pull out all the stops to ensure this was more than just homage. Mixed and mastered by Zeuss at Planet Z (known for his work with 3 Inches of Blood, Municipal Waste, and Shadows Fall, amongst others), the lively track showcases HEATHEN‘s studied reverence of the subject material, unleashing metal greatness with a modern edge and seasoned orchestration.

About the track guitarist Kragen Lum says:

“What can we say about the legendary Iron Maiden that hasn’t already been said? They’ve given us 50 years of energetic, melodic metal that’s inspired Heathen and legions of other bands in the genre. ‘The Prisoner’ was an easy choice for us to cover, with its heavy intro, uptempo verses, catchy chorus, and classic instrumental section. We added a few touches to ‘Heathenize’ the song while staying true to what made it so great when it was first released in 1982. Enjoy this recording as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of heavy metal’s greatest bands. Up the Irons!”

This cover comes right in time for the band’s extensive North American tour encompassing two legs. The first opening for fellow thrash greats Metal Church, followed by a string of headlining dates over Louisiana horror thrashers Void. Kicking off July 17 in Derry, NH the tour supporting Metal Church will hit a series of major cities including Montreal, QC, Pittsburgh, PA, and Rochester, NY before its conclusion July 26 in Leesburg, VA. Not missing a beat, HEATHEN picks up Void for their headline run kicking off the next day in Raleigh, NC on July 27. The headline run will hit a slew of intimate venues in major cities including Atlanta, GA, Philadelphia, PA, Milwaukee, WI, and Detroit, MI before wrapping up on August 9 in Toronto, ON.

About the tour the band says:

“We’re stoked to join the legendary Metal Church on this short tour of the Northeastern U.S. and Canada. We’ll be bringing our A-game for these shows before heading out on a run of headlining dates across the Midwest, Northeast, and Canada with the killer Void as direct support. We’ve put together a set packed with classics, fan favorites, and a few surprises that you won’t want to miss. Grab your tickets, and we’ll see you in the pit!”

Tickets are on sale now, see below for a complete list of dates.

HEATHEN NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2026
SUPPORTING METAL CHURCH:
7/17 — Derry, NH — Tupelo Music Hall
7/18 — Montreal, QC — Foufounes Électriques
7/19 — Quebec City, QC — La Source de la Martinière
7/21 — Ottawa, ON — Overflow
7/22 — Newton, NJ — The Newton Theater
7/23 — Pittsburgh, PA — The Crafthouse
7/24 — Rochester, NY — Montage Music Hall
7/25 — Reading, PA — Reverb
7/26 — Leesburg, VA — Tally Ho Theater

HEADLINE DATES
SUPPORT FROM VOID:
7/27 — Raleigh, NC — Chapel of Bones
7/28 — Atlanta, GA — The EARL
7/31 — Hamden, CT — Space Ballroom
8/01 — Philadelphia, PA — Nikki Lopez^
8/02 — Columbus, OH — Ace of Cups
8/04 — Milwaukee, WI — X-Ray Arcade
8/05 — Indianapolis, IN — Black Circle
8/06 — Detroit, MI — Sanctuary
8/07 — Kitchener, ON — Maxwell’s*
8/09 — Toronto, ON — The Cave*

* = No Void
^ = Matinee Show