Iron Maiden: Senjutsu (2021)
I donât know if it was the Covid-19 quarantine hangover or the enduring quality of 2015âs The Book of Souls, but I donât think many fans were quite ready for a new Iron Maiden album when Senjutsu unexpectedly dropped into our laps in the fall of 2021 -- and to think it was put on hold for two whole years.
Whatever the reason, initial spins of Maidenâs 17th studio LP left me a little cold, but recent writing assignments to evaluate the bandâs best album openers and closers for Loudwire forced me to give Senjutsu (æŠèĄ in Japanese, which loosely translates as âtactics and strategyâ) a closer listen that rehabilitated my opinion considerably.
But you have to be patient ...
Far from an optimal first impression, the opening title track pounds along (go, Nicko, go!) at a steady, deliberate pace for a taxing eight minutes-plus, and a quick glance at the ten-song, nearly hour-and-a-half program with no less than three, Steve Harris-penned behemoths bringing up the rear honestly filled me with dread.
Well, Iâm happy to say that my second do-round with this record proved some of my fears were unwarranted -- not least because both the galloping âStrategoâ and first single âWriting on the Wallâ provide a few breaths fresh air, energy, and economy to the proceedings.
But Iâd still call Senjutsu an album of âmoments,â such as the brooding intro melodies to âDarkest Hour,â the slashing staccato riffs on âDays of Future Past,â and Bruce Dickinsonâs understated crooning at either end of Harrisâ âLost in a Lost Worldâ -- maybe the albumâs best track.
On that note, I do wish Bruce wasnât so often pushed to top of his range (though the old chap always pulls through), and I occasionally questioned Steveâs ever-present synthesizer backdrops (maybe the most heâs used since Seventh Son).
But I canât say enough about the triple guitar threat of Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers, whose solos illuminate many of those longer, nebulous numbers -- both the good (âThe Parchment,â âHell On Earthâ) and not-so-good (âThe Time Machine,â âDeath of the Celtsâ) -- with fantastic fireworks.
In fact, there were many times I found myself labeling Senjutsu âa guitar playerâs album,â whatever that means in a heavy metal album (lots and lots and lots of guitars, obviously).
In conclusion, I still wouldnât elevate this LP alongside Iron Maidenâs best efforts of the Third Millennium (Brave New World, Book of Souls), but this further exposure convinced me that itâs definitely not in the lower tier (Dance of Death, The Final Frontier), either.
Finally, while Iâm all for deluxe packaging -- and every last image and incarnation of Eddie I can set my eyes on -- I do wish the high-gloss finish on this lavishly decorated trifold sleeve didnât force me to don fucking museum curator gloves to handle it without leaving finger smudges.
More Iron Maiden: "Running Free," Iron Maiden, Sanctuary EP, Women in Uniform EP, Live!! + One EP, Killers, âTwilight Zone,â âPurgatory,â Maiden Japan EP, âRun to the Hills,â The Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, âThe Trooper,â 2 Minutes to Midnight EP, Powerslave, Aces High EP, Live After Death, Run to the Hills (Live) EP, Somewhere in Time, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Fear of the Dark, The X Factor, Brave New World, Dance of Death, A Matter of Life and Death, The Book of Souls.Â