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Iron Maiden reveal details of samurai-inspired 17th studio record Senjutsu

The Eddie seen in the video for Writing On The Wall takes centre stage on the cover.

Iron Maiden's new Eddie
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Iron Maiden have unveiled their first studio album since 2015’s The Book Of Souls, entitled Senjutsu. The album’s visual theming is heavily influenced by Japanese samurai aesthetics, and the cover features a new version of the band’s mascot Eddie.

Senjutsu will arrive on 3 September this year. Its announcement follows the release of its first single The Writing On The Wall, which landed with an impressive animated video. This video was also the first introduction of the new samurai Eddie that adorns the Senjutsu cover.

The record will bear a hefty runtime of just under 82 minutes, and so physical editions will come as either two CDs or a triple-LP vinyl.

Iron Maiden's new album cover

In a statement, bassist Steve Harris delved into the recording process behind the album: “We chose to record at Guillaume Tell Studio in France again as the place has such a relaxed vibe,” he explained. “The setup there is perfect for our needs; the building used to be a cinema and has a really high ceiling so there’s a great acoustic sound. We recorded this album in the same way we did The Book Of Souls in that we’d write a song, rehearse it and then put it down together straight away while it was all fresh in our minds.

“There are some very complex songs on this album which took a lot of hard work to get them exactly as we wanted them to sound, so the process was at times very challenging, but Kevin [Shirley, producer] is great at capturing the essence of the band and I think it was worth the effort! I’m very proud of the result and can’t wait for fans to hear it.”

Lead singer Bruce Dickinson added: “We’re all really excited about this album. We recorded it back in early 2019 during a break in the Legacy tour so we could maximize our touring yet still have a long set-up period before release to prepare great album art and something special as a video.

“The songs are very varied, and some of them are quite long. There are also one or two songs which sound pretty different to our usual style, and I think Maiden fans will be surprised – in a good way, I hope!”

Senjutu’s full tracklist is below. It can be preordered at ironmaiden.com.

1. Senjutsu
2. Stratego
3. The Writing On The Wall
4. Lost In A Lost World
5. Days Of Future Past
6. The Time Machine
7. Darkest Hour
8. Death Of The Celts
9. The Parchment
10. Hell On Earth

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