Iron Maiden don’t lose their way
On September 3, 2021, the Iron Maiden they released their latest album “Senjutsu”Three years later, we suggest you reread our review of that album.
Iron Maiden chapter 17. Exactly six years after “The Book of Souls”, which was published in early September 2015, here is the discographic return of the English band. A return with great fanfare with a double album, like the previous chapter. The analogies of the new “Senjutsu” (on the cover is portrayed Eddie in the guise of a terrible samurai) with its older brother do not end here. They have in common the fact that they are a double CD composed of a number of songs not high for a double – there were eleven, here there are ten – but of a rather important length, here in fact they exceed eighty minutes.
The producer, Kevin Shirley, is identical, having been following them for over twenty years, considering that his debut dates back to the turn of the new millennium with “Brave New World”, assisted by Steve Harris. The same is also the place where “Senjutsu” (a Japanese term that translates as tactics and strategy) came to life, as stated by Steve Harris, “We chose to record again at Guillaume Tell Studio in France (in Suresnes, in the immediate vicinity of Paris, ed.) because the place has a really relaxed atmosphere. The setup there is perfect for our needs; the building was a cinema and has a very high ceiling, so there are great acoustics. We recorded this album in the same way as “The Book Of Souls”: we wrote a song, we rehearsed it and then we put it together when everything was clear in our minds.” So there are really many points of contact with “The Book of Souls”.
With “Senjutsu” Iron Maiden, once again, do not compromise, and demonstrate that they want to continue to follow the path that they believe best represents them, without flattering concessions that at this point in their history would only be useless and counterproductive. The honesty of their choices up to now has never been questioned, even though, at times, it may have displeased someone. Honesty that shines through clearly in the words of Bruce Dickinson who, speaking about the album, addressing the numerous fans of the British group, explained: “The songs are very varied and some are quite long. There are one or two that sound quite different from our usual style, I think Maiden fans will be surprised, in a good way, I hope!”.
In a good way, Bruce’s voice is certainly striking and, despite having often had to deal with health problems in recent years, he is doing more than well.
Nicko McBrain doesn’t miss a beat behind the skins and the three guitars compete with each other to be elected the most beautiful of them all. The first part of “Senjutsu” is more ‘direct’, with songs like the first single “The Writing On The Wall”, the most rock’n’roll piece of the bunch, “Stratego” or “Days Of Future Past”; while the second is characterized by the long final suite “Death Of The Celts”https://www.rockol.it/”The Parchment”https://www.rockol.it/”Hell On Earth” entirely signed by Steve Harris. Here (but not only) there are many elements that refer to prog music (see also “The Time Machine”), but this is nothing new.
In conclusion, with “Senjutsu”, even with some physiological digressions and repetitions too much, the guys show that they firmly hold the helm of their ship in their hands, the route is always clear in their minds even forty years after they revealed themselves as THE band of what was then called the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. If the listening test is passed, the final judgment on the goodness or otherwise of the album and the new songs can only be given after these have been tested in concert, in this sense the live appointment for Italian fans is set for July 7, 2022 at Sonique Park in Bologna.
