The Official Iron Maiden Thread

[The Analog Cub]

Senjutsu requires patience, much like anything they've done in the last 20 years. It's not going to win new fans and it's not going to convert anybody in the camp that only prefers the 80s albums. I like the album but I honestly don't know where I'd rank this amongst everything else yet, because of the time I need to give it.

[J2112YYZ]

Had a second listen and I can honestly say that there really isn't anything on this album I feel I need to hear again. That is the first time I can say that about any Maiden album. Even the albums with Blaze have some songs I don't mind revisiting. But this just sounds so uninspiring.

 

Oh well, they still have plenty of good stuff I still enjoy.

 

Maybe come back to it later on? I felt that about TBOS, BNW and TNOTB.

 

Repeated listens over time saw me come round! Especially with you and Mick constantly raving about them ������

 

i'm honestly kinda shocked he doesn't like this one, lol. you can never tell what people will take too.

 

Mick

 

I'm kinda shocked that I don't like it either. This hasn't happened since Virtual XI.

[Turbine Freight]

Had a second listen and I can honestly say that there really isn't anything on this album I feel I need to hear again. That is the first time I can say that about any Maiden album. Even the albums with Blaze have some songs I don't mind revisiting. But this just sounds so uninspiring.

 

Oh well, they still have plenty of good stuff I still enjoy.

 

I agree with this & feel the same. It was actually a chore for me to hear this album all the way through just once. I've just learned Stratego & The Writing on the Wall on guitar & after that I think that's me done with this release.

[Turbine Freight]

I find this album really catchy ������

 

Maybe the hooks are hiding beneath all the mid tempo muck. I will try and listen for them next time.

 

I can hear what you're saying, because I'm a bit astonished by how much this reminds me of the Bayley albums. It's hardly a collection of immediate anthems

 

mid tempo seems to be a big hurdle for people. and i'll concede it's a valid complaint. just not one i share, lol

 

Mick

 

I'm not sure this is the issue. It's just the lack of any kind of musically interesting material & the tired, dull, insipid aural diarrhoea they have palmed off on their fanbase.

 

It'll sell millions because it's Maiden. Had another band produced this I think there is a strong argument that it may well sink without trace.

[Segue Myles]

I find this album really catchy ������

 

Maybe the hooks are hiding beneath all the mid tempo muck. I will try and listen for them next time.

 

I can hear what you're saying, because I'm a bit astonished by how much this reminds me of the Bayley albums. It's hardly a collection of immediate anthems

 

mid tempo seems to be a big hurdle for people. and i'll concede it's a valid complaint. just not one i share, lol

 

Mick

 

I'm not sure this is the issue. It's just the lack of any kind of musically interesting material & the tired, dull, insipid aural diarrhoea they have palmed off on their fanbase.

 

It'll sell millions because it's Maiden. Had another band produced this I think there is a strong argument that it may well sink without trace.

 

I really don't agree with that at all, if this was another band I would still really enjoy it. I really don't think you can judge the worth of an album for the entire fanbase by your own personal reaction.

[Turbine Freight]

I really don't think you can judge the worth of an album for the entire fanbase by your own personal reaction.

 

I didn't. As I typed in my initial post about the album, I said I'm glad there are plenty of fans on here who enjoy it, and I mean that. Just because I don't care for it doesn't mean I'm out to spoil it for anyone else.

[Mithrandir]

"The Parchment" is very good.

[Devour]

They deserve all the credit in the world for being great for this long and there's nothing terrible (or even bad) on Senjutsu like Virtual XI, except for Writing on the Wall. That said, the thing that struck me the most is the lack of vitality. I also believe throat cancer took its toll on Bruce's voice to some degree. I've listened to it three times and nothing stood out to me. It really shouldn't be this much of a chore to listen to a band as fun as IM. As they tend to do, they saved their best for last. Hell on Earth is the only track I'll be playing off this release. For me it's their weakest entry since the dire 90s and I'm surprised at all the critic acclaim it's receiving, albeit I'm happy for them even so.

 

Like it or not, perhaps they should have gone out on Empire of the Clouds. It's about the most grandiose statement they could make and pushed the band into new territory more than all of Senjutsu combined.

[bluefox4000]

Wow i tell ya fascinating this album fly's by for me.

 

this is a trip, lol

 

Mick

[J2112YYZ]

Wow i tell ya fascinating this album fly's by for me.

 

this is a trip, lol

 

Mick

 

I went for a walk yesterday while listening to it. An hour later I was almost home and the damn thing still had two ten minute songs left lol.

 

There certainty seems to be more divide with this album than any other one they've done over the last 20 years. It will be interesting to see where this album stands with the fans as time goes by.

[Segue Myles]

Wow i tell ya fascinating this album fly's by for me.

 

this is a trip, lol

 

Mick

 

I went for a walk yesterday while listening to it. An hour later I was almost home and the damn thing still had two ten minute songs left lol.

 

There certainty seems to be more divide with this album than any other one they've done over the last 20 years. It will be interesting to see where this album stands with the fans as time goes by.

 

I feel it may be lower end, like TFF or DoD, two albums I notice fans tend to either overlook or just flat out dislike for one reason or another.

 

As for me, still hugely enjoying it but I definitely think The Book Of Souls was better.

 

Whilst I'm enjoying this album, I completely get why the things I enjoy would turn off others. It's not a typical sounding Maiden album. And I do think bunching all the epics together at the end was...a choice...

 

I personally enjoy all the songs, but feel that it could have been sequenced better.

[J2112YYZ]

Wow i tell ya fascinating this album fly's by for me.

 

this is a trip, lol

 

Mick

 

I went for a walk yesterday while listening to it. An hour later I was almost home and the damn thing still had two ten minute songs left lol.

 

There certainty seems to be more divide with this album than any other one they've done over the last 20 years. It will be interesting to see where this album stands with the fans as time goes by.

 

I feel it may be lower end, like TFF or DoD, two albums I notice fans tend to either overlook or just flat out dislike for one reason or another.

 

As for me, still hugely enjoying it but I definitely think The Book Of Souls was better.

 

Whilst I'm enjoying this album, I completely get why the things I enjoy would turn off others. It's not a typical sounding Maiden album. And I do think bunching all the epics together at the end was...a choice...

 

I personally enjoy all the songs, but feel that it could have been sequenced better.

 

But bunching all the epics up at the end was already something they did on AMOLAD and Final Frontier. I was fine with that when the albums came out but over time, that choice has not aged well with me. Now, they have a whole album that is pretty much one long epic after the other and I think it's very possible that the choice to do this will not age well for a lot of fans.

 

I mean come on. Even Dream Theater is probably listening to this album and saying "alright man, that's too much. Scale it back a little bit" lol.

[Segue Myles]

[bluefox4000]

Wow i tell ya fascinating this album fly's by for me.

 

this is a trip, lol

 

Mick

 

I went for a walk yesterday while listening to it. An hour later I was almost home and the damn thing still had two ten minute songs left lol.

 

There certainty seems to be more divide with this album than any other one they've done over the last 20 years. It will be interesting to see where this album stands with the fans as time goes by.

 

I feel it may be lower end, like TFF or DoD, two albums I notice fans tend to either overlook or just flat out dislike for one reason or another.

 

As for me, still hugely enjoying it but I definitely think The Book Of Souls was better.

 

Whilst I'm enjoying this album, I completely get why the things I enjoy would turn off others. It's not a typical sounding Maiden album. And I do think bunching all the epics together at the end was...a choice...

 

I personally enjoy all the songs, but feel that it could have been sequenced better.

 

But bunching all the epics up at the end was already something they did on AMOLAD and Final Frontier. I was fine with that when the albums came out but over time, that choice has not aged well with me. Now, they have a whole album that is pretty much one long epic after the other and I think it's very possible that the choice to do this will not age well for a lot of fans.

 

I mean come on. Even Dream Theater is probably listening to this album and saying "alright man, that's too much. Scale it back a little bit" lol.

 

I doubt it, they can be far more tiresome with meeeehness

 

Senjutsu isn't The Astonishing ������

 

yea i mean i LOVE DT but they've made some OTT snoozefests. to say they haven't is kinda being way too nice, lol

 

Mick

Edited September 5, 2021 by bluefox4000

[Union 5-3992]

I like it. But nothing stands out a lot to me after two full listens. I might actually like Writing on the Wall most atm. I'm hoping this ends up being a grower or it may end up on the lower end of their reunion albums for me.

[Union 5-3992]

I like it. But nothing stands out a lot to me after two full listens. I might actually like Writing on the Wall Hell on Earth most atm. I'm hoping this ends up being a grower or it may end up on the lower end of their reunion albums for me.

Scratch that, Hell on Earth is the stand out track for me as well.

Edited September 5, 2021 by Union 5-3992

[J2112YYZ]

[J2112YYZ]

Hell on Earth is a standout track

I like it. But nothing stands out a lot to me after two full listens. I might actually like Writing on the Wall Hell on Earth most atm. I'm hoping this ends up being a grower or it may end up on the lower end of their reunion albums for me.

Scratch that, Hell on Earth is the stand out track for me as well.

 

That's one of the only standouts for me too. But I can't decide if it's because it's actually a good song or is it because I know this funeral dirge of an album is finally coming to an end.

[Turbine Freight]

Tried giving it another listen today. Only got 4 songs in & gave up. I just don't get the appeal of this one at all. That being said I quite like Writing & Stratego as I've learned them on guitar so a good deal of that content has stuck in my musical memory so to speak.

[treeduck]

I may not even bother getting this one.

[Turbine Freight]

I may not even bother getting this one.

 

I would definitely listen to it all the way through on YT first before shelling out if I were you.

[treeduck]

Tried giving it another listen today. Only got 4 songs in & gave up. I just don't get the appeal of this one at all. That being said I quite like Writing & Stratego as I've learned them on guitar so a good deal of that content has stuck in my musical memory so to speak.

What about Thin Lizzy's Soldier of Fortune harmony guitar parts?

[Turbine Freight]

Tried giving it another listen today. Only got 4 songs in & gave up. I just don't get the appeal of this one at all. That being said I quite like Writing & Stratego as I've learned them on guitar so a good deal of that content has stuck in my musical memory so to speak.

What about Thin Lizzy's Soldier of Fortune harmony guitar parts?

 

One of the things that really grates on me re: Harris' arrangements these days is that he almost always has the guitar double the vocal line on almost every bloody song. It drives me nuts.

[treeduck]

Tried giving it another listen today. Only got 4 songs in & gave up. I just don't get the appeal of this one at all. That being said I quite like Writing & Stratego as I've learned them on guitar so a good deal of that content has stuck in my musical memory so to speak.

What about Thin Lizzy's Soldier of Fortune harmony guitar parts?

 

One of the things that really grates on me re: Harris' arrangements these days is that he almost always has the guitar double the vocal line on almost every bloody song. It drives me nuts.

Success has kind of ruined Harris over the last 20 years.

[Turbine Freight]

Tried giving it another listen today. Only got 4 songs in & gave up. I just don't get the appeal of this one at all. That being said I quite like Writing & Stratego as I've learned them on guitar so a good deal of that content has stuck in my musical memory so to speak.

What about Thin Lizzy's Soldier of Fortune harmony guitar parts?

 

One of the things that really grates on me re: Harris' arrangements these days is that he almost always has the guitar double the vocal line on almost every bloody song. It drives me nuts.

Success has kind of ruined Harris over the last 20 years.

 

I wrote earlier on in this thread that no-one says no to him. No-one reigns him in. That's the problem.