Metal Hammer: The metal world weighs in on Iron Maiden’s Senjutsu

Articol preluat de pe site-ul Metal Hammer / Louder

septembrie 21, 2021

Metal Hammer: The metal world weighs in on Iron Maiden's Senjutsu — (Image credit: Press/Timo Jaeger/Matteo Fabbiani)

Seventeen albums in, Senjutsu shows Iron Maiden aren’t dialling back their ambitious scope even as they close in on the five-decade mark. Clocking in at almost 82-minutes, the record was described by Metal Hammer‘s Joe Daly as an „electrifying, cinematic masterpiece„, while Classic Rock‘s Dave Ling concluded it was „a remarkable album from a band that still has plenty to say and offer„.

Striking a balance between the epic, grandiose structures of 2015’s The Book of Souls and the galloping anthems that made them heavy metal titans, we thought it best to get the final verdict from bands and individuals whose lives have been irrevocably changed by one of metal’s most iconic bands.

Herman Li, Dragonforce

“I started listening to Iron Maiden in 1988. It’s crazy to think about how many albums they have released since then, and how their albums have served as the soundtrack to so much of my life. It won’t surprise anyone to hear that I think Iron Maiden are the best heavy metal band ever.

For a longtime fan like myself, Senjutsu is exactly what I’m looking for. This is a real heavy metal album. That means it has long, epic songs, loads of melodies, great singing and awesome guitar solos. If you don’t like those things, you probably don’t really like heavy metal.”

Oscar Dronjak, Hammerfall

“Full disclosure: there is a lot to like about this album if you’re an Iron Maiden fan, especially if you think they still are as great as they ever were in the studio. In many ways, Senjutsu is a continuation of their previous record, The Book Of Souls, and that is a good thing.

Clocking in at a ridiculous 81:53 for 10 tracks though puts a lot of pressure on the listener’s focus and attention span. There isn’t a clunker among them, and each song contains a multitude of the stuff the Brits have been well known for throughout their career. This is a damn good Iron Maiden album, make no mistake about that! But with an average length of over eight minutes (!) per track it can be difficult to choose a favourite after only a few listens.

For me, the singles – especially Stratego – stood out immediately, but my guess is this is an album that will divulge a lot of wonderful musical secrets the deeper you get into it. And I, for one, can’t wait to find out!”

(…)

Brian Slagel, Chairman/CEO Metal Blade

“My favourite band of all time is Iron Maiden. I was a big fan of The Book Of Souls, and The Red And The Black is in my all-time Top 10 list of Maiden songs. So this album had a lot to live up to! Senjutsu lives up to it and it gets better with every listen. My first listen I liked it, but was not sure how much I liked it. Now after my fifth listen, I am really getting into it. I love all the songs, with Stratego, The Parchment and Hell On Earth being my top three so far. It makes me so happy as a fan that these guys are still creating music at such a high level.

“It is a really long album, so give it some time. You might need to warm up to it a bit. The lyrics are all you would expect from a classic Maiden album like this. Steve Harris has the bulk of the songs, with the last three all his, and over 10 minutes each! It’s really a tour de force of classic Iron Maiden, with amazing songs and packaging. Long live Eddie and Iron Maiden – Up The Irons!”

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