Run to the hills, haters — Iron Maiden are headed back to Canada this summer.

The British metal sextet will play seven shows from Vancouver to Quebec on their Final Frontier 2010 North American tour, the band announced Thursday. The tour is named after the band's 15th studio album Final Frontier, expected to be released after the tour.

"We really wanted to get out and play some shows before the release of the new album later this year, so we thought what better way to kick off the tour than by going back to Canada," vocalist Bruce Dickinson said in a statement. "This time 'round, we will be playing a few more cities we haven't visited for some time.

"We're still working on the set list for these summer shows, but this time it will cover the whole history of the band, and I can hint that we will be playing a taster from the new album," he continued. "This summer tour will be a bit of a preview for the fans."

Tickets for the Canadian shows go on sale to the public on Sat., March 13 at 10 a.m. at the usual outlets. Iron Maiden fan club members can access tickets on March 11. Prog-rockers Dream Theatre are slated to open all the concerts, with the exception of the Winnipeg date. An opening act for that show hasn't been named. For more information, go to www.ironmaiden.com.

Iron Maiden Final Frontier Canadian Tour Dates June 24 | Vancouver | GM Place June 26 | Edmonton | Rexall Place June 29 | Saskatoon | Credit Union Centre June 30 | Winnipeg | MTS Centre July 3 | Toronto | Molson Amphitheatre July 7 | Montreal | Bell Centre July 9 | Quebec City | International Summer Festival

darryl.sterdan@sunmedia.ca