Is it time we finally admit the truth about Senjutsu?
Five years ago today, Iron Maiden released their latest studio album. Yes, five!
And looking back at my original review, I actually realized my perception of it has changed quite a lot since then.
So now that the new-album smell is gone, let’s take a some of the problems and some of the amazing things about Senjutsu, including that one song that actually has grown into what I consider to be possibly top five of Iron Maiden epics, and then answer the question that bothers every Iron Maiden fan: Will this actually be Iron Maiden’s final studio record? Here you go!
00:00 – 5 years later
00:41 – The hype
01:58 – Why I was wrong in my original review
03:34 – The best(?) song since the 80s
06:01 – The flaws
07:25 – Post-reunion rankings: Where Senjutsu lands
08:29 – Is this Iron Maiden’s final record?
——–
🤘 Become a Patreon and support the show –
…or become a YouTube Channel Member –
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!
👕 Metal Pilgrim merch for your next concert –
📷 Instagram –
👍 Facebook –
🆇 Twitter/X –
🤖 Discord –
🎶 Metal 365 Playlist –
🇺🇦 Support our volunteer efforts here on the ground in Ukraine by donating to Steel Wings Foundation (I am the founder and personally responsible for every penny spent) –
——–
Links to products posted here are usually affiliate, meaning that I may earn commission from them.
——–
Background music: “Uberpunch” Alexander Nakarada (serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
——–
All content falls under fair use: any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner.
source
🤘🏻 ÜP THE IRÔNS
Here’s the thing. You were never wrong. Your entitled to have your opinion; however, it is really nice to hear the album has grown on you. That is the power of great music. 😅
Number 6
For some reason, I've always perceived those last three tracks as an EP within the album. I love listening to them like if it was an independent record on their own.
I LOVE this album
Late to the show. Its a masterpiece
Love this! Better than the two previous studio releases, but could do without Death of the Celts,though.
I've heard better-mixed demos (!) from amateur bands, and the riffs are just slightly altered, reused melodies. The only album after the reunion that didn't disappoint was Dance of Death. They fired Blaze but haven't managed to produce records even half as good as the ones Blaze has made with Wolfsbane since then.
SenJutsu was such a good album, and yes, it's an 'album lovers album', like most Iron Maiden albums. The tracks blend well together. Stratego and Writing On The Wall are my favorites.
"Appreciate You! The Parchment "I still think is the strongest track; "Writing on the Wall" I least go back to… My first Maiden tour was Beast on he Run in 82, my fav, World Piece, the best, World Slavery! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! THEY ARE AT THEIR BEST! How are they not one of the greatest bands in the World!
Snoozefest with awful production. For being obsessed with progressive rock Steve Harris is actually quite shit at writing progressive songs. WOTW is great and Hell on Earth is good but the rest of the album is just boring plodding nonsense. Iron Maiden needs a new producer and should keep Steve as far away from production as humanly possible if they want to go out on a high note.
I like Senjutsu. I think it's a solid album, but not among my favorite Maiden albums. I love long songs and long albums, but Senjutsu seems to be unnecessarily long at times. It's a minor complaint and strictly my opinion. I still love it. Looking only at the post reunion era, I still like Brave New World, A Matter of Life and Death and Book of Souls a little better. Senjutsu is still solid.
We'll get a new album next year.
It's somewhat listenable and it sounds like Iron Maiden. That's all I can say about it.
I think the only issue I may have with it, is that it kind of stays in one tempo for too much of the album. It actually sounded better with the speed turned up a tad. It could have used some more uptempo tracks on it.
God this album has some bloated stinkers on it.
Hell on earth is a prime example of how maiden have aged and worn out over the years.. Predictable folky molodies that drag on for ever, not much actual Metal moments and is unecesarily long..
Unlike most fans, I haven't liked any Maiden album after AMOLAD. The Final Frontier was the beginning of the end for me. All albums since then sound stale af to me.
The entire album is a masterpiece, but I do actually have a favorite track on this one "Darkest Hour".
Hell On Earth is legitimately a top 5 Maiden song for me.
I loved the album when it was released. I didn't expect that some of the tracks would become what they've become. Agreed about Hell on Earth. It's in my top 5 of Maiden. I also love Stratego, Parchment… I actually love every track. What I love about Writing on the Wall is how different and moody the song is.
Its an ok album at best. It drags and some of the songs feel long just to be long. We can blame Steve for that . AMOLAD had the long songs as well but was more focused and a way better album all round imo. BNW and AMOLAD are the only two albums that standout from the "new" Maiden stuff. TFF gets some points because of Starblind alone. Wish Maiden got back to the more classic heavy metal stuff.
They should have called it quits after brave new world. Everything they did after didn’t live up to the maiden name.
Nothing after '88.
The Parchment is a top 5 song for me. Just love it!
senjutsu is a masterpiece. the album i would listen to more than any other from maiden these days
Writing on the wall is one of my all time favourite songs, the feeling in the song blows me away 🤘
Senjutsu is the only Maiden album I listen to LESS than Virtual XI. It's just really disappointing. Even though I LOVE "The Writing On The Wall", I think the album as a whole feels tired and samey. I know we won't ever get back to the galloping brilliance of Maiden in the albums I really adore from the 80s, but Senjutsu feels so mid-paced and unexcited and unexciting.
Absolutely love Senjutsu! The Parchment is my number one.
When I decide to put on Book of Souls, I soon after tend to switch to Senjutso. I tend to jam the final frontier over AMOLOD too.
Overall, I still like this album a lot. I love "The Parchment," but in my opinion (this is very subjective so don't hate me), it would be stronger if shortened by trimming some repetitive passages and others that seem less interesting. With a runtime of 9 or 10 minutes, it could be one of Maiden's best post-reunion tracks.
I've lost friends over politics, vaccines and this album LOL Senjutsu rules and yes, they should do another album with Nicko.
I agree with you on the title track, for me it might be the weakest on the album and I don't like that it starts up the album. But I actually love Lost in a Lost World (even though I know many doesn't like it) and The Time-Machine.
The tracks I like the least on the album is Senjutsu and Death of the Celts.
I have some minor complaints about Stratego also, but that one is much better and very needed because of it's short length.
For me, the rest of the album is great, even though some of the songs easily could have been even better if the lenght of them was cut down with ca. 2 minutes, specially the longest songs.
Senjutsu is my third favorite Maiden album overall – Hell on Earth and The Parchment are amazing beyond rank
From day one I simply couldn't get into this one (and the day it released I was on an emotional high from a day of skydiving!) Maybe it's time for me to give it another go…
Parchment and Hell on Earth have been played a lot for me these past couple years. Love them.
It's okay. I guess I'm a rare Maiden fan who doesn't blindly love everything they put out.
Absolutely love senjutsu when it was released and now probably even more. 🤘🤘🤘
This album is just bad bad bad. It sounds like Steve Harris attended Irish Folk Festivals and got his ideas for songs while there. This to me is this he worst of their catalog