Iron Maiden
Senjutsu

Iron Maiden is that group that no matter the album, everyone ends up buying it and this latest album was no different. I had been excited by the songs released on YouTube and decided to buy this more sophisticated version. The graphics and assembly of the box are incredible and end up being worth a collector's item, but the product itself is just more of the same. The group became a parody of a progressive sound trying to sound like metal at times. Tracks are too long even for those who like progressive music and unfortunately it is already possible to notice a certain fatigue in the musicians, not to mention a harmless production. It's a shame, because Iron Maiden had everything it took to try to revive rock/metal at the end of their career, but I believe that if they continue at this pace they will increasingly depend on the old classics to bring fans to shows.

The previous work of honored heavy veterans came out already in 2015, which, in principle, is not so bad for a group with such experience, but restless fans were eager for "new blood". The album Senjutsu was recorded back in 2019 in France, and it was produced by Kevin Shirley, who is not the first time working with the group. But due to the epidemiological situation in the world and various restrictions associated with the pandemic, the release date was constantly postponed. And after two whole years, the disc finally saw the light of day. Senjutsu was almost the most anticipated release of this year. Not surprisingly, this is Iron Maiden. In addition, the album received a huge number of positive reviews and was perceived by critics as a true revival of legends. And I, perhaps, agree with the majority. The new material is really reminiscent of the very Iron Maiden that everyone loves so much. Hit melodies, furious guitar solos, atmosphere and some genuine nostalgic charm overwhelm this disc. The speeds, of course, are not the same (I think this can be forgiven for older musicians), but the rest of the album sounds very powerful. The new release was not deprived of musical variety either. Despite the general military theme of the album (and the overwhelming majority of songs are written about wartime), marching action films do not fill the entire disc, but fit perfectly into the overall concept along with beautiful ballads and unexpected experiments. For example, the track The Writing On The Wall, which was honored to become the first single of the new album, caused a great resonance among the fans of the group. A very atypical composition for Iron Maiden in blues-rock style, which was quite unexpected to hear on Senjutsu. Nevertheless, the experiment was a success, and the song fit perfectly into the general outline of this disc. Senjutsu also has tracks in the classic Iron Maiden style. Works such as Stratego and Days Of Future Past may well gain a foothold in the band's concert setlist for years to come. And, of course, Iron Maiden could not do without their signature ballads. Epic, virtuoso, both from the technical and from the melodic side, the compositions overwhelm this album. Lost In A Lost World, Darkest Hour, Death of the Celts, Hell On Earth are very interesting, inventive and exciting pieces of music, most of which are ten minutes long. It is not for nothing that this release was divided into two parts, and its duration is 82 minutes. But for all its intimidating length, Senjutsu is by no means boring. On the contrary, the disc truly involves oneself, allowing one to feel all the feelings and emotions embedded in it. The musicians have once again managed to create a masterpiece musical canvas with its already familiar "Aroynmeiden" epic. With such a gigantic musical experience and skill as Iron Maiden, each of their new albums can be called an audio rock encyclopedia. And such a rare specimen is a must-have in your library, both for an ordinary music lover and a professional musician. I assure everyone will have something to learn from there. It only remains to hope that this is not the last work of the legends of world heavy metal. And if you haven’t seen the new grandiose work of the greats of Iron Maiden yet, now is the time.