Veteran British metal outfit Iron Maiden [ tickets ], which kicked off its first U.S. run since 2000 on Monday night (7/21), plans to significantly reduce its time on the road beginning next year.

After completing its current world tour in the spring of 2004, the group plans to take up a set schedule that will see all recording take place in the winter, and all touring in the summer.

"Following the U.S. ... dates this summer, we will announce a short major-city arena run in America for early next year," band manager Rod Smallwood said in a statement. "Extensive arena tours will then be a thing of the past."

Smallwood said the group was making the announcement in order to be "fair to fans who live in the U.S. cities we may not play in again--many of which are represented on this [current] tour. We hope the fans understand, and perhaps can come to see us somewhere else in future."

The group's current U.S. jaunt stretches through the end of August, and also features fellow British metal vets Dio and Motorhead.

In September, Iron Maiden [ tickets ] will issue a new album titled "Dance of Death." The set, which is due out on Sept. 9 in the U.S. and Sept. 8 abroad, will be the group's first new studio album since 2000's "Brave New World."

Last month, the group released the DVD "Visions of the Beast." It features all 31 of the group's music videos, never-before-seen Camp Chaos-animated versions of six classic tracks, interactive menus and discographies and some "special hidden extras," according to a press release.

Iron Maiden released its self-titled debut in 1980, and has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, according to its website.

The most-recent studio sets from Motorhead and Dio are last year's "Hammered" and "Killing the Dragon," respectively.