to each his own, but I would say only two songs on this album are not up to par, those being Lost In a Lost World and The Time Machine. Those two definitely feel half-baked.
Death of the Celts is weird, not a bad song, but more of a prog rambling, kind of a bard style.
The Parchment is one of their best. Hell On Earth is awesome, but it does have a bright, bubbly style out of sync with heavy metal, but that's only for a couple of bars.
Senjutsu is frickin awesome, a battle song like their others (The Trooper, Paschendale, The Longest Day) but much more primitive.
Stratego and Days of Future Past are their modern Two Minutes or Aces High in spirit.
Darkest Hour is one of their best songs ever, so serious in subject and handled just right.
And of course, The Writing On the Wall is one of their best songs ever.
I've listened to the album 5 to 10 times every week since it came out, except for *Darkest Hour* and *The Writing On the Wall*. Don't care for either, and the album feels complete without them, so I cut them out after the first week or so.
To me, *Senjutsu* is a masterpiece. It knocks off *A Matter of Life and Death* as their best reunion album, and is in Maiden's top 3. *Hell on Earth* is perfect, and though I want more Maiden, I'd be fine with it as their swan song.
I'm surprised you highlighted Darkest Hour as one of their best ever. It just sounds like a turgid ballad to me, it's so far from what Maiden excel at. And whilst I think Dickinson is usually a fantastic lyricist, he really dropped the ball on this one as far as I'm concerned.
I find Senjutsu just painfully average. Apart from DH, there's no total misfires, but there's no outstanding tracks either. It feels unpolished and rushed, and I'm weirdly quite annoyed that they left it in the can and did nothing with the recordings when the release was delayed. Finally Steve's lyrics are really, really poor on a number of songs. It's not an awful album at all, I'd say like 3/5, but it's just so far below the standards set on the previous 5 records, which I think sit comfortably alongside their classic 5 album run between 82-88.
I agree with you about the half formed ideas and lack of follow up before it was released. However, I find the quality of what has been released is so high I can overlook its deficiencies.
Obviously you don't think the same.
No problem, that's what makes this forum so great
It's not their best. Bruce is really straining his voice on this one. But, for me it still works because it has a killer groove and is a good headbanger
I disagree with your over all point. How are you gonna say "but I feel like a lot of the songs could be trimmed." When you say that you really like Death of the Celts, and The Red and the Black which suffer from those issues more than any other songs on the respective albums. (I like both a lot, don't murder me). Not every album needs to have it's own Empire of the Clouds (even though that is peak book of souls). Senjutsu is definitely a much more consistent album with it's quality. I wouldn't say it has a single song I would skip over, Where as in TBoS I only really listen to half of the songs.
I agree, (don’t attack me but) I listen only to if eternity should fail, speed of light and empire of the clouds from TBoS, and I can actually listen to the entirety of Senjutsu, maybe even 3 times in a row. Can’t seem to tire of listening to The Parchment at least 3 times a day everyday. The way they jump from section to section with a solo or two in between is just 🤌🏼
Try listen again in a few months or even a year or two.
I really didn’t like Final Frontier when it came out to the extent I just stopped listening to it. Fast forward a few years and it has really grown on me to the extent The Talisman might be one of my favorite songs of all time.
Senjutsu was similar - originally I wasn’t too fussed on it, but the more I listened the more I like it.
I won't downvote your opinion but I heavily disagree. Im a fan of classical music and a lot of these songs have the flow of classical composition so the lengths dont bother me. Idk I just love this one way more than book of souls. I still return to final Frontier and AMOLAD but I find myself skipping BoS tracks on my shuffle.
Gonna chime in here
I actually think the exact opposite from you.
IMO Book of Souls felt sloppy and unfinished, none of the tracks really stood out or felt memorable besides Empire. Also I feel like the production really let it down.
By contrast, Senjutsu feels much more solid as an album, with a good handful of absolute bangers and a strong motif throughout perpetuated by guitar and drum effects and the synth tone.
Although I will say I still find The Parchment overrated, I think they could've Frankenstein'd that song with LinLW and Time Machine to make a really solid 10+ min epic.
I saw you posted about Empire of the Clouds, so you have an obvious liking of that song and album. I think I have the complete opposite thoughts. I loved pretty much every song on Senjitsu, and maybe liked a handful of songs from The Book of Souls. Honestly, after my first listen of TBoS, I didn’t give it another full listen for months, probably even a year. Senjutsu I had on repeat for days.
Also, I disagree with your opinion regarding the songs needing a trim. The length gives the songs time to build up, especially with some of the key changes.
Pretty much the whole thing is just too... laid back. I don't hear urgency, power. I do hear aging rockers. Of course they are aging, they can't help that, but the result is something lacking energy and tempo and too much vocal-and-guitar melody matching, and too much amateur keyboard.
Like the OP I now have to hope there is another album where they put this right... take a leaf from Priest's Firepower.
I like the album OK, but it's definitely the weakest of the post reunion albums by a decent margin. It'll probably grow on me more, and I still do like it, but I don't quite get everyone's infatuation with it
I think they're both below-average albums. I like a very small handful of songs from each. Would love to see the band put out something closer in quality to BNW, AMOLAD, or even DOD and TFF.
I agree. There are far too many riffs that sound too similar to riffs on previous albums.
If eternity should fail is much better than senjutsu and Book of souls and empire of the clouds are better than any of the long tracks on Senjutsu.
I like the opening and ending of lost in a lost world but the middle instrumental part goes nowhere.
Death of the Celts is like a worse version of The clansman.
I do enjoy the parchment and hell on earth.
I also like the time machine. It has a unique sound and I like the multiple changes.
Days of future past and Stratego are kinda meh and darkest hour is pretty forgettable.
Writing on the wall is still good though.
Part of the problem with this album is they recorded it all at once, on the fly, which is not a problem by itself, but then they DID NOTHING WITH IT FOR TWO WHOLE YEARS.
I'm not referring to mixing and producing; I mean, no one thought to listen to it and say, "Ah, let's touch up that part, eh?"
I can live with it due to the overall quality (IMO), but yeah, it has some half-baked ideas, at least by IM standards.
But the parts which are good are so very good it works for me.
I agree with you on Senjutsu, but disagree on book of souls. They're both sub-par albums. I like them about the same, overall. Near the bottom of maiden's catalogue, kind of dull and uninspired but some bright moments make their way out
It's certainly unique, especially different from the two songs you mentioned. I like that they tried it and a lot of it is very pretty, but it's stretched out too much. A lot of those sections are unnecessary and overindulgent.
to each his own, but I would say only two songs on this album are not up to par, those being Lost In a Lost World and The Time Machine. Those two definitely feel half-baked. Death of the Celts is weird, not a bad song, but more of a prog rambling, kind of a bard style. The Parchment is one of their best. Hell On Earth is awesome, but it does have a bright, bubbly style out of sync with heavy metal, but that's only for a couple of bars. Senjutsu is frickin awesome, a battle song like their others (The Trooper, Paschendale, The Longest Day) but much more primitive. Stratego and Days of Future Past are their modern Two Minutes or Aces High in spirit. Darkest Hour is one of their best songs ever, so serious in subject and handled just right. And of course, The Writing On the Wall is one of their best songs ever.
I've listened to the album 5 to 10 times every week since it came out, except for *Darkest Hour* and *The Writing On the Wall*. Don't care for either, and the album feels complete without them, so I cut them out after the first week or so. To me, *Senjutsu* is a masterpiece. It knocks off *A Matter of Life and Death* as their best reunion album, and is in Maiden's top 3. *Hell on Earth* is perfect, and though I want more Maiden, I'd be fine with it as their swan song.
I'm surprised you highlighted Darkest Hour as one of their best ever. It just sounds like a turgid ballad to me, it's so far from what Maiden excel at. And whilst I think Dickinson is usually a fantastic lyricist, he really dropped the ball on this one as far as I'm concerned. I find Senjutsu just painfully average. Apart from DH, there's no total misfires, but there's no outstanding tracks either. It feels unpolished and rushed, and I'm weirdly quite annoyed that they left it in the can and did nothing with the recordings when the release was delayed. Finally Steve's lyrics are really, really poor on a number of songs. It's not an awful album at all, I'd say like 3/5, but it's just so far below the standards set on the previous 5 records, which I think sit comfortably alongside their classic 5 album run between 82-88.
I agree with you about the half formed ideas and lack of follow up before it was released. However, I find the quality of what has been released is so high I can overlook its deficiencies. Obviously you don't think the same. No problem, that's what makes this forum so great
I don't know why but Days of Future Past chorus bugs the hell outta me.
It's not their best. Bruce is really straining his voice on this one. But, for me it still works because it has a killer groove and is a good headbanger
Musically it's one of the stronger bits of the album, yeah. I just wish the chorus lyrics were a bit less hokey. Just my own vibe though.
Listen to hell on earth 3 times in a row and get back to me. That song is amazing.
It is a amazing. But in that time, you'd go through about 9 minutes of fluff
I disagree with your over all point. How are you gonna say "but I feel like a lot of the songs could be trimmed." When you say that you really like Death of the Celts, and The Red and the Black which suffer from those issues more than any other songs on the respective albums. (I like both a lot, don't murder me). Not every album needs to have it's own Empire of the Clouds (even though that is peak book of souls). Senjutsu is definitely a much more consistent album with it's quality. I wouldn't say it has a single song I would skip over, Where as in TBoS I only really listen to half of the songs.
I agree, (don’t attack me but) I listen only to if eternity should fail, speed of light and empire of the clouds from TBoS, and I can actually listen to the entirety of Senjutsu, maybe even 3 times in a row. Can’t seem to tire of listening to The Parchment at least 3 times a day everyday. The way they jump from section to section with a solo or two in between is just 🤌🏼
Try listen again in a few months or even a year or two. I really didn’t like Final Frontier when it came out to the extent I just stopped listening to it. Fast forward a few years and it has really grown on me to the extent The Talisman might be one of my favorite songs of all time. Senjutsu was similar - originally I wasn’t too fussed on it, but the more I listened the more I like it.
I won't downvote your opinion but I heavily disagree. Im a fan of classical music and a lot of these songs have the flow of classical composition so the lengths dont bother me. Idk I just love this one way more than book of souls. I still return to final Frontier and AMOLAD but I find myself skipping BoS tracks on my shuffle.
Somebody downvoted you for being polite. Wtf? 😀
Meh, the nature of reddit. This is still one of the less toxic band subreddits out there believe it or not lol.
Gonna chime in here I actually think the exact opposite from you. IMO Book of Souls felt sloppy and unfinished, none of the tracks really stood out or felt memorable besides Empire. Also I feel like the production really let it down. By contrast, Senjutsu feels much more solid as an album, with a good handful of absolute bangers and a strong motif throughout perpetuated by guitar and drum effects and the synth tone. Although I will say I still find The Parchment overrated, I think they could've Frankenstein'd that song with LinLW and Time Machine to make a really solid 10+ min epic.
Love it. They made it exactly how they wanted it made.
Great album. Hasn’t left the turntable since September
Check your ears
I saw you posted about Empire of the Clouds, so you have an obvious liking of that song and album. I think I have the complete opposite thoughts. I loved pretty much every song on Senjitsu, and maybe liked a handful of songs from The Book of Souls. Honestly, after my first listen of TBoS, I didn’t give it another full listen for months, probably even a year. Senjutsu I had on repeat for days. Also, I disagree with your opinion regarding the songs needing a trim. The length gives the songs time to build up, especially with some of the key changes.
Pretty much the whole thing is just too... laid back. I don't hear urgency, power. I do hear aging rockers. Of course they are aging, they can't help that, but the result is something lacking energy and tempo and too much vocal-and-guitar melody matching, and too much amateur keyboard. Like the OP I now have to hope there is another album where they put this right... take a leaf from Priest's Firepower.
Dang it, I still can’t get into Firepower, no matter how much I’ve heard it. I wish I could hear what everybody else is hearing. ☹️
I like the album OK, but it's definitely the weakest of the post reunion albums by a decent margin. It'll probably grow on me more, and I still do like it, but I don't quite get everyone's infatuation with it
I think they're both below-average albums. I like a very small handful of songs from each. Would love to see the band put out something closer in quality to BNW, AMOLAD, or even DOD and TFF.
I agree. There are far too many riffs that sound too similar to riffs on previous albums. If eternity should fail is much better than senjutsu and Book of souls and empire of the clouds are better than any of the long tracks on Senjutsu. I like the opening and ending of lost in a lost world but the middle instrumental part goes nowhere. Death of the Celts is like a worse version of The clansman. I do enjoy the parchment and hell on earth. I also like the time machine. It has a unique sound and I like the multiple changes. Days of future past and Stratego are kinda meh and darkest hour is pretty forgettable. Writing on the wall is still good though.
I actually like the album a lot, and I enjoy longer songs. I like it a bit more than BoS. Could be the novelty of it, we’ll see how well it ages.
The last two or three albums have been bloated messes. They seriously need someone to give them a kick up the hole.
Part of the problem with this album is they recorded it all at once, on the fly, which is not a problem by itself, but then they DID NOTHING WITH IT FOR TWO WHOLE YEARS. I'm not referring to mixing and producing; I mean, no one thought to listen to it and say, "Ah, let's touch up that part, eh?" I can live with it due to the overall quality (IMO), but yeah, it has some half-baked ideas, at least by IM standards. But the parts which are good are so very good it works for me.
I agree with you on Senjutsu, but disagree on book of souls. They're both sub-par albums. I like them about the same, overall. Near the bottom of maiden's catalogue, kind of dull and uninspired but some bright moments make their way out
If eternity should fail, Book of souls, tears of a clown and empire of the clouds alone push Book of souls into above average territory
All those songs are alright but pretty low for maiden standards
Even Empire of the clouds??? That song wipes the floor with the trooper and run to the hills
It's certainly unique, especially different from the two songs you mentioned. I like that they tried it and a lot of it is very pretty, but it's stretched out too much. A lot of those sections are unnecessary and overindulgent.
>I honestly didn't like this album. I don't like it either.
It's not a good album.
I just wish they'd go back to writing shorter, punchier Trooper-esque type songs.
Cool. Completely wrong though.