"The Final Frontier" is the fifteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on August 13, 2010, in Germany, Austria, and Finland; August 17 in North America; August 18 in Japan; and August 16 worldwide. At 76 minutes and 34 seconds, it stands as the band's third-longest studio album, surpassed only by 2015's
The Book of Souls and 2021's Senjutsu. The album features cover art by long-time collaborator Melvyn Grant. It marked the end of Iron Maiden's 30-year relationship with EMI Records and was the last to use the band's alternate logo. Although not a concept album, it frequently explores themes of exploration, expectation, and discovery.
The Final Frontier received favorable reviews and topped the charts in 28 countries, including the UK, where it became the band's fourth album to reach No. 1, joining The Number of the Beast 1982, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son 1988, and Fear of the Dark 1992. In the US, it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, which was the band's highest placement until Senjutsu reached No. 3 in 2021. The album earned Iron Maiden their first Grammy Award in the Best Metal Performance category for the song "El Dorado," which was released as a free download on June 8, 2010. For its release, EMI handled the album worldwide, except in the US, where it was released by Universal Music Enterprises and Sony Music Entertainment.
