Question to all of you who also dislike the Senjutsu album

Dick Brucinson

Dave Sustaine
I myself am really not a big fan of Senjustu. A question to everybody who is with me:
What is it that makes you personally dislike the album?
 
1. Toooo many looong songs.long for no reason really.
2. This iriitating keyboards throughout the whole think.
I think its just a boring album. Just doesnt click for me as an album but theres a few songs in it i really love .
 
The main three problems I have with Senjutsu is the loud Casio synth stuck on the same preset (for god's sake, there are easily accessible quality MIDI samples now), Janick playing Bruce's vocal lines in most songs and song arrangments.

The album consists of a lot of strong songs, that could do with a bit of trimming arrangement-wise and better utilization of the band itself.

Not to say I dislike the album, I like it, but it could've been much much better as it contains great song ideas.

For example, it took a Bruce solo song (IESF) to utilize the full potential of the current Maiden lineup for the first time in years (and even that probably because of Roy Z's layered guitars on the demo). Harmony guitars, atmosphere, strengths of individual members, etc... There is nothing like that on Senjutsu. The closest Senjutsu comes to that is The Writing On The Wall, but it's still not there. Hell On Earth is close too, but still not there. That track could've been amazing with some arrangement tweaks (having Janick play rythm guitar for at least 4 minutes being one of them).
 
Not to say I dislike the album, I like it, but it could've been much much better as it contains great song ideas.
This is also one of the problems I have with the album. It has indeed some strong song IDEAS. But in the end it all sounds like a demo.
 
It's the apex of all their worst tendencies post-AMOLAD. Recycled parts, tin-eared production, sloppy performances, Harris lyrics that barely count as English etc.

The Writing On The Wall is a fantastic song and I like DoFP and HoE too though.
 
The main three problems I have with Senjutsu is the loud Casio synth stuck on the same preset (for god's sake, there are easily accessible quality MIDI samples now), Janick playing Bruce's vocal lines in most songs and song arrangments.

The album consists of a lot of strong songs, that could do with a bit of trimming arrangement-wise and better utilization of the band itself.

Not to say I dislike the album, I like it, but it could've been much much better as it contains great song ideas.

For example, it took a Bruce solo song (IESF) to utilize the full potential of the current Maiden lineup for the first time in years (and even that probably because of Roy Z's layered guitars on the demo). Harmony guitars, atmosphere, strengths of individual members, etc... There is nothing like that on Senjutsu. The closest Senjutsu comes to that is The Writing On The Wall, but it's still not there. Hell On Earth is close too, but still not there. That track could've been amazing with some arrangement tweaks (having Janick play rythm guitar for at least 4 minutes being one of them).
I totally agree, some decent ideas but the production and mix just let it down. If your gonna have keyboards, choose a sound thats gonna make it epic, not just one note sounds on a casio. The mix is muddy and tinny. Bruce's voice is too low in the mix. The songs can be repetative in places and The Parchement is one of the most boring song theyve ever done. The title song is good. I enjoy the how the lyrics fit the music and the vocal harmonies are great. TWOTW is a good strong track. DOTC is The Clansman part 2. Even the production is similar. I just think theyve got in a bad routine with Shirley who just does what Arry wants. They need a producer to drag them up by the boots and show them how good their ideas could be.
 
The one big thing I don’t like about the album, is the one finger synth, it is way overused. I also think the middle songs are a little boring compared to the first and last three.

But overall it is not a bad album I think, it have many strong moments
 
I just hate the sound of the album. It sounds like the speakers in are another room covered in a wet blanket. And the clipping, Christ almighty the fucking clipping.
I'm a relatively new Iron Maiden fan. At first I thought I was crazy on Death of the Celts and The Parchment when I thought I heard static. I have now listened to both songs on a few different sound systems (headphones, car, and home) and I hear it on all of them. Is this clipping? It's quite noticeable and it doesn't sound to me like it should be some kind of guitar effect.
 
Yes, that is clipping. If it sounds like there is bacon frying during a song it means the producer and whoever mastered it don' know what they are doing. It is really bad on Metallica's Death Magnetic, Rush's Vapor Trails and Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication.

The last three songs on Senjutsu are really bad with it. The original version of Dance Of Death had some clipping but when they remastered it in 2015 they seemed to have fixed some of it.
 
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