Senjutsu - 3rd September 2021

I am having my second proper re-listen now and I'm to lazy to be bothered to search for the separate threads, so I'll be giving some random thoughts if they come to mind here, hope it won't be too annoying.

Just now - anybody else feels like the title track is really similar (at least as far as rhythm/vibe are concerned, if not melody, and maybe that one too) to Face in the Sand? Am I crazy? I haven't seen it noticed so far. Anyway, love this particular track much more the second time around.
 
JudasMyGuide said:
Just now - anybody else feels like the title track is really similar (at least as far as rhythm/vibe are concerned, if not melody, and maybe that one too) to Face in the Sand? Am I crazy? I haven't seen it noticed so far. Anyway, love this particular track much more the second time around.
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You are not alone in this mate!
 
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Also, Stratego is the best short fast rocker they released since... well, I don't remember since when. Since Montségur, at least.

That midsection is friggin weird and I mean it in a good way. Also, some strong Bruce solo vibes, methinks, especially in how the chorus is written/produced.
 
daan said:
I'm tempted to say the best since The Evil That Men Do... Definitely on par with The Wicker Man.
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On second thought, I actually do love Rainmaker and even Fallen Angel a lot as well... and honestly, even the Blaze haters should appreciate Futureal, so I'm not really giving it a timeline, but it's exceptionally well done, IMHO.

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I already said that I really loved Writing, much more than most of their other previews from the reunion era, and I can only confirm that now. Love the Southern feel, love how it reminds me of Mother of Mercy (it actually made me come back to that track and re-appreciate it somewhat), love the chorus (the lyrics are clunky, but that's alright). Love the instrumental section.

A very head-bobbing piece of work, this one. I actually appreciate it more now, when I already hear it sitting in the middle of the album which I already know is pretty damn good. Man, I'm enjoying this listen.


Also, BTW, playing Dark Souls while listening. It's weirdly fitting.
 
JudasMyGuide said:
I am having my second proper re-listen now and I'm to lazy to be bothered to search for the separate threads, so I'll be giving some random thoughts if they come to mind here, hope it won't be too annoying.

Just now - anybody else feels like the title track is really similar (at least as far as rhythm/vibe are concerned, if not melody, and maybe that one too) to Face in the Sand? Am I crazy? I haven't seen it noticed so far. Anyway, love this particular track much more the second time around.
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I can also hear some resemblance, but it is not as obvious as on other tracks.
 
JudasMyGuide said:
I am having my second proper re-listen now and I'm to lazy to be bothered to search for the separate threads, so I'll be giving some random thoughts if they come to mind here, hope it won't be too annoying.

Just now - anybody else feels like the title track is really similar (at least as far as rhythm/vibe are concerned, if not melody, and maybe that one too) to Face in the Sand? Am I crazy? I haven't seen it noticed so far. Anyway, love this particular track much more the second time around.
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Both songs are in 6/8 and towards the slow end of "midtempo"- a combination that Maiden don't do that often, so I'd say you're not crazy :)
 
LIALW is so great in parts, especially the beginning. I have said already how much I like the end, it’s the greatest part of the album for me.
But IMHO the middle section of it has some issues with its riffs, and that rhythm so much on the snare isn’t what I prefer.
The singing is in parts of the song fantastic, the narrating, performing and interpreting, but in other parts my own voice starts to hurt just from listening.
 
Lego said:
Both songs are in 6/8 and towards the slow end of "midtempo"- a combination that Maiden don't do that often, so I'd say you're not crazy :)
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I could swear there's also something to the melody...

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Lost in a Lost World - the verse reminds me of The Man Who Would Be King a lot, but both the intro and the chorus (and, in fact, especially the pre-chorus) is a rather different beast. Again, the instrumental harmony reminds me of ... well, Writing, the previous track, and maybe something else (Afraid to Shoot Strangers? Vibe-wise?), but despite this all might seem like I'm damning the album for plagiarism or something, I'm actually enjoying it a lot. I really love hearing echoes of the past recontextualised and remade into something different... and the album as a whole is really different enough.

What I wanted to say probably is that the album feels more like reflection and reevaluation than regurgitation, if you know what I mean.

Oh, that solo section, loved that one. So smoothly transitioned.

Hey, now the last chorus... Ghost of the Navigator? Again, just gut feeling.

Overall like the track, but possibly the weakest so far from the first four.

And the outro is a nice touch. Much as I've been always reminding youse all that I'm not a Bruce fan, this very outro is really something that he did great and that would be different and probably worse with a different singer.

Also, I love he's not straining himself as he was on TFF.
 
JudasMyGuide said:
I could swear there's also something to the melody...

---

Lost in a Lost World - the verse reminds me of The Man Who Would Be King a lot, but both the intro and the chorus (and, in fact, especially the pre-chorus) is a rather different beast. Again, the instrumental harmony reminds me of ... well, Writing, the previous track, and maybe something else (Afraid to Shoot Strangers? Vibe-wise?), but despite this all might seem like I'm damning the album for plagiarism or something, I'm actually enjoying it a lot. I really love hearing echoes of the past recontextualised and remade into something different... and the album as a whole is really different enough.

What I wanted to say probably is that the album feels more like reflection and reevaluation than regurgitation, if you know what I mean.

Oh, that solo section, loved that one. So smoothly transitioned.

Hey, now the last chorus... Ghost of the Navigator? Again, just gut feeling.

Overall like the track, but possibly the weakest so far from the first four.

And the outro is a nice touch. Much as I've been always reminding youse all that I'm not a Bruce fan, this very outro is really something that he did great and that would be different and probably worse with a different singer.

Also, I love he's not straining himself as he was on TFF.
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I can help you nderstand what is the deal with this album! Everything you point out is correct. They've done many things like that in the past. BUT THIS TIME -AT LAST- IT IS DONE RIGHT! Freaking love this album.
 
Gk1 said:
Everything you point out is correct.
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:blush:

Gee, thanks, I feel seen.

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Days of Future Past ... again, the chorus reminds me of another track, I have it on the tip of my tongue... and I fail, but maybe I'll find it identified somewhere here in the comments and reactions. However, let me stress I really love the verse, the vocal melody and ... well, inflection there, and the cooldown before the third minute is a nice touch.

Overall, probably a throwaway track, all things considered, it's not gonna be anyone's favourite, but where TBOS had River, which I loved and Death or Glory, which I hated, this album already has a short track that I'm absolutely crazy about (Stratego) and a nice, good one. So the score's just better, you know?
 
The Time Machine - as a Janick fanatic (the guy's really an underrated gem of songwriting, presence, licks, mood, whatever), I expected a lot from this. And I don't know whether I was satisfied or disappointed. Because I might have expected a song to end all songs, but I got... just a really, really good track.
Yeah, it is probably (again) similar to other Gers-Harris epics (there's TBOS/The Talisman vibes all over the place, and beginning with the second verse, also the DOD vibes), but the weirdly optimistic tone in the verses and pre-chorus gives it a unique flavour.

I love the guitar leads under the second verse, I love the crazyass first solo (though I admit the switches might be a tad too abrupt in this particular case), I love how the song grows on me. A distant cousin of DOD, indeed, now I see it. This one has facial hair and starched collar, but gets under your skin just as much.

All things considered - between Stratego and this track, Janick still has it. Once Maiden are over and done, I'd like to see where he ends up and what he's going to do with that talent of his, which he definitely has. Such a sweet bloke.
 
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Darkest Hour - the intro sounds very vaguely Maiden, but it's something completely different. In fact, the whole beginning, with Bruce in the verses gives me completely different vibes that I usually expect from Maiden. The melody, instrumental choices etc. are still recogniseably IM-like, some might say it sounds like a new version of Out of the Shadows (?) (which is the only AMOLAD track I seriously dislike), but I'm certainly giving the track bonus points for feeling... really strange. Sorry for my blabbering, there's however certain ineffability to the track that I can't overcome, certain quality I can't really express.
Sure, when all is said and done, it's "just" another power ballad, but ver doomy, strangely nervous, mysterious. Thumbs up from me, definitely!
 
There are informations about the guitar solos on 'Senjutsu' taken from a post on a FB group about Maiden. :)

Senjutsu (Smith/Harris)
2:24 Smith
2:40 Murray
5:19 Gers
7:18 Smith
Stratego (Gers/Harris)
3:15 Gers
The Writing on the Wall (Smith/Dickinson)
3:43 Murray
4:24 Smith
Lost in a Lost World (Harris)
6:13 Murray
6:34 Smith
Days of Future Past (Smith/Dickinson)
2:10 Smith
2:31 Was a solo supposed to go here? It seems like there is a spot for a missing solo here.
The Time Machine (Gers/Harris)
4:36 Gers ? Not sure if this is even a solo
4:53 Murray
5:08 Gers
Darkest Hour (Smith/Dickinson)
4:11 Smith
5:01 Murray
5:40 Smith. On top of the chorus
Death of the Celts (Harris)
4:17 Smith
6:54 Gers
7:22 Murray
7:36 Smith
The Parchment (Harris)
3:17 Gers
5:03 Murray
5:48 Smith?
6:13 Smith
10:30 Gers
11:06 Murray
Hell on Earth (Harris)
5:47 Gers
6:10 Smith
8:21 Murray
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JudasMyGuide said:
I could swear there's also something to the melody...

---

Lost in a Lost World - the verse reminds me of The Man Who Would Be King a lot, but both the intro and the chorus (and, in fact, especially the pre-chorus) is a rather different beast. Again, the instrumental harmony reminds me of ... well, Writing, the previous track, and maybe something else (Afraid to Shoot Strangers? Vibe-wise?), but despite this all might seem like I'm damning the album for plagiarism or something, I'm actually enjoying it a lot. I really love hearing echoes of the past recontextualised and remade into something different... and the album as a whole is really different enough.

What I wanted to say probably is that the album feels more like reflection and reevaluation than regurgitation, if you know what I mean.

Oh, that solo section, loved that one. So smoothly transitioned.





Also, I love he's not straining himself as he was on TFF.
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IMHO the good notes for Bruce are till A, he can pull a B fine, but the color gets thinner. He can still hit his highest notes, up to a high D, which is unbelievable really, but also unhealthy in that it IS the area where my own voice starts to hurt from listening.
 
Death of the Celts was my disappointment on the first listen almost a week ago. Honestly, it still isn't my favourite.

The intro seems like it can't pick which way to go, trying out different approaches, moods... but very haphazardly, IMHO.

The verse has good (Celtic, ha!) rhythmic feel, but isn't very memorable. It takes almost 4 minutes to get somewhere and I still don't like the destination.

However, the instrumental part (which is probably the main feat, let's be honest), does feel great and epic. So, it's like another TRATB for me (or even another SSOASS, for that matter) - a so so sung part, that's (in this case almost) redeemed by a stellar, passionate instrumental section.

Still, if this one hasn't been here, it could have comfortably fit a single CD, couldn't it?
 
The Parchment - wow, I still don't know what to write about this one. Yes, if someone tells you "It's an 'Arry epic", you slap your forehead, of course it is! Yet, it's very different. Possibly the biggest mood piece off the entire album, it plods along relentlessly, going through some Eastern modes, an almost bluesy mid-section (I mean mainly the solos)... not really memorable, in fact possibly the least memorable track on the new album, but the oppressive atmosphere makes up for it, I'd say.

That part beginning with the seventh (?) minute - where there's the similarity in the guitar leads and Bruce's vocal lines - that's really beautiful. Even later on, when it starts reminding me of WTWWB (and we're still one track early, the true Wild Wind is yet to come!), it still has an awesome effect. Also, love the switch to the gallop around the tenth minute, followed by (Janick's, right?) great solo, vivacious, passionate.

Not a huge fan of the ending (I mean the final "playful" harmonies, not the repeated outro, that's nice), but overall it's a very intriguing epic, I'd even be willing to say it reminds me of Avalon with its innovativeness.
 
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