Travis The Dragon
AFTERGLOW!!!
Ya, that would be nice to have here.
Please post reviews and thoughts on Senjutsu here
- Thread starter Travis The Dragon
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daan
Educated Fool
Yeah, I haven't heard the album yet, but I can already tell some comparisons that reviewers make must be pretty out there. It's gonna be fun to verify after the album drops.It will be nice to read this reviews again after release
To kill some time I translated a "Rockmagazine" review from German into English. I would like to be the reviewer's neighbor.
9.5/10
I translated "Volksmusik" as "folk music" but the reviewer probably specifically means tradional German "Volksmusik", I am not sure.
9.5/10
I translated "Volksmusik" as "folk music" but the reviewer probably specifically means tradional German "Volksmusik", I am not sure.
On September 3, Iron Maidens is going to release their 17th studio album, which has been christened with the Japanese sounding name "Senjutsu" - loosely translated as 'tactics and strategy'. Band mascot Eddy was allowed to slip into the skin of a Japanese samurai on the cover - as already on the previous album ingeniously designed by Mark Wilkinson according to an idea by Steve Harris - and looks as usual grimly from the cover - looks a little bit like "Killers" in Japanese.
After the first song from the new album, "The Writing on the Wall", was released on July 15 as a lavishly staged animation video and thus the advertising drum was stirred vigorously, I now had the opportunity to listen to the entire album by Bruce & Co. before the actual release. The appetizer and the first single were already very promising, so of course I was curious how the whole album would sound in the end.
However, Maiden didn`t make it that easy for us press people, because also here, as already with "The Writing on the Wall", there was a little riddle to solve in order to get all the information and the promo version of "Senjutsu". To make the whole thing not so obvious, Maiden hid their album under a secret synonym, so that the album almost slipped through my fingers in the flood of daily press announcements and new releases (Thanks to Sonja from CMM for the tip).
"Do Iron Maiden now play folk music?" was the surprised reaction of an acquaintance who happened to drop by when I was listening to Maiden's new work via Bluetooth speaker while working in the garden. It was probably not quite seriously meant by him, but what he just heard sounded, although he immediately heard Maiden out, unusual for his ears.
So much in advance to all unsure fans - you need not worry, Bruce and Co. have not changed the music genre! Where Maiden is on it, there is of course Maiden in it, even if some unusual sounds for Maiden can be heard. But the band had already announced in advance that they would also explore new shores on the new album.
Of course, "Senjutsu" does not contain, like many albums before, Über-songs à la "The Number of the Beast" or "Fear of the Dark". But that was not necessarily to be expected. The result can still convince and after several runs I like the disc or the promo stream better each time. Overall, of course, as was to be expected from Maiden as a megaplayer, the album reaches an above-average level of quality, even if "the" outstanding song and future live classic has somehow not quite crystallized for me yet.
The album was already recorded in 2019 in Guillaume Tell Studio in France like the previous album "The Book of Souls".
Like the very successful predecessor, "Senjutsu" is also going to be released as a double CD / triple vinyl album, which should be mainly thanks to the three overlong songs with over 10 minutes playing time at the end of the record. Whether this was absolutely necessary is up to the listener, since the total playing time of the album is a meager 82 minutes for a double album, because one or the other song is stretched out quite a bit in some places. If they had renounced the one or other repetition in the songs, the magic 80-minute limit could have been surely undercut and the ten songs would have fit easily on a CD or 2 vinyls. But this way the tracks are distributed on several discs and Maiden can probably generate a little higher sales revenue - evil to him who evil thinks - but Maiden and their management have always been good businessmen who know exactly how to implement the minimax principle cleverly.
If they are going to release a double CD, then they could have added one or two more songs - that's my personal opinion.
All in all, the musical direction on "Senjutsu" suits Iron Maiden really well, is melodic and catchy and can be called a worthy successor to "The Book of Souls", partly also a bit balladesque, it brings out completely new sides of the band.
The title song is a midtempo song, which immediately sets the direction of the album. After the strings are hit hard, Nico's drums form the rhythm of the song - somewhat reminiscent of a bush drum.
The album continues with the two singles "Stratego" and "The Writings on the Wall", which really rock out. What surprises me is that there are few to no Japanese-sounding elements on the album, which one might have expected given the title and cover.
I especially like the almost 10-minute, ballad-like "Lost In A Lost World" with its goosebump-inducing backing vocals, which after a break then turns into a highly melodic midtempo rocker in best Maiden style - a great song, to which "Alexander the Great" also contributed something.
With "Days of Future Past", the gas pedal is pressed, even if the speed is not increased excessively. "The Time Machine" is perhaps the weakest song on the album, although in the middle of the song after the rhythm change Eddy really gallops away on the melody, which is somewhat reminiscent of "Fear of the Dark".
Then it becomes quieter and more contemplative, Maiden as you have never heard. "Darkest Hour" reminds me a bit of the super slow songs from Bruce`s solo career and convinces with a great guitar solo (which you can`t say of all songs).... for me this ballad is one of the highlights of the album.
On half 2 of the album follows at the end a three-pack beyond the ten-minute limit. Here cross-references to older releases appear again and again: "Powerslave" ("Death of the celts"), "Somewhere in Time" (The Parchment) or "Seventh Son ..." , which is certainly not the worst decision, because so the memory and the feeling of the then masterpieces in the 80s and 90s comes up. Of course, there should be no melancholy now, because Maiden have finally evolved and changed their style over the past decades, without neglecting their trademarks. So also on the current album.
Conclusion:
With "Senjutsu" Iron Maiden have added another great album to their long discography, which lacks Über-songs (so far), is very varied and does not get boring even after the 10th run through. Despite the overlength of some songs, the class of the songs becomes more and more clear with each run. The album is less suitable for headbanging, but is highly recommended for a relaxed hour with good rock music.
Even if Bruce's singing sometimes comes across a bit muzzy (Til Schweiger sends his regards), he shows again on "Senjutsu" with his meanwhile 63 years that he is not only on stage one of the best frontmen in metal who can lift a song with his voice to a higher level, but also in the studio. Steve Harris can also convince as always with his distinctive bass playing. Not all parts of the album could convince me, however, the guitar faction around Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, because in some places, especially in the solos, their playing seems to me a bit without structure and ideas. That was better in the past.
Even if "Senjutsu" goes into the same basic direction of "TBOS", it differs nevertheless clearly and offers completely new sides, which one did not know so far in such a way from the Brits. Highly melodic, also sometimes executed as a ballad, Steve Harris and Co. know how to skillfully weave elements from their classics into the new songs again and again. Although not always necessarily suitable for rocking, the album could really inspire me after a few runs with their versatility.Overall, the songs live this time mainly from the melody arcs and the rhythm section not from the solo work of the three guitarists.
Maiden fans certainy are already chomping at the bit and counting the days until 3 September when they can finally hear the album in its entirety. It will be soon and you can look forward to it already today.
To pick up again the statement of my friend from the beginning, even if "Senjutsu" may sound a little unusual at first, the album has nothing to do with folk music, all fans of sophisticated rock or metal music should be thrilled, Iron Maiden are going to release a really adult album.
After the first song from the new album, "The Writing on the Wall", was released on July 15 as a lavishly staged animation video and thus the advertising drum was stirred vigorously, I now had the opportunity to listen to the entire album by Bruce & Co. before the actual release. The appetizer and the first single were already very promising, so of course I was curious how the whole album would sound in the end.
However, Maiden didn`t make it that easy for us press people, because also here, as already with "The Writing on the Wall", there was a little riddle to solve in order to get all the information and the promo version of "Senjutsu". To make the whole thing not so obvious, Maiden hid their album under a secret synonym, so that the album almost slipped through my fingers in the flood of daily press announcements and new releases (Thanks to Sonja from CMM for the tip).
"Do Iron Maiden now play folk music?" was the surprised reaction of an acquaintance who happened to drop by when I was listening to Maiden's new work via Bluetooth speaker while working in the garden. It was probably not quite seriously meant by him, but what he just heard sounded, although he immediately heard Maiden out, unusual for his ears.
So much in advance to all unsure fans - you need not worry, Bruce and Co. have not changed the music genre! Where Maiden is on it, there is of course Maiden in it, even if some unusual sounds for Maiden can be heard. But the band had already announced in advance that they would also explore new shores on the new album.
Of course, "Senjutsu" does not contain, like many albums before, Über-songs à la "The Number of the Beast" or "Fear of the Dark". But that was not necessarily to be expected. The result can still convince and after several runs I like the disc or the promo stream better each time. Overall, of course, as was to be expected from Maiden as a megaplayer, the album reaches an above-average level of quality, even if "the" outstanding song and future live classic has somehow not quite crystallized for me yet.
The album was already recorded in 2019 in Guillaume Tell Studio in France like the previous album "The Book of Souls".
Like the very successful predecessor, "Senjutsu" is also going to be released as a double CD / triple vinyl album, which should be mainly thanks to the three overlong songs with over 10 minutes playing time at the end of the record. Whether this was absolutely necessary is up to the listener, since the total playing time of the album is a meager 82 minutes for a double album, because one or the other song is stretched out quite a bit in some places. If they had renounced the one or other repetition in the songs, the magic 80-minute limit could have been surely undercut and the ten songs would have fit easily on a CD or 2 vinyls. But this way the tracks are distributed on several discs and Maiden can probably generate a little higher sales revenue - evil to him who evil thinks - but Maiden and their management have always been good businessmen who know exactly how to implement the minimax principle cleverly.
If they are going to release a double CD, then they could have added one or two more songs - that's my personal opinion.
All in all, the musical direction on "Senjutsu" suits Iron Maiden really well, is melodic and catchy and can be called a worthy successor to "The Book of Souls", partly also a bit balladesque, it brings out completely new sides of the band.
The title song is a midtempo song, which immediately sets the direction of the album. After the strings are hit hard, Nico's drums form the rhythm of the song - somewhat reminiscent of a bush drum.
The album continues with the two singles "Stratego" and "The Writings on the Wall", which really rock out. What surprises me is that there are few to no Japanese-sounding elements on the album, which one might have expected given the title and cover.
I especially like the almost 10-minute, ballad-like "Lost In A Lost World" with its goosebump-inducing backing vocals, which after a break then turns into a highly melodic midtempo rocker in best Maiden style - a great song, to which "Alexander the Great" also contributed something.
With "Days of Future Past", the gas pedal is pressed, even if the speed is not increased excessively. "The Time Machine" is perhaps the weakest song on the album, although in the middle of the song after the rhythm change Eddy really gallops away on the melody, which is somewhat reminiscent of "Fear of the Dark".
Then it becomes quieter and more contemplative, Maiden as you have never heard. "Darkest Hour" reminds me a bit of the super slow songs from Bruce`s solo career and convinces with a great guitar solo (which you can`t say of all songs).... for me this ballad is one of the highlights of the album.
On half 2 of the album follows at the end a three-pack beyond the ten-minute limit. Here cross-references to older releases appear again and again: "Powerslave" ("Death of the celts"), "Somewhere in Time" (The Parchment) or "Seventh Son ..." , which is certainly not the worst decision, because so the memory and the feeling of the then masterpieces in the 80s and 90s comes up. Of course, there should be no melancholy now, because Maiden have finally evolved and changed their style over the past decades, without neglecting their trademarks. So also on the current album.
Conclusion:
With "Senjutsu" Iron Maiden have added another great album to their long discography, which lacks Über-songs (so far), is very varied and does not get boring even after the 10th run through. Despite the overlength of some songs, the class of the songs becomes more and more clear with each run. The album is less suitable for headbanging, but is highly recommended for a relaxed hour with good rock music.
Even if Bruce's singing sometimes comes across a bit muzzy (Til Schweiger sends his regards), he shows again on "Senjutsu" with his meanwhile 63 years that he is not only on stage one of the best frontmen in metal who can lift a song with his voice to a higher level, but also in the studio. Steve Harris can also convince as always with his distinctive bass playing. Not all parts of the album could convince me, however, the guitar faction around Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, because in some places, especially in the solos, their playing seems to me a bit without structure and ideas. That was better in the past.
Even if "Senjutsu" goes into the same basic direction of "TBOS", it differs nevertheless clearly and offers completely new sides, which one did not know so far in such a way from the Brits. Highly melodic, also sometimes executed as a ballad, Steve Harris and Co. know how to skillfully weave elements from their classics into the new songs again and again. Although not always necessarily suitable for rocking, the album could really inspire me after a few runs with their versatility.Overall, the songs live this time mainly from the melody arcs and the rhythm section not from the solo work of the three guitarists.
Maiden fans certainy are already chomping at the bit and counting the days until 3 September when they can finally hear the album in its entirety. It will be soon and you can look forward to it already today.
To pick up again the statement of my friend from the beginning, even if "Senjutsu" may sound a little unusual at first, the album has nothing to do with folk music, all fans of sophisticated rock or metal music should be thrilled, Iron Maiden are going to release a really adult album.
Alenjandro
Educated Fool
New review (8.5)
www.sonicperspectives.com
Iron Maiden – Senjutsu (Album Review)
Perhaps the oldest dilemma in the arts is the struggle between the desires of the artist’s patronage, and the desires of the artist himself. Many of the most celebrated albums in modern music history are a rare convergence of these conflicting forces, where an artist’s creative genius is...
www.sonicperspectives.com
blackie2380
Educated Fool
Senjutsu
IMO a legitimate, valid case can be made for the assertion that IRON MAIDEN is the greatest heavy metal band of all time. Six years have passed since the release of the English band's last album, 2015's "The Book of Souls", and the legendary act returns now to close the longest gap between...
www.blabbermouth.net
TheMercenary
Ancient Mariner
Helmuth Von Moltke
Educated Fool
TheMercenary
Ancient Mariner
Another review in German. 
mtmccox
Ancient Mariner
A lot of keyboard hate here.New review (8.5)
Iron Maiden – Senjutsu (Album Review)
Perhaps the oldest dilemma in the arts is the struggle between the desires of the artist’s patronage, and the desires of the artist himself. Many of the most celebrated albums in modern music history are a rare convergence of these conflicting forces, where an artist’s creative genius is...
If the synths on the rest of the songs are as harmless as Stratego, I see absolutely no issue with them.
Jeffmetal
Ancient Mariner
Ouvimos Senjutsu! Confira tudo sobre o melhor álbum do Iron Maiden em quase 30 anos!
Cavalgadas, riffs icônicos, Bruce sensacional, solos lindos. Tudo que o fã do Maiden aprendeu a amar está em Senjutsu
www.wikimetal.com.br
Alenjandro
Educated Fool
New review:
ironmaidenlewes
Trooper
I enjoyed your review a lot and agreed with much. The quoted bits above made me laugh - I think you're right about both!
Last edited by a moderator:
Kerrang review:
Iron Maiden are not the first band you’d think of to be stealth-bombing fans with an album almost out of nowhere, but the (for them) short-notice arrival of Senjutsu has been one of 2021’s finest surprises so far. That isn’t to say the content or format of the veteran metallers’ 17th studio album is altogether shocking.
Like 2015’s The Book Of Souls, this is a sprawling double-album and, like most of Maiden’s 21st century output, it gives their more epic and progressive tendencies free rein. This is no longer news and if it’s purely punchy ’80s anthems you crave, there will probably be another period-piece themed tour along shortly. For now, the Devil is in the deep-delve details and this is simply one of the finest collections of songs they’ve released in the latter (read: after the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith) part of their career.
They certainly know how to make an entrance. The title-track is easily their finest opener since The Wicker Man from 2000’s Brave New World, and one of the heaviest tracks they’ve ever cut, opening on dramatic war drums and one of their chunkiest ever riffs. It’s not fast, but there’s an unstoppable sense of momentum as the song glides and stomps with a stately elegance. Stratego giddies things up to a familiar gallop and is as compact as modern Maiden gets, driven by simple refrains and clean melodic leads. Then The Writing On The Wall throws a wonderful curveball, with heavy blues-rock guitars and a blazing solo. This one is credited to Bruce and Adrian, and could easily have slotted into Bruce’s late-’90s solo album The Chemical Wedding – which is very much a complement.
Elsewhere Lost In A Lost World is both melancholy and progressive. There are a number of sudden gear changes but ultimately it’s driven more by emotion than its impressive technical chops. Days Of Future Past is another relatively straightforward mid-tempo rocker, while The Time Machine has an unconventional but effective structure built on a choppy melodic riff. Darkest Hour revisits Winston Churchill and WWII in a far more reflective manner than the breakneck speed of Aces High, and then it’s time to pour a long one and settle back for the final trio of Steve Harris-penned epics, clocking in at just over 34 minutes between them.
Death Of The Celts is up first and is instantly evocative of The Clansman, not just in its subject matter but also the see-sawing vocal melodies and folky motifs. The Parchment brings in another seriously heavy riff – by Maiden standards at least – with an insistent repetition that gets into your head in the best possible way. There’s a whiff of Powerslave’s most bombastic moments, especially as it builds through some fine operatic wails into a more frantic instrumental race to the finish. Finally, Hell On Earth brings things to a rather plaintive conclusion, with Bruce intoning, ‘On the other side I’ll see you again in heaven/ Far away from this hell on Earth.’
It’s not the most uplifting of endings, but this is very much an invigorated-sounding Iron Maiden. Senjutsu is simultaneously more diverse than its predecessor but somehow manages to concentrate its punches. It’s the sound of a band that continues to strive when it’s already honed its craft to perfection and it’s got a samurai Eddie on the cover. What more do you need?
Verdict: 4/5
Like 2015’s The Book Of Souls, this is a sprawling double-album and, like most of Maiden’s 21st century output, it gives their more epic and progressive tendencies free rein. This is no longer news and if it’s purely punchy ’80s anthems you crave, there will probably be another period-piece themed tour along shortly. For now, the Devil is in the deep-delve details and this is simply one of the finest collections of songs they’ve released in the latter (read: after the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith) part of their career.
They certainly know how to make an entrance. The title-track is easily their finest opener since The Wicker Man from 2000’s Brave New World, and one of the heaviest tracks they’ve ever cut, opening on dramatic war drums and one of their chunkiest ever riffs. It’s not fast, but there’s an unstoppable sense of momentum as the song glides and stomps with a stately elegance. Stratego giddies things up to a familiar gallop and is as compact as modern Maiden gets, driven by simple refrains and clean melodic leads. Then The Writing On The Wall throws a wonderful curveball, with heavy blues-rock guitars and a blazing solo. This one is credited to Bruce and Adrian, and could easily have slotted into Bruce’s late-’90s solo album The Chemical Wedding – which is very much a complement.
Elsewhere Lost In A Lost World is both melancholy and progressive. There are a number of sudden gear changes but ultimately it’s driven more by emotion than its impressive technical chops. Days Of Future Past is another relatively straightforward mid-tempo rocker, while The Time Machine has an unconventional but effective structure built on a choppy melodic riff. Darkest Hour revisits Winston Churchill and WWII in a far more reflective manner than the breakneck speed of Aces High, and then it’s time to pour a long one and settle back for the final trio of Steve Harris-penned epics, clocking in at just over 34 minutes between them.
Death Of The Celts is up first and is instantly evocative of The Clansman, not just in its subject matter but also the see-sawing vocal melodies and folky motifs. The Parchment brings in another seriously heavy riff – by Maiden standards at least – with an insistent repetition that gets into your head in the best possible way. There’s a whiff of Powerslave’s most bombastic moments, especially as it builds through some fine operatic wails into a more frantic instrumental race to the finish. Finally, Hell On Earth brings things to a rather plaintive conclusion, with Bruce intoning, ‘On the other side I’ll see you again in heaven/ Far away from this hell on Earth.’
It’s not the most uplifting of endings, but this is very much an invigorated-sounding Iron Maiden. Senjutsu is simultaneously more diverse than its predecessor but somehow manages to concentrate its punches. It’s the sound of a band that continues to strive when it’s already honed its craft to perfection and it’s got a samurai Eddie on the cover. What more do you need?
Verdict: 4/5
matic22
Ancient Mariner
Live thoughts track by track:
1/10
1/10
Senjutsu the track: Majestic. I wouldn't have tought, but some Devin fucking Townsend wall of sound vibes (of course Maiden style). This will be an epic track live. Adrian's 2nd solo is very AOB/TCW and he even does tremolo flutters at the end (in style of Vai/Satriani). Love it. Amazing track. Might not be to the liking of PLAYCLASSICS crowd, but I really adore it. First listen: 10.
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