Iron Maiden have unveiled their first single in five years.

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson

The heavy metal band has premiered 'Speed of Light', which is the first track to be taken from their forthcoming 16th studio album 'The Book of Souls' - their first since 2010's 'The Final Frontier' - which will be released on September 4.

The rockers recorded the collection in Paris at the end of last year with long-standing producer Kevin Shirley, although the release was delayed when frontman Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with tongue cancer, later being given the all-clear in May following treatment.

Last month the 57-year-old star said the health scare has made him want to "stop wasting time" and only do things which are important to him.

He told BANG Showbiz: "Once I got through it, I just wanted to get on with life, and stop wasting time. I now have less time for people who waste my time. It's not that I'm impatient, I just think now that there are more important things to do than waste my time on people who are just wasting my time, there are more important things really. That's it really, not a great deal has changed. I didn't have any great religious experience as a result of it."