IRON MAIDEN – Senjutsu

NWOBHM Legends Are Back

One would have to have been living under a rock to not be aware of the NWOBHM giants Iron Maiden. Formed by Steve Harris back in 1975, the band went through numerous lineup changes long before the first classic Iron Maiden album was recorded in 1980, with the rest being history. It’s hard to imagine that band members toured for many years on a meager 100 pounds a week salary to put everything back into the band, but with hindsight it now seems the right move as they are of such a legendary status that any release they put out goes straight to #1 across the globe.

About the Album

Senjutsu follows in the same vein as The Book of Souls in that it’s a double CD with close to an hour an a half of music for fans who’ve been waiting close to 6 years. According to Steve Harris: “We chose to record at Guillaume Tell Studio in France again as the place has such a relaxed vibe. The setup there is perfect for our needs; the building used to be a cinema and has a really high ceiling so there’s a great acoustic sound. We recorded this album in the same way we did The Book Of Souls in that we’d write a song, rehearse it and then put it down together straight away while it was all fresh in our minds.” The album was produced by Kevin “Caveman” Shirley and co-produced by Steve Harris, who adds 4 of his own compositions (all over 9 minutes in length).

Final Notes

The sound is excellent, the musicianship is as good as it gets with such legends still working together for 30+ years. Bruce Dickinson still has the voice, though he seems a bit drenched in reverb and delay in the mix at times. The Smith-Dickinson songs seem the tightest as for song writing and energy, while the Harris songs seem overly long, and drawn out. The trend for Iron Maiden in their later career is to adapt a Celtic style to their music, even on the title track which is of a Japanese theme, creating some musical confusion. This reviewer still yearns for the faster-paced Maiden of old with Heavy Metal shuffles, and 4 minute songs. That said, the album has plenty of good stuff for Iron Maiden fans new and old, and has some very strong songs to tide you over for the next 6 years.

Iron Maiden (L to R) Adrian Smith, Nicko McBrain, Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Janick Gers and Dave Murray

Lineup

Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitars
Adrian Smith – guitars
Bruce Dickinson – vocals
Nicko McBrain – drums
Janick Gers – guitars

Senjutsu – Tracklist

01. Senjutsu (Smith/Harris) 8:20
02. Stratego (Gers/Harris) 4:59
03. The Writing On The Wall (Smith/Dickinson) 6:13
04. Lost In A Lost World (Harris) 9:31
05. Days Of Future Past (Smith/Dickinson) 4:03
06. The Time Machine (Gers/Harris) 7:09
07. Darkest Hour (Smith/Dickinson) 7:20
08. Death Of The Celts (Harris) 10:20
09. The Parchment (Harris) 12:39
10. Hell On Earth (Harris) 11:19