IRON MAIDEN
Metal’s most travelled champions reach new states of grandeur
Senjutsu
PARLOPHONE
Iron Maiden: the metal masters
JOHN MCMURTRIE
TOURING THE GLOBE is a physically abusive, mind-numbing grind. Most bands build much-needed breaks into their itineraries so they can decompress at home or recharge in the balmy vibes of a tropical holiday. Then there’s Iron Maiden, who capitalised on a break in 2019’s Legacy Of The Beast tour, not only to not chill out, but to record an entire goddamn album – their utterly majestic 17th studio full-length, Senjutsu.
2021 finds Maiden as doggedly ambitious as they were when they stormed onto the scene in the mid-70s. Senjutsu is an electrifying, cinematic masterpiece, its imagery built around Japan’s pre-modern Samurai era and clocking in at 82 minutes -their second double album. The title track opens Senjutsu with sharp, scything riffs that build into a grandiose, minor-key epic as Bruce Dickinson effortlessly crushes one soaring high note after another.