Iron Maiden gone samurai. That’s the visual and at times audible direction of the new album ‘Senjustu.’ Which translates into ‘tactic and strategy.’ It’s the first album since 2015’s ‘Book of Souls’ and continues that records direction in it’s progressive elements.
This time around however, the progressive direction isn’t fully convincing. The album isn’t bad by any means. But we’re talking about Iron Maiden. And this record doesn’t exactly live up to the standard in this writer’s opinion. The packaging and artwork are stunning. Eddie has honestly never looked so badass. But the accompanying audio that goes with it is disappointingly bland. The songs overall are dull and slow. Bruce Dickinson relies too often on vocal melodies that follow guitar melodies. As opposed to his own vocal melody that goes above the guitar parts. That’s certainly a sound of Iron Maiden’s, but it’s used too much this time around. The albums closing track, ‘Hell on Earth’ is a prime example.
The production also isn’t the greatest. Again, not bad by any means. Just a little dead and flavorless. Their previous record, ‘The Book of Souls,’ really popped out of the speakers. Whereas ‘Senjustu’ is sort of just there. However, there are some excellent moments. The riff break in the middle of ‘The Time Machine’ is pure choice. So tasty and well done. And that’s where the strength of the album lies. In its jammage. The solos and background riffing from Janick Gers, Adrian Smith and Dave Murray are as good as anything they’ve done. The beauty of ‘Darkest Hour’ is timeless. The groove and pocket of ‘The Parchment’ and ‘Lost in a Lost World’ is addictive.
The lead single ‘Writing on the Wall’ also has an excellent pocket feel. But, on the other hand, it’s way too predictable. Which is how the album is in general: predictable. The whole ‘river rock’ thing is not exactly my jam. But if it’s yours, ‘Senjustu’ may just be your favorite Maiden album in their storied career.
Overall, the band sounds quite good considering where they are in their career. But this is the first Iron Maiden album to expose some aging. And it’s not just Bruce Dickinson sounding more raspy and strained than usual. It’s also the tempos and lack of diversity on the record. Maybe it’s been the pandemic. Maybe it was the amount of time the band put into doing the album. But for the first time ever, Iron Maiden sound like their slowing down a little. So, if anything, cherish these moments. This album kind of reminds me that these bands won’t be around forever. So we need to not take bands like Iron Maiden for granted. 2.5 out of 5 stars.
