An institution of Heavy Metal, one of the most influential bands to ever grace the stage, a band who blazed a trail of galloping basslines, iconic harmonies and powerful vocal performances and released arguably some of the greatest albums of all time, Iron Maiden are a band who need no introductions but exposition is mandatory so one has to be given.
Announced out of the blue in the summer of 2021, “Senjutsu” was a surprise to many. Maiden are a band known for not releasing songs unless a new album is incoming and with the surprisingly dull “Writing On The Wall”, it signalled something was en-route but would it be good enough? Die-hards would say yes without any hesitation. Detractors and sceptics have said no, citing the band should just rest on their laurels as ‘The Book Of Souls’ was the best album the band have released since the phenomenal Brave New World. Myself? Torn between the two sides of the spectrum, wanting Maiden to continue to pump out iconic music yet at the same time wanting them to just sit back on what they have achieved and call it quits given one of the major reasons for their success and longevity is frontman Bruce Dickinson. If his vocals suffer more, the band suffers more. Having lost some of his power due to his previous health issues, suffering from Covid and his advancing age, can the mighty frontman lead the charge once again? Yes, the other members of the band are just as essential, Harris’ bass, the triad of guitars from Murray, Smith and Gers, and the ever-reliable Nicko on drums provide the backdrop for Maiden, but as that spell in the 90’s proved, Maiden are lacking without Dickinson’s voice leading them.
The first real standout thing about this album is that it is not your typical Iron Maiden release. Yes, the main musical elements are there in terms of compositions, lyrical themes and the usual musical tricks which are a hallmark of the Maiden sound all feature on this release, but the way it plays out is very different. This is to be expected, the band have been going since the early days of Heavy Metal and for the main part, have remained predominantly the same, like a shark, evolving very slowly, if at all. It was only recently that the band actually changed tuning for a track after all. Moving on from The Book Of Souls which had some slightly proggier moments and variety, Senjutsu keeps this up. Slower paced, darker and heavier in parts but still maintaining that gripping feel, it is a release which demands attention to detail and not just casual listening. Like a small collection of embers which gradually rises to a towering blaze, “Senjutsu” is something you need to sit down and really focus on.
Opening track “Senjutsu” has a solid and powerful chug to its rhythm. The punchy guitars, deep bass and pounding drums give a solid spine for Bruce’s telling of warriors preparing to do battle. The slightly subdued instrumentation in the mix allows the vocals to stand out. Noticeably lacking in the power which we are all familiar with from Maiden past, Bruce’s vocals are still strong, they just don’t have that full-bodied power backing them. Steadily moving forward, punctuated with typical maiden-flair leads it gives a taste of what is to come. “Stratego” has a strange quality to its sound, it has the typical maiden vibe but it feels more like it was made for radio. One of the two tracks released prior to the album. With a feel similar to tracks present on ‘A Matter of Life and Death’, it has a good hook to it, simplistic melodies backing the vocals and a punchy feel to it. “The Writing On The Wall” is definitely more proggy. The crisp acoustic opening gives way to a crunchy blues styled rolling riff which has a good hook to it but sounds totally out of place, coming across as something you would expect from the likes of Deep Purple. It’s an interesting track, the first one debuted off this release, but it isn’t a good advertisement of the album. The vocals are decent enough, maintaining that narrative feel Bruce lays into each track but it lacks that killer hook. The chorus is dull and the soloing is there, but not as electrifying as you usually expect. From this, the first three tracks certainly paint an interesting picture, but there are still plenty more musical moments to come.
“Lost In A Lost World” again maintains that proggy vibe. Effects laden vocals, crisp acoustic and clean guitars accompany some synth effects and vocal aaah’s to build the mood but this soon shifts into the maiden we are more familiar with. The crisp guitar chugs, that iconic bass twang and tight rhythm all bring echoes of the sounds found on the albums from Brave New World to The Final Frontier. It’s got that modern grit combined with the traditional Maiden styled quality we are all accustomed too. It’s got a good flow to it, the melodic elements in the track; lead licks, Dickinson’s vocals and the guiding synths work well in the verses, the chorus has slight echoes of The Wickerman (minus Smith’s catchy lead melody in it) but at the same time it could be mistaken for ‘Dream Of Mirrors’, again from Brave New World. “Days Of Future Past” is the shortest track on the album, clocking in at 4:04. Much like ‘Stratego’ earlier, it has that made for radio vibe with its dramatic intro before it shifts into a fast paced, hard rock styled banger. Simple and straight to the point, it has some attitude and rawness behind its verse riff before your typical big chorus moment which in places could be mistaken for ‘The Longest Day’ with the vocal melody employed. “The Time Machine” brings back the atmospheric narrative building track. Speeding up as it progresses, it definitely has a progressive feel to it as it subtly changes its tempo and blends melodic licks and vocal harmonies which shift keys before a simplistic chorus before it suddenly explodes into that trademark Iron Maiden melodic lick and gallop burst feel. Slow to build but powerful once it hits, this track certainly lives up to its namesake once again bringing back shades of ‘Dance of Death’, especially its melodic sections. It is a track which would comfortably sit on that album and not feel out of place.
“Darkest Hour” is a strange hard rock ballad styled track with a rather melancholic quality to it. Despite the bright ringing guitars initially, the minor feel helps it cast a darkened shadow over the track as it kicks into a steady paced, emotionally charged dark rocker. The expressive quality of Bruce’s vocals shines through, the superb guitar skills are on full display in the epic solo section and the fact that the main musical backing is rather restrained compared to the usual Maiden approach really helps this one stand out. “Death Of The Celts” is a track which immediately makes me start thinking of the mid-90’s number ‘The Clansman’ but meeting ‘The Dream Of Mirrors’ and ‘Sign Of The Cross’. It has a dark feel to it once again. The intricate folk styled arpeggios, slick synth work and its sudden shift to the vibrant and bright sounding main melody works great. It is prime Maiden in their musical element. The hook is superb, catching you with little fuss and the storytelling through the vocals works perfectly. It really surrounds you, swallowing you up in its atmospheric sphere and helps set up the final trio of tracks for what could be a big finale.
“The Parchment” again begins slowly with a subdued and building feel to the intro. Once more, the subtle melodic synths in the background help set the scene, giving Steve Harris’ bass dominated chord intro some melodic guidance. With an exotic flair and plenty of power, the main melody kicks in, revisiting the old middle-eastern flair which featured on iconic tracks like ‘Powerslave’ and ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’. Lyrically, it has that epic feel to it as well, potentially being a successor to the musical legacy left over from the epic narrative album ‘Seventh Son…’. It steadily builds as it progresses with the lingering, almost lazily hanging guitar melody which shifts effortlessly into soloing and catchy repetitive licks which ascend and descend as they loop, all the while maintaining its steady rhythmic stomp approach. It is possibly one of the longest songs Iron Maiden have composed but unlike the epic length “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner”, it lacks the powerful hook and unlike “Empire Of The Clouds” which is an excellent composition, it doesn’t quite live up to the powerful emotions the track draws forth. It is a good track, it just doesn’t have that superb spark. The vocal and guitar melodic interplay is a nice touch but the fact it takes until 9:53 to kick into high gear and deliver that powerful hook we crave is a mark against it.
“Hell On Earth” closes the album and once again, it is a steadily building track. Clean guitar arpeggios and clear synths lay the foundations, with bursts of pads which get the hairs on the back of your neck and on your arms to tingle and begin to stand, something which is always a good sign. With this anticipation-building introduction section, it subtly introduces little melodic licks and bass sequences, helping up the suspenseful air of the track which finally comes to life round 2:20 with that ever-familiar melodic sequence and trademark gallop feel. More vibrant than the previous tracks, with a brighter and more empowering quality to the composition, it surges ahead and the verse finally hits at 3:30. The vocals are backed up by a lead guitar melodic line which helps give them some more depth, making up for whatever Dickinson may have lost due to his health issues. Littered with catchy lead hooks which sink into you, surges in the pacing which breathe life into the track and arguably the strongest vocal performance of the album, the track shifts into sections of the massive soloing sequences, letting those high notes scream out and the flurries of rapid-fire legato runs evoke memories of Maiden of old. Near the 7-minute point, it descends into a bass and synth dominated sequence with the guitars adding little flourishes here and there to build it before the vocals come in. With a swift pace and catchy hook to them, they begin the building feel once more as the track explodes back to life once again. Big vocal spots, powerful walls of powerchords and killer melodies peak and the track finally descends into a more subdued sequence, reminiscent of the introduction section, allowing it to slowly trail out, fading into silence as what has been a rather intriguing release.
This album is not your typical Iron Maiden release. Whilst it has the usual and expected musical moments and qualities, it is a totally different beast, one which will catch plenty off-guard. Many will cast it aside, banishing it to the void that the Blaze Bailey albums occupy, some will allow it to grow over time and some will like it outright. Personally? I think it is a well-written and composed album which has some fantastic moments, but it feels a little out of place, especially as the follow up to the phenomenal “Book Of Souls”. If this was released round the same spell as “A Matter of Life and Death” and “The Final Frontier”, two albums where some of the proggier elements were a bit more noticeable, it would have sat well, allowing Book of Souls to be what should have been Iron Maiden’s second crowning moment (after Seventh Son of a Seventh Son of course), but instead it follows on from a musical colossus which no matter how you look at it, has influenced all perceptions of this album. Subjectively, I can appreciate what Iron Maiden have done with ‘Senjutsu’, but I know that in time, this will be an album which grows on me.
(8/10 Fraggle)
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