Iron Maiden are happy to be “dinosaurs”.

The heavy metal legends were narrowly beaten to the number one spot on the album chart by Drake this year and frontman Bruce Dickinson admitted he doesn’t really “get” the ‘Hotline Bling’ hitmaker’s work.

He said: “We went head to head with Drake the week the album was released. I don’t really get what he does, though a lot of people do, but going head to head with him felt like, ‘No this is real music played by a bunch of old geezers who make no concessions to the times in which we live.’

“People say, ‘You’re dinosaurs.’ And we go, ‘Yeah and there aren’t too many of those left.’

“This is who we are, it’s what we do.”

And Bruce is pleased the band haven’t relied on social media to grow their fanbase.

He said: “By and large our audience as moved on with us. Maiden’s audience is like a table made of plywood; every year you just add a new layer and the table gets bigger and bigger.

“We’ve grown organically – not through social media or any of that stuff.

“We’ve grown by going out and doing it in front of people.”

The Run to the Hills’ hitmaker can’t wait to get on stage following a long break due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: “I can’t wait to get back out there and play these songs.

“We’re still fired up and to get back together in a room with the guys to just play music is something I’m looking forward to more than you can ever imagine.”