Stratego

How good is Stratego on a scale of 1-10?


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    23

Jon

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Thread for all discussion of the track 'Stratego' from Iron Maiden's 17th Studio album 'Senjutsu'.
 
Nah, I get all my music enjoyment from reading reviews. They tell us all we need to know. In fact, 17 years later I still haven’t heard Maiden play a single note. :ninja:
 
The first Janick co-writen song Maiden bring out separately since Lord of the Flies, 26 years ago.

I'll skip this, going for the greater unknown album experience.
 
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First impressions:

I enjoy the production a lot, Bruce could be a bit louder, but in general it feels much clearer and cleaner than TBOS.

Bruce sings the verse and parts of the chorus in his mid range, which sounds fantastic. We know that he can reach high notes, but often it doesn't sound as good anymore and it feels like some lines are simply written to show that he can reach the notes. That's not what is happening here and I'm glad.

The chorus finally has some vocal harmonies! I'm an absolute sucker for that and I'm incredibly happy.

Looking forward to reading the lyrics once we have them.

Someone mentioned the solo sounding like it's ripped out of The Nomad and I can certainly hear the similarities lol

All in all (it's far too early obviously but) I enjoy both singles a lot, Stratego much more than TWOTW and if the rest of the album is of a similar quality it's going to be really special.
 
First impressions:

I enjoy the production a lot, Bruce could be a bit louder, but in general it feels much clearer and cleaner than TBOS.

Bruce sings the verse and parts of the chorus in his mid range, which sounds fantastic. We know that he can reach high notes, but often it doesn't sound as good anymore and it feels like some lines are simply written to show that he can reach the notes. That's not what is happening here and I'm glad.

The chorus finally has some vocal harmonies! I'm an absolute sucker for that and I'm incredibly happy.

Looking forward to reading the lyrics once we have them.

Someone mentioned the solo sounding like it's ripped out of The Nomad and I can certainly hear the similarities lol

All in all (it's far too early obviously but) I enjoy both singles a lot, Stratego much more than TWOTW and if the rest of the album is of a similar quality it's going to be really special.
Lyrics were posted on the YouTube post by the band. Here they are:

How do you read a madman’s mind
Teach me the art of war
For I shall bring more
Than you bargained for

Give me an ultimatum
That I could not dream of
Spills of a crying nation
Upon my soul

For I have not a mortal soul
That you already know
Look at my eyes
There’s no surprise

Ocean is black the devil’s track
Looking beyond beneath the sea
Eye of the storm is here again
Been there before you were ever born
Beyond the dark I feel the pain
It’s hidden but I can’t explain
A cross to bear
A heavy faith
My sorrow whispers
Time again

I hear you calling my name
Come to claim my life again
Pray for me I’m almost there
The pain almost too much to bear

I try to find my way back home
To feel the same again
The voice of nothing
Listened far too long
Little by little eat away
I think I’ve lost my mind

Too late to change now
What I left behind
Hear me listen my call
I am ready to fall
Lord hear me now – let me go

Ocean is black the devil’s track
Looking beyond beneath the sea
Eye of the storm is here again
Been there before you were ever born
Beyond the dark I feel the pain
It’s hidden but I can’t explain
A cross to bear
A heavy faith
My sorrow whispers
Time again
 
Cool track... As for now (with a handful of runs) my first impression places it at around a 8/10. Only down sides is the lead guitar mimics too much the vocal line and the somewhat weird bank picked for the keyboards. Everything else is really enjoyable: epic and melodic yet straight to business and energetic. Bruce sounds really good, the drums and bass sound thunderous and the guitars are also on point. but I'll the entire album track by track once it comes out.
 
Ok now this one needs no spoiler alert. And by now I really listened to it several times and must say I truly enjoy it a bit more than when I first listened to it. Alongside Days of The Future Past this is undoubtedly the most direct track on the album although here we get a majorly galloping pattern dominating tune (something that became more rare in recent Maiden short songs) so let the nostalgia kick in. And man... this may not be top tier Maiden on this kind of tunes but let me tell you: IMO it surely comes near! Not that i totally revere everything it brings: again there's the lead guitar mimic syndrome on the verses and I would even understand if it only was dropped halfway but putting it all the damn way is a bit exhausting. The keyboard sound picked for this one still sound a bit strange to me (unlike the melody itself that happens to be quite good). Well... and that's the only stuff I liked the least and truth be told I can live with it since the rest of the song is truly exciting. The rhythmic section is simply pure pure Metal energy and Bruce's voice here sounds great: the dynamics between lows and highs is absolutely masterful and the chorus is absolutely epic! Plus the "I hear you calling my name... etc" part is a perfect slingshot and serves as a perfect bridge to the verses once again (superb writing). Also like the way the solo comes before the chorus and the section that gives way to it is another blatant example of simple yet superb sense of composition and song structuring. So there you go... easy listening but still full of power and epic flavor... Yeah! 8.75/10
 
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Dislike the guitar line under Bruce's vocal's and the synth aren't great, but really nice to hear that clasic Maiden gallop. Much like TWOTW this is a typical Maiden rocker affair but the melodies and guitars at the end of this one really fantastic and i enjoy this one very much
 
I like everything in this song but Janick's solo. It's good, but a bit standard. I wish he'd experiment more.
 
This has a very nice flow to it, and I love the passion in the stream-of-thought lyrics, this is quality Harris storytelling in a Hallowed Be Thy Name vein. It took a while for this to grow on me, but it now strikes me as effortlessly good songwriting, as if creativity and inspiration took over. No consciously trying to piece together a new Maiden classic, it just happens.

Someone (@Yax I think it was) mentioned a while back that Janick's guitar work is sounding slightly unadventurous and cliched as time goes on. I'm inclined to see that a bit in this track, but at the same time I really like the way it all fits together here nonetheless.
 
This one is growing on me. The verses are still just okay, but the rest of the song is brilliant.

I hear you calling my name.. Love that part.
 
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