Summary

Virtual XI is the eleventh studio album by Iron Maiden, released on 23 March 1998. It was the band's second and final album with Blaze.

The album's title and themes were inspired by the launch of the band's computer game, Ed Hunter, and the 1998 FIFA World Cup (with the band organizing a promotional football team).

It features the single "The Angel and the Gambler", and "Futureal", both of which were written by Steve Harris (with Blaze co-writing the latter).

This album continued the band's progressive direction, but was met with mixed reviews.

Iron Maiden 1998

Iron Maiden 1998

Artwork from Virtual XI

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TitleLabelCat#FormatCountryYear
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom4939152, 493915-2, 372 493915 2CDBrazil1998
Virtual XIMoon Records (2)noneCassetteUkraine1998
VirtualMusic Now (2)373/98CassetteEgypt1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 4 3CassettePoland1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9CDIndonesia1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 4 3CassettePhilippines1998
Virtual XIEMI (2)noneCassetteBulgaria1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 4 3CassetteArgentina1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93992 2 8, 493 9922CDEurope1998
Virtual XICMC International Records06076 86240-2CDUS1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom493 9154, 7243 4 93915 4 3CassetteUK & Europe1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9CDColombia1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9CDTaiwan1998
Virtual XIVigma612CassetteBelarus1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 1 2Vinyl 12"UK & Europe1998
Virtual XICMC International RecordsBG2-86240CDUS1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 4 3CassetteRussia1998
Virtual XICMC International Records06076 86240-2CDUS1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93992 2 8, 493 9922CDEurope1998
Virtual XIEMI United KingdomEKPD-0687CDSouth Korea1998
Virtual XIEMI (2)noneCDRussia1998
Virtual XIСинтез (2)01389zCassetteUkraine1998
Virtual XINot On Label (Iron Maiden)noneCassetteUkraine1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9CDColombia1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom (2)7243 4 93992 2 8CDRussia1998
Virtual XIEMI7243 4 93915 4 3CassetteThailand1998
Virtual XINever RecordsNR 4501CassetteUK1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9, UK 4939152CDUK & Europe1998
Virtual XICMC International Records06076 86240-4CassetteUS1998
Virtual XIEMI493-9152/493-9922CDrUK1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9, UK 4939152CDEurope1998
Virtual XIEMICDPP 044CDUK1998
Virtual XIEMI7246 4 93915 2 9CDMexico1998
Virtual XIGold Lion439CassetteUkraine1998
Virtual XIEuro Sonic ProductionnoneCassetteUkraine1998
Virtual XIEMIE4 93915CassetteCanada1998
Virtual XIEMI United KingdomCDEMCJ (WF) 5756, 7243 4 93915 2 9CDSouth Africa1998
Virtual XIEMIEKPC-0687CassetteSouth Korea1998
Virtual XIEMI7243 4 93915 4 3, 4 93915 4CassetteMexico1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9, 493 9152CDColombia1998
Virtual XICMC International Records06076 86240-4CassetteUS1998
Virtual XIMetal Records (3)1043CassetteBelarus1998
Virtual XI = バーチャル・イレブンEMITOCP-50440-1CDJapan1998
Virtual XIEMI7243 4 93915 4 3CassetteIndonesia1998
Virtual XIEMI493915-4CassetteChile1998
Virtual XIEMI7243 4 93915 2 9CDMalaysia1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 4 3CassetteRussia1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9, 4939152CDEurope1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93992 2 8CDItaly1998
Virtual XIEMI United KingdomEKPD-0687CDSouth Korea1998
Virtual XIGlobal Music (4)noneCassetteRussia1998
Virtual XIEMI Middle East7243 4 93915 4 3CassetteUnited Arab Emirates1998
Virtual XIEMIDPRO1705CDCanada1998
Virtual XINot On Label (Iron Maiden)noneCassetteUkraine1998
Virtual XIEMI7243 4 93915 4 3CassetteMalaysia1998
Virtual XI = バーチャル・イレブンEMITOCP-50440-1CDJapan1998
Virtual XINever RecordsNR 4501CDUK1998
Virtual XIEMITCP2938CassetteTurkey1998
Virtual XIWestern Thunder RecordsWT-910CassetteUkraine1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9, 493 9152CDEurope1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9CDCanada1998
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 1 2CDIndonesia1998
Virtual XIEMInoneCassette1998
An Introduction To... Virtual XIEMI United KingdomVIRTCDXI 001CDUK1998
Virtual XIEMIVIRTCDX1-001CassetteUK1998
Virtual XIONYX Records (2)MC 0483-99CassetteRussia1999
Virtual XIEMI (2)PLP 391500Vinyl 12"Europe2001
Virtual XIEMI (2)PLP 391500Vinyl 12"Europe2001
Virtual XIMetal-Is RecordsCK 86031CDUS2002
Virtual XIMetal-Is RecordsCK 86317CDUS2002
Virtual XIGlobal Music (27)GM-2101/20CassetteRussia2002
Virtual XI = ヴァーチャル・イレヴンEMITOCP-53772, 7243 4 93915 2 9CDJapan2006
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9CDUkraine2006
Virtual XIEMITOCP-53772CDJapan2006
Virtual XI = ヴァーチャル・イレヴンEMITOCP-53772, 7243 4 93915 2 9CDJapan2008
Virtual XIArnoldo Mondadori EditoreIM 08 11CDItaly2008
Virtual XIEMInoneFile2009
Virtual XIEMI (2)7243 4 93915 2 9CDRussia2010
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom (2)7243 4 9 3915 1 2Vinyl 12"UK2011
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom (2)7243 4 9 3915 1 2Vinyl 12"Europe2011
Virtual XI = ヴァーチャル・イレヴンParlophoneWPCR-80028CDJapan2014
Virtual XI = ヴァーチャル・イレヴンParlophoneWPCR-80028CDJapan2014
Virtual XIParlophone14SC0046CDItaly2014
Virtual XIParlophone724349391529CDBrazil2014
Virtual XISanctuarynoneFile2015
Virtual XIBMGBMG14059CDUS2015
Virtual XIBMGnoneFileUS2015
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom (2)7243 4 9 3915 1 2Vinyl 12"Europe2016
Virtual XIParlophone7 24349 39152 9CDBrazil2016
Virtual XIParlophone0190295851996Vinyl 12"Europe2017
Virtual XISanctuary538276451Vinyl 12"US2017
Virtual XISanctuary538442272CDUS2019
Virtual XIParlophone0190295567637CDBrazil2019
Virtual XIParlophone0190295567637CDBrazil2019
Virtual XIParlophone0190295567637CDEurope2019
Virtual XIParlophone0190295567637CDBrazil2019
Virtual XIParlophone0190295567637CDBrazil2019
Virtual XI = ヴァーチャル・イレヴンParlophoneWPCR-18216CDJapan2019
An Introduction To... Virtual XICSC Records (3)CSC-57CDGreece2022
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9CDAustralia
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom (2)7243 4 93992 2 8CDRussia
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9CDAustralia
Virtual XINot On Label (Iron Maiden)K2013Cassette
Virtual XIParlophone7243 4 93915 2 9, 4939152CDUK & Europe
Virtual XIWarner Music Mexico0724349391529CDMexico
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom (2)7243 4 93992 2 8CDRussia
Virtual XIAngel's Of Hell Records504CassetteRussia
Virtual XIWarner Music Mexico7243 4 93915 2 9CDMexico
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9, 4939152CDEurope
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom (2)7243 4 93915 2 9CDRussia
Virtual XlEMI (2)TOCP-66612CDRussia
Virtual XICD ClubES 4567, ES-4567CassetteUkraine
Virtual XINot On Label (Iron Maiden)noneCassetteRussia
Virtual XIEMI (2)noneCDRussia
Virtual XIMusic World (2)noneCassetteRussia
Virtual XINot On Label (Iron Maiden)noneCassette
Virtual XINot On Label (Iron Maiden)74321 57358-2CD
Virtual XIIron Records (3)IR 1078CassetteRussia
Virtual XIGlobal Metal RecordsnoneCassetteBelarus
Virtual XIМарафонMFMC 9829CassetteRussia
Virtual XIParlophone7 24349 39152 9CDEurope
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom4939152, 493915-2, 372 493915 2 CDBrazil
Virtual XINot On Label (Iron Maiden)noneCassetteRussia
Virtual XIRiders On The StormnoneCassetteYugoslavia
Virtual XIMusic City (5)noneCassetteRussia
Virtual XIEMI7243 4 93915 2 9CDMexico
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9CDUK & Europe
Virtual XIEMI United Kingdom7243 4 93915 2 9, 493 9152CDEurope
Virtual XINot On Label (Iron Maiden)noneCDRussia
Virtual XIParlophone0724349391529CDMexico

Data: discogs.com · fetched 2026-05-28

Track Listings

Disk One

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1.FuturealHarris, Bayley2:55
2.The Angel and the GamblerHarris9:52
3.Lightning Strikes TwiceMurray, Harris4:50
4.The ClansmanHarris8:59
5.When Two Worlds CollideMurray, Bayley, Harris6:17
6.The Educated FoolHarris6:44
7.Don't Look to the Eyes of a StrangerHarris8:03
8.Como Estais AmigosGers, Bayley5:30

Total length: 53:22

Line-up

Blaze Bayley – vocals

Dave Murray – guitars

Janick Gers – guitars

Steve Harris – bass, production

Nicko McBrain – drums