Today, it was announced that Nicko McBrain will be retiring from Iron Maiden
Apparently, the band will continue without him
It is sad, but not unexpected. Nicko hasn't been the same since his stroke. Not his fault, he has been a trooper through all of this, but it is clear he isn't up to touring anymore. Good to hear he is aware, and is stepping back and going to take it easier and hopefully enjoy his other projects and have a bit more free time for fun.
As to the band continuing. I know, Nicko isn't the original drummer, and they have replaced just about everyone at some point. But do they really need to keep going at this point without him? How many more albums / tours do they really have left in them?