What do Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, extreme icons Napalm Death and the cold expanses of space have in common? A new documentary featuring music from some of metal’s finest.

Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson and Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury have contributed music to a new space-focused documentary. Seas Of The Sun: The Story Of The Cluster Mission is a 46-minute film about the European Space Agency’s 24-year Cluster project, which studied space plasma, the super-heated gas emitted by stars.

The documentary was produced by Space Rocks Foundation founder and former Metal Hammer editor Alexander Milas, who also co-directed it with Ryan Mackfall. The title is inspired by Dickinson’s 2005 solo track Navigate The Seas Of The Sun, which appears in the film alongside new music by Embury. For his contribution, Embury teamed up with Danish artist Klaus Nielsen to create a piece using data sonification, converting scientific data into sound.

The soundtrack also includes an original score by Icelandic composer Karlotta Skagfield and features cellist Jo Quail, known for working with Mono, Myrkur, and My Dying Bride.

Milas said it was a privilege to collaborate with Embury and an impressive team of musicians and filmmakers to bring the long-running Cluster mission to life. While the project highlights the mission’s scientific discoveries, he also wanted to celebrate the determination and ingenuity of the people behind it. According to Milas, the Space Rocks initiative is rooted in the belief that space exploration offers valuable lessons for everyone.

The documentary adds to heavy metal’s ongoing fascination with cosmic themes a trend recently explored in a Metal Hammer feature arguing that bands like Blood Incantation, Slift, Psychonaut, and Dvne are leading a new cosmic-metal movement. Milas, who was interviewed for that piece alongside Dvne’s Victor Vicart, noted that interest in space isn’t limited to metal, pointing to Steven Wilson’s recent universe-themed album The Overview as an example of broader artistic curiosity.

Dickinson, who continues his solo career alongside his work with Iron Maiden, plans to start recording his eighth solo album in early 2026 before rejoining Maiden for the second leg of their 50th-anniversary Run For Your Lives tour in May. Meanwhile, Napalm Death will play the Apocalypse Metal Fest in Le Havre on November 22, followed by a South American tour through the end of the year and additional European shows in early 2026.