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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, 10/26/2024)

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A perfect weekend in Toronto can only happen to the sound of the one and only Iron Maiden.

INTRO: IMFC Meetup and FTTB, Pt. I

This weekend in Toronto might have been the most Iron Maiden weekend ever in the city, when the Dental Floss Salesmen From Montana, also known as IRON MAIDEN, finally brought to the 6 their undisputed The Future Past World Tour 2024 at Scotiabank Arena, in this case without THE HU for reasons beyond anyone’s control, but that didn’t stop all Maidenmaniacs at the show from having the time of their lives. A day before that it was time for a very nice and sweet Iron Maiden Fan Club meetup at The Loose Moose, where around 25-30 IMFC members had a great time talking about music and life, having some good quality food and some amazing beers, and proving once again why the IMFC is like the perfect family we’ve always asked for.

IMFC Meetup @ The Loose Moose

Then on Saturday it was time for the (in)famous FTTB – First to the Barrier experience, with some of the winners lining up so early to the point whoever arrived there after 8am would already be number 15 or higher. Well, it is what it is, I mean, if you have nothing better to do, why not showing up early, right? In Australia, for example, I didn’t even put my name for FTTB, as I knew I was going to be doing tourist stuff until close to show time, but in Toronto and on a Saturday it was perfect for me to get there a little earlier. The whole FTTB day went smoothly and we all had a great time spending the day with some old friends and some new faces, and not even the dropping temperatures were capable of taking our excitement away for the show that was about to come. The only bummer was that because The Hu couldn’t make it in time for the show, we had to spend almost three hours at the barrier after getting into the venue without nothing to do, but no one seemed to care about that in the end.

OPENING ACT: Instead of The Hu, we got…

…a so-called “metal DJ” that no one asked for. Seriously, Mongolian Folk Metal squad THE HU might be the most unique opening act for Iron Maiden in years, but instead we got a random DJ who despite trying his best, couldn’t read the room and make two crucial changes to his “performance”. The first was to simply turn the volume down a bit, or at least the bass, because it got way too noisy and no one could hear their own thoughts during those 45 excruciating minutes; and second and most important, although I’m a fan of Industrial, Thrash and Speed Metal, those are definitely NOT the styles you should play to an Iron Maiden crowd. Some of the songs played were OK, like Metallica’s “Motorbreath”, but overall it was way too noisy and convoluted for the average Maiden fan. At least I checked and The Hu made it to Quebec City, so I’ll be very happy to see them live this Wednesday in Montreal instead of another random DJ that apparently knows nothing about the audience at a Maiden show.

IRON MAIDEN

Everyone at the barrier asked why IRON MAIDEN couldn’t have started their show a little bit earlier then, maybe adding two or three songs to their setlist in honor of the deceased Paul Di’Anno (RIP legend!), but of course it’s not that easy to change the whole event like that (in special when the setlist is a fusion of Somewhere In Time and Senjutsu, period), as I know some people already have their plans in place to get to the venue just in time for Maiden. Anyway, it was 8:50pm when, as in all other cities of this tour, UFO’s Doctor Doctor started playing in the PAs followed by the end titles for the movie Blade Runner, setting the tone for the indomitable Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Nicko McBrain to kick the city of Toronto hard in the ass with a flawless and very energetic performance.

And although the entire setlist was the exact same from the entire tour, it’s always a different show, as you have to pay attention to the nuances of all the action going on on and off stage. For instance, Bruce screwed up big time the first or second verse of Caught Somewhere in Time, Nicko sounded way better (and looked way happier) than in Australia, which has nothing to do with Australia itself but most probably to his very effective physiotherapy to get in better shape, and the overall quality of the sound was also fantastic compared to other previous concerts in the city. I’m also very proud of the Toronto fans, because the crowd was electrified, singing all songs, screaming, raising their horns and so on, while at the same time being very respectful to everyone around them. Pushing, smashing others, trying to get to the front row no matter what are not a synonym to a nice show, and not fun at all, and Toronto proved a show can be absolutely thrilling without the need of that disrespectful behavior. Thank you, Toronto!

The highlights of the setlist this Saturday were undoubtedly The Writing on the Wall, The Prisoner, and pretty much everything from Alexander the Great until the very last notes of Wasted Years, proving they don’t need to play “the classics” (whatever that means, because all of their songs are classics as soon as they’re launched) to win their fans right away. A new song like Hell on Earth sounded absolutely brilliant, and it felt like it was a classic from the 80’s, just to confirm that bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, KISS and so on don’t just create music, but they create TIMELESS music. I didn’t catch any drumstick, guitar picks or wristbands like some of my buddies, but I’ll forever hold the memories of that amazing Saturday night in my mind and in my heart. And now, off to Montreal for more, of course!

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 09/12/2024)

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How about another excellent show by the boys Down Under before heading back to Canada?

INTRO: IMFC Meetup

After skipping the concert in Brisbane to have more time to enjoy both Melbourne and Sydney, it was time for another explosion of heavy music by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and IRON MAIDEN during the Australia & New Zealand leg of The Future Past Tour 2024, this time at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. By the way, I only did night one in Sydney, returning to Canada on Friday September 13 so I could make it in time to worship the Metal Gods (which will be published here in another concert review). However, due to the Iron Maiden Fan Club meetup at The Squires Landing on the night of September 11, it actually felt like more than just one show. It was fantastic seeing some old friends and putting faces to new ones while enjoying a few pints, and not even the British Lion concert happening at the same time stopped over 40 IMFC members to celebrate life and music together at the pub. I love those meetups, and I can’t wait for the Toronto one next month.

OPENING ACT: Killswitch Engage

I can say that I finished my Australian adventure with absolutely zero sight of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. It was impossible to arrive early at the venue having so many attractions to see in the city like the Bondi to Coogee Walk, Manly Beach, the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, as well as some further sites like the Blue Mountains. I’m sorry if you’re a fan of the band, but with so much to do I didn’t even care about getting to the venue in time to see them at least once. Everyone I asked later how their concert was said “it was OK” without a lot of enthusiasm, so I guess I made the right decision to ignore the band and enjoy some time by the sea seeing some whales and dolphins in their natural habitat, right? By the way, everyone I spoke to that did the FTTB experience in any of the Australian dates said they were tired of Killswitch Engage, most probably because after a long wait outside the venue, when you finally get in you simply want to see Iron Maiden and nothing else, and that’s even worse when the opening band plays something most fans don’t listen to on a regular basis.

Setlist
My Curse
This Fire
Strength of the Mind
The Arms of Sorrow
A Bid Farewell
In Due Time
The Signal Fire
Unleashed
Hate by Design
Rose of Sharyn
This Is Absolution
The End of Heartache
My Last Serenade
Holy Diver

Band members
Jesse Leach – lead vocals
Adam Dutkiewicz – lead guitars, backing vocals
Joel Stroetzel – rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Mike D’Antonio – bass
Justin Foley – drums

IRON MAIDEN

Once again, there I was ready for a blast of The Future Past Tour 2024 in Australia by IRON MAIDEN, again blending the best of the albums Somewhere In Time and Senjutsu, as a “farewell” to my trip Down Under. As mentioned, I didn’t stay for night two in Sydney because the Metal Gods were calling me back to Canada, but according to my friends I got the best of the two shows in Sydney as both the band and the crowd were more electric and in sync on the first night. There isn’t a lot I can say about the show that hasn’t been said before, except for the fact that Bruce was absolutely out of tempo during the first part of Caught Somewhere in Time, and it was funny watching the rest of the band trying to “fix” the error. The same songs that were the top moments of the shows in Melbourne were also the best ones in Sydney, in special Hell on Earth with all of its pyro (the only real pyro of their entire setlist, by the way), and of course Wasted Years, the perfect closure for my vacation in the land of kangaroos, koalas and quokkas.

Let’s say that the pre and post show activities were just as fun as the show itself, with a quick trip to the Trooper Dive Bar & Fan Meet at The Locker Room, located only five minutes walking from the venue (as pretty much anything else inside the beautiful Sydney Olympic Park), chatting with a few people that were about to see Iron Maiden live for the first time ever, and obviously meeting with my friends from the IMFC one last time before heading back to Canada. I like to say that although the shows are usually the same, with the exact same setlist played night after night, there’s always something unique or different to enjoy, and even after seeing the boys three times Down Under I can’t wait to see them again in Toronto and Montreal next month, and meet again several familiar faces that love to follow the band all over the world, especially when the place is as stunning and fun as Australia.

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 09/06/2024 & 09/07/2024)

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How about a trip Down Under for two nights of undisputed Heavy Metal with the world famous dental floss salesmen from Montana?

INTRO: Trooper Dive Bar & Fan Meet

What a wild and ultra busy trip Down Under to see the boys in action, my dear metalheads! I’m sorry for not posting this review of the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and IRON MAIDEN shows at Rod Laver Arena during The Future Past Tour 2024 before,  but it was absolutely impossible to spend any time in front of my laptop writing the review as there was so much to do in Melbourne, a very beautiful city (but with a shitty weather). And I was lucky enough to be “cured” from any type of jet lag after having spent five days in New Zealand doing lots of tourist stuff (including a visit to Hobbiton) before heading to Melbourne for the shows. Well, here it is, finally, with the date being retroactive to the day after both shows in the city. I didn’t attend the first two shows of the Australia & New Zealand tour in Perth and Adelaide, but I guess Melbourne was by far the biggest event after Sydney, obviously, with both days being sold out. However, before talking about the shows, let me talk a little about the experience of meeting Maidenmaniacs from all over the world outside of the actual venue.

Although there wasn’t an official IMFC meetup in Melbourne, countless fans enjoyed a very decent amount of Trooper beer, early access to merch, and some quality time with friends and family at the famous local pub Young & Jackson, which was transformed into the Trooper Dive Bar & Fan Meet during the two days of show in the city. If you don’t know what the Trooper Dive Bar & Fan Meet is, just search for it on Google and you’ll see how awesome the initiative was Down Under. Hopefully they’ll bring that same experience to Canada and the United States in October, because it was indeed fantastic to spend a few hours prior to the shows with lots of old and new friends! Also, there were some guys distributing what was called a “fan card” with a QR code that once scanned could provide you with some amazing memorabilia including a signed copy of the tour’s setlist. Of course I didn’t win anything, but just having one of those fan cards as a souvenir of such an unforgettable trip Down Under was already good enough for me.

OPENING ACT: Killswitch Engage

This will be the quickest and fastest review of a band ever, as I have absolutely no idea of how KILLSWITCH ENGAGE performed in Australia. I mean, I didn’t apply for First To The Barrier (the famous FTTB) in Australian lands, which means I didn’t have to be at the venue before 4 or 5pm like in previous FTTB experiences, spending my time visiting different sites and beaches almost until it was time for Iron Maiden to hit the stage both on September 6 and 7, getting inside the venue only when it was already close to 8:30pm. To be fair, I don’t think Killswitch Engage were the best option to open for Iron Maiden in Australia and New Zealand despite having a few good songs in their discography, and I guess the vast majority of fans had the same opinion as most people waited until the last minute to enter the Rod Laver Arena on both days. At least in North America we’re getting The HU, a much more interesting and unique band, so it will be worth it arriving at the show ahead of time.

Setlist
My Curse
This Fire
Strength of the Mind
The Signal Fire
Unleashed
Hate by Design
Rose of Sharyn
In Due Time
This Is Absolution
The End of Heartache
My Last Serenade
Holy Diver

Band members
Jesse Leach – lead vocals
Adam Dutkiewicz – lead guitars, backing vocals
Joel Stroetzel – rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Mike D’Antonio – bass
Justin Foley – drums

IRON MAIDEN

If you follow IRON MAIDEN regularly, you probably know they almost never make any changes to their setlist during a tour, and of course it couldn’t have been any different during the Australia & New Zealand leg of The Future Past Tour. In all cities they visited this time, including of course Melbourne, the setlist was the exact same played in Europe in 2022 and in Canada in 2023 (and it will also be the same in the US and Canada dates this October), blending classics from their 1986 cult album Somewhere In Time with their most recent installment Senjutsu, and obviously a few other hits. Songs like Caught Somewhere in Time, The Writing on the Wall, The Prisoner, Alexander the Great, Hell on Earth and Wasted Years were the highlights of both nights in Melbourne, showing a tight band that refuses to slow down due to their age, in special Mr. Adrian Smith. This is his tour, and he’s on fire in all shows. Simply brilliant.

Another thing that was exactly the same both nights (actually, in all of their concerts Down Under) were the jokes told by Bruce, with a few minor adjustments, including of course his already famous “can I play with Agnes?”, plus his obsession with quokkas. And in terms of the audience, let’s say that the crowd seemed very quiet or tired on night one, maybe because they attended the concert right after a full week of work, but everything changed on night two with a much more active and electrified crowd. If anyone asks me why I went to Australia to see the same show multiple times, my answer is quite simple. The band won’t be around for much longer, and even if they do it won’t be the same thing; Nicko is clearly slower than ever due to his recent health issues (but he still got it, and I don’t know how he manages to perform almost every night at his age), which makes me think that he might not be with the boys if they ever visit Australia again. Anyway, after two amazing concerts in the cold city of Melbourne, it was time for some sunshine and stunning beaches in Sydney, plus obviously another superb sonic blast from the dental floss salesmen from Montana the following week!

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Rogers Place, Edmonton, AB, 09/30/2023)

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The future Past Tour 2023 turned the city of Edmonton into “Eddie-monton” thanks to one of the wildest Iron Maiden crowds ever in Canadian lands.

INTRO: IMFC Meetup and FTTB, Pt. II

The day after the concert in Calgary, I would say all Iron Maiden Fan Club members (plus a lot of locals as well) headed up a little further north to Edmonton for another round of IRON MAIDEN during the band’s The Future Past Tour 2023 (plus of course the opening act ATREYU). Once again, one day before the actual concert a big group gathered at On The Rocks for another successful IMFC Meetup, sharing a few beers with old and new friends, enjoying a few metal hymns played by the DJ including “Run to the Hills” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”, and a live band playing pop songs from the 80’s. The pub was even giving away two tickets for the concert, but I bet the old fella who won those sold them online right away. As I mentioned in the review for the Calgary show, the meetups have a unique energy that’s worth going out of your way to make it there.

A few hours after the meetup, several of us had a (very) early start to join the FTTB – First to the Barrier at Rogers Place for another memorable day with our blood brothers and sisters in preparation for the concert that night. And I gotta say the FTTB meeting point this time was a blessing from the metal gods, as we were able to stay indoors (yes, with a roof and away from the chilly Edmonton weather) with easy access to washrooms and to an array of restaurants like Boston Pizza! It was so relaxed and comfy there that it didn’t feel like we were there for almost 12 hours before getting into the venue. This was most probably the nicest FTTB ever, with no cold weather, no winds, no rain, no starvation nor dehydration being present, making it A LOT easier for us all to endure the battlefield that the GA section turned into as soon as the lights went down later that day for the concert.

OPENING ACT: Atreyu

Precisely at 7:30pm, California’s own Metalcore act ATREYU did what was expected of them once again, putting on a very entertaining show for both their regular fans as well as for anyone who had no idea who they were. Frontman Brandon Saller made an excellent use of the wild energy emanating from the crowd to demand some mosh pits, and he was promptly answered by most kids in the floor section, which in the end put a huge smile in the faces of all band members. When they played the song Save Us and asked the crowd to scream those two words with them, the reply from the whole venue was pretty loud, with their bassist Marc “Porter” McKnight later taking some time to say how much they admire and respect the Maiden family for being so nice to them and for enjoying their show more than anyone could have imagined. That was indeed a wild concert by Atreyu, and if the opening band already turned up the heat that much at the Rogers Place, you can imagine what happened when Iron Maiden hit the stage, right?

Setlist
Drowning
Becoming the Bull
Right Side of the Bed
Save Us
When Two Are One
The Theft
The Time Is Now
Gone
Ex’s and Oh’s
Battle Drums
Falling Down
Watch Me Burn
Warrior
Blow

Band members
Brandon Saller – clean vocals
Dan Jacobs – lead guitar, backing vocals
Travis Miguel – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Marc “Porter” McKnight – harsh vocals, bass
Kyle Rosa – drums

IRON MAIDEN

And there we were all again precisely at 8:50pm, going crazy already during the first few seconds of Doctor Doctor, for one more flammable performance by the “dental floss salesmen from Montana” (also known as IRON MAIDEN) for our personal “collection” of concerts; however, this time things got pretty wild for a Canadian show, placing the Edmonton gig as one of the roughest crowds I’ve ever experienced worldwide. All hell broke loose the minute the band hit the stage with their old school classics from Somewhere In Time and their newer ones from Senjutsu, with that madness happening even during slower or more melodic songs like The Writing on the Wall and Death of the Celts. We were being smashed and pulverized by the wild fans from the GA, but we didn’t get to the venue so early to give up our spot at the barrier, so we did our best to survive that.

Remember when I talked about meeting “Mr. Lobster” during the FTTB wait in Calgary? I think I forgot to mention it was just a crazy dude fully dressed as a lobster, but that weird costume paid off in Edmonton as Bruce himself spotted that guy during the speech before The Time Machine and questioned if he came all the way from the ocean walking to Edmonton. As a matter of fact, Bruce was so impressed with the guy’s costume that instead of waving his arms in the air during the breathtaking Hell on Earth, which was by the way the most amazing song of the night in my humble opinion, he put his hands in the air like if he had “lobsters claws”. A small but awesome touch to the concert by Bruce, I might say. I just think that next time Mr. Lobster needs a friend dressed as a steak, so they can form a “surf and turf” duo at the show.

Back to the concert, all that pushing and smashing was getting wilder and tougher as the band continued to stun us with an avalanche of classics, making it quite difficult to jump up and down during Heaven Can Wait, for example, or to raise our arms and fists in the air together with the band. Some tiny girls behind us were being crushed into pieces to the point we kept turning to them to ask if they were OK, if they needed some water and so on. The crowd surfing was also insane, and I guess I’ll never see so many crowd surfers again during a song like Hell on Earth anywhere in the world. Of course things got even worse when the boys played Fear of the Dark, but who cares? Nothing that some time at the gym and some cardio can’t take care of.

By the end of the show, it was visible how Bruce, Steve, Adrian, Dave, Janick and Nicko were amazed by the rowdy reaction of the crowd throughout the entire concert, with the nonstop action in the GA being highly acclaimed by the band, and of course, with Bruce being stunned with the loud chants of “Maiden! Maiden! Maiden!” to the point he left his microphone behind and simply enjoyed such beautiful moment with the fans. The Trooper and Wasted Years were pure war in the floor section, something you could only see in places like Brazil or Argentina, but the Edmonton fans made sure they’re also going to be “feared” whenever the band returns to the city. And after all was said and done, there was a very emotional moment with one of the most amazing members of the IMFC that brought tears of joy to the eyes of several of us, including myself of course. I’m not going to add all details here, but all I’m going to say is that next time someone questions me why I still listen to Iron Maiden after so many years, I’ll just smile back at that person.

Unfortunately due to budget limitations and work-related duties I couldn’t make it to the Vancouver show, but that doesn’t mean my Canadian Iron Maiden journey finished with the show in Edmonton. Even at the West Edmonton Mall and at the airport on Sunday I saw countless Maiden shirts and chatted with some of those fans, proving how strong the connection is between Maidenheads no matter what. One of the funniest moments happened at the airport right before boarding the plane, when two kids who were around six or seven years old kept looking at my new Sasquatch Eddie shirt. The oldest one said hi to me and then he smiled and said he liked my shirt, even showing me his dinosaur backpack to show how cool he also is. That was amazing, and from now on I’ll call the city of Edmonton as “Eddie-monton”, the Iron Maiden capital of Western Canada.

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, 10/21/2022)

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Another night of pure Iron Maiden madness hit the nice city of Newark as the band approaches the end of their fantastic 2022 tour.  

INTRO: Liberty and Prosperity… but no FTTB!

What wild, wild two weeks (or maybe I should say the entire month of October) of pure fuckin’ metal! After winning the renowned (and sometimes controversial) First to the Barrier in all three Canadian dates this year, I didn’t get it for the Legacy of the Beast World Tour 2022 concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey last Friday, which motto is by the way “Liberty and Prosperity”, but to be fair I think the experience of meeting my fellow IMFC blood brothers and sisters before the gig was even more engaging and fun. The place chosen for our meetup was Bello’s Pub & Grill, located a short walking distance from the venue, and I loved meeting some new friends there while enjoying a beer, talking about Iron Maiden and metal in general, and so on. Furthermore, knowing that some people lined up for the FTTB at 6am and still got number 30 made me even happier for not winning it this time and being able to go to the meetup. And once again I made it to the flags picture! How cool is that?

OPENING ACT: Within Temptation

After our nice IMFC meetup, the crew headed to the Prudential Center for a look at the merch, some beers and some relaxing moments before Iron Maiden hit the stage once again with their fulminating Heavy Metal. The opening act was as expected Dutch Symphonic Metal/Alternative Rock band WITHIN TEMPTATION, who not only made a couple of changes to their setlist compared to their Canadian dates, but the stunning Sharon den Adel finally ditched that “dark princess” attire with a very tight corset for a more rockin’ style, wearing leather pants and jacket, and I think she looked a lot more relaxed and dynamic on stage by wearing that. Their concert was again short and sweet, with the song Raise Your Banner being once again one of the top moments of their performance. I’m not sure how much the Iron Maiden fans from New Jersey enjoyed Within Temptation as their reaction wasn’t as rowdy as in Ottawa, but it was a decent show in the end.

Setlist
The Reckoning
Paradise (What About Us?)
In the Middle of the Night
What Have You Done
Supernova
Don’t Pray for Me
Raise Your Banner
Mother Earth

Band members
Sharon den Adel – vocals
Robert Westerholt – guitars
Ruud Jolie – guitars
Stefan Helleblad – guitars
Jeroen van Veen – bass
Martijn Spierenburg – keyboards
Mike Coolen – drums

IRON MAIDEN

My last concert of the current Legacy of the Beast World Tour 2022 couldn’t have been more special, as I was reunited with one of my best friends to see the almighty IRON MAIDEN for the first time together since 2013, and of course the band didn’t disappoint at all. Everyone at the venue had an amazing moment from the first seconds of the opener Senjutsu with its Samurai Eddie to the closing moments of Aces High, with classics such as Revelations and Hallowed Be Thy Name driving the fans absolutely crazy. Bruce was simply phenomenal on vocals throughout the entire show, as well as of course the rest of the band armed with their sonic weapons, making New Jersey lose its breath on another night of pure awesomeness.

Anything I say about the band’s guitar triumvirate won’t represent exactly how in sync, incendiary and precise they are, but in New Jersey our beloved Adrian kicked some serious ass with his axe, with his intro to The Writing on the Wall being a thing of beauty once again. And Steve and Nicko, holy shit, I thought the roof of the Prudential Center was going to fall due to the insane heaviness flowing from their respective bass and drums. I wish I could attend another concert before their last one in Tampa, Florida this Thursday October 27, but that’s not a problem at all. There’s a new tour coming up in 2023, so who knows? It’s just a matter of planning a decent trip to Europe or wait for the probable announcement of the North American leg soon.

And before I go, I wanted to mention one weird and dangerous incident that happened during the gig according to some members of the IMFC. As I was a little further back I didn’t see anything, but several people mentioned that there was a guy in the floor section carrying a handgun that became visible while he was crowdsurfing. I know it’s the United States and people love guns from the bottom of their hearts there, carrying guns anywhere they go, but having one during a concert with over 15,000 people was very immature and irresponsible of him. Maybe he wasn’t going to shoot anyone, but what if someone caught his gun and decided to do so? And how did he manage to go through security with a handgun while several fans, including myself, had to take even their belts off to be allowed into the venue? Is a belt more dangerous than a gun? Anyway, fortunately nothing bad happened and we all had a great time enjoying Iron Maiden in 2022, and now it’s time to get ready for The Future Past Tour in 2023!

Setlist
Transylvania
Doctor Doctor
Senjutsu
Stratego
The Writing on the Wall
Revelations
Blood Brothers
Sign of the Cross
Flight of Icarus
Fear of the Dark
Hallowed Be Thy Name
The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden

Encore:
The Trooper
The Clansman
Run to the Hills

Encore 2:
Churchill’s Speech
Aces High
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Canadian Tire Centre, Kanata, ON, 10/15/2022)

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One of the wildest crowds ever turned the charming Ottawa into a cauldron of pure Iron Maiden madness on an unforgettable Saturday night.

INTRO: Third time (at the FTTB) is a charm… or maybe not!

There I was yesterday in Ottawa for another night of pure Iron Maiden madness, but let’s say my third and last experience with the First to the Barrier offered by the Iron Maiden Fan Club was a mix of joy and disappointment due to the total lack of organization and the freakin’ cold winds blowing the whole time we were waiting in line for the slowest security on earth to give us our wristbands, check our names and so on. We got in only at around 5:59pm, less than a minute before the doors opened for the fans who had regular floor tickets, and as most of those fans simply rushed to the barrier, several (if not most) of the FTTB winners were only able to get to the third, fourth, fifth row, or even further back. Well, it is what it is, and at least I was able to be in the flag picture at the end of the concert and have a really cool meetup with other IMFC members the night before. If only the IMFC management allowed us members to organize the FTTB like we organize our meetups, things would have been a lot different on Saturday.

OPENING ACT: Within Temptation

The FTTB fiasco wasn’t a huge problem in the end as we got really good spots for the last Canadian date of the Legacy of the Beast World Tour 2022 at the Canadian Tire Centre, which despite being sold as Ottawa it’s in fact located in Kanata, around 25km from Ottawa’s city centre. It’s a nice venue, but in the middle of nowhere, and if you don’t want to pay the high prices for food and beverages inside it I would say the best “restaurant” in the area is a convenience store located at the only gas station nearby. Anyway, at exactly 7:30pm the Dutch metallers from WITHIN TEMPTATION hit the stage with their solid fusion of Symphonic Metal and Alternative Rock, this time replacing the song Faster with a much better one called Entertain You, and they did entertain the crowd a lot, giving everyone a very good taste of the hurricane that was about to happen with Iron Maiden. Sharon was so thrilled with the warm reception the band got from the rowdy Canadian audience she sometimes got lost in her words, which was cute to witness. Great job, Sharon and boys! See you in Newark!

Setlist
The Reckoning
Paradise (What About Us?)
In the Middle of the Night
Stand My Ground
Entertain You
Supernova
Don’t Pray for Me
Raise Your Banner
Mother Earth

Band members
Sharon den Adel – vocals
Robert Westerholt – guitars
Ruud Jolie – guitars
Stefan Helleblad – guitars
Jeroen van Veen – bass
Martijn Spierenburg – keyboards
Mike Coolen – drums

IRON MAIDEN

Just like a Heavy Metal ritual, precisely at 8:50pm the lights went down, the speakers played the beyond classic intro Doctor Doctor, and there they were, the unparalleled, undisputed metal giants IRON MAIDEN for another insane concert for the delight of all fans at a sold out Canadian Tire Centre, and from the very first notes of Senjutsu it was clear that wasn’t going to be a slow and relaxed night. If you think about it, not only it was a Saturday night, the best day for anyone to see a concert, but Ottawa is geographically perfect for fans from Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, all surrounding towns and cities, other Canadian provinces, and several US cities, not to mention all fans travelling from other parts of the world such as Germany and England, and all fans were on absolute fire from start to finish, firing up the band with each scream, fist raised and mosh pit. And yes, there were several mosh pits. At an Iron Maiden concert. It was that chaotic.

I personally thought Bruce was a bit rushed in the first part of the gig, being disconnected from his bandmates in songs like Stratego and The Writing on the Wall, but nothing that could make the concert less enjoyable, of course. The concert was relatively calm until they played the classic Revelations, and that’s when the first mosh pits started if you could believe that, growing in intensity and reaching some insane levels of speed and violence in songs like Fear of the Dark and Iron Maiden. I was just waiting for a Scooby-Doo plot twist when Bruce would take off his mask and review himself as Tom Araya, saying Slayer was back in action and playing “Angel of Death” right after Aces High was over, but again, it was “just” Iron Maiden on stage, proving even a band that’s not as heavy like Iron Maiden can make our blood boil to the point we must slam into the pit so awesome they are. It was indeed a unique experience, and apart from Rock in Rio III in 2001 (for obvious reasons, as we’re talking about 150,000 people back then), Saturday night’s concert in Ottawa was the band’s most intense one I’ve ever been to.

The man of the night for me was undoubtedly Dave Murray. Although he doesn’t move as much around the stage as Bruce, Steve or Janick, he was absolutely fuckin’ flawless with his riffs and solos throughout the entire concert, as if all the energy emanating from such wild crowd was inspiring him to play better and better. That’s the beauty of seeing an iconic band like Iron Maiden different times during the same tour, as there are always those nuances that make each concert different from the others. Another example is that Bruce spoke a few sentences in French with the crowd. Some people might be wondering why he did that if we were in Ottawa, but as mentioned the city of Montreal and many other cities on the Quebec side are so close to Ottawa I would say maybe half of the venue was comprised of French-speaking fans, and Bruce acknowledging that shows how much they (still) care about their loyal fanbase. So it’s “goodbye” or “au revoir”, Canada! And we’ll meet again in Newark on Friday!

Setlist
Transylvania
Doctor Doctor
Senjutsu
Stratego
The Writing on the Wall
Revelations
Blood Brothers
Sign of the Cross
Flight of Icarus
Fear of the Dark
Hallowed Be Thy Name
The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden

Encore:
The Trooper
The Clansman
Run to the Hills

Encore 2:
Churchill’s Speech
Aces High
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, 10/11/2022)

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Finally, after over three long years, the city of Toronto was able to scream for the one and only Iron Maiden again in a perfect night of beautiful Heavy Metal.

INTRO: Scream for me, IMFC!

Before I start talking about the concert itself last night, I must say it’s awesome to be part of a family like the Iron Maiden Fan Club, also known as IMFC. As Bruce likes to say, we’re all blood brothers, and on Monday night at The Loose Moose it was really fun meeting some of the IMFC members that were going to the concert the next day in Toronto, enjoy a few pints together, talk about the current tour and the upcoming The Future Past Tour 2023, and so on. I know it’s not easy to invest some good money into the IMFC these days due to everything that’s going on with the world, but if you’re lucky enough to have some spare budget it’s definitely worth it. I can’t wait to meet some of my IMFC buddies tonight in Hamilton, because as I said, there’s nothing like the Iron Maiden family, right?

OPENING ACT: Within Temptation

One of the most fun perks of the IMFC is undoubtedly the First to the Barrier, or the FTTB, and this year I must say I was extremely lucky getting the FTTB for all three Ontario dates, those being Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa, and of course I was more than excited for it in Toronto because if you’re familiar with the Legacy of the Beast World Tour 2022 setlist, you know you’re in for a treat, getting to a very decent spot on the right side of the barrier. And Maidenmaniacs from all over the world started packing the Scotiabank Arena up early, allowing Netherlands-based Symphonic Metal/Alternative Rock act WITHIN TEMPTATION to play to an already big crowd, and we could see on the faces of all band members how happy they were because of that.

Promoting their latest EP Don’t Pray for Me, the band spearheaded by the charming vocalist Sharon den Adel played a short and sweet setlist including one of my favorite songs from their career, the exciting Paradise (What About Us?), and after each and every song the reaction from the fans at the venue was really heartwarming to the band. Right before playing the song Raise Your Banner, Sharon dedicated the song to Ukraine, raising an Ukrainian flag and waving it during the entire song, another moment that generated several claps and screams from the fans acknowledging not only how good the band is, but also that they’re on the right side of this stupid war. And after all was said and done, the band said farewell to their Torontonian fans, promising to be back soon to the city with more of their classy music.

Setlist
The Reckoning
Paradise (What About Us?)
Faster
In the Middle of the Night
Stand My Ground
Supernova
Don’t Pray for Me
Raise Your Banner
Mother Earth

Band members
Sharon den Adel – vocals
Robert Westerholt – guitars
Ruud Jolie – guitars
Stefan Helleblad – guitars
Jeroen van Veen – bass
Martijn Spierenburg – keyboards
Mike Coolen – drums

IRON MAIDEN

Precisely at 8:50pm, the speakers began playing UFO’s classic Doctor Doctor as a “warning” to anyone who wasn’t on their seats or still outside buying beer or merch that the party was about to start. Actually, there was an even earlier warning when they played a video of the Legacy of the Beast game with Transylvania as the soundtrack on the big screens a few minutes before that, but you know, there’s always time to grab another beer before the show. And what a show! The unstoppable British Heavy Metal machine IRON MAIDEN was on absolute fire from the very first second, captivating their crazy fans with the three songs from Senjutsu they’re playing on this tour, those being the title-track Senjutsu, Stratego and my favorite of all three live, The Writing on the Wall, with Bruce inspiring everyone at the venue to sing it along with him, before kicking us hard in the head with an avalanche of classics, including of course Revelations, Flight of Icarus and Hallowed Be Thy Name, making up for the long wait of over three years for the band to return to Toronto.

It feels like every single time the band comes to Canada they love to point out how diverse the audience is, with people from all over the world like Brazil, Mexico and Peru, as mentioned by Bruce before playing the beautiful Blood Brothers, visiting the city for another night of Iron Maiden magic. The entire band was flawless and I heard several old school fans saying that was one of the best Iron Maiden concerts they’ve seen in the past few decades, and based on the crowd’s reaction to Sign of the Cross, The Trooper, The Clansman and Run to the Hills, I have to admit that was indeed a night to remember. Furthermore, what can I say about the performance by Mr. Janick Gers? The man was out of control (in a good way, of course), feeling like he was not just playing the guitar but also giving us an aerobics lesson, playing and throwing his axe around in all possible and imaginable ways.

I must confess that when I first saw they were closing the concert with Aces High I was a little worried if Bruce was going to be able to sing it after such intense performance, but of course to the surprise of zero people he nailed it as usual, ending the night in such an electrifying note it was hard to believe the concert was over when the speakers started playing Monty Python’s Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. One funny thing Bruce mentioned during the show was the fact that he was very, very happy to be playing indoors and not at the Budweiser Stage (as per their latest concerts in Toronto), which I don’t fully agree because the Budweiser Stage is a lot cooler than the Scotiabank Arena. Well, to be honest, I don’t really care where they play as long as they keep coming back to Toronto, and please excuse me for such short and not-very-detailed review as I’m heading now to the FTTB in Hamilton. Oh yeah, the show must go on. UP THE IRONS!

Setlist
Transylvania
Doctor Doctor
Senjutsu
Stratego
The Writing on the Wall
Revelations
Blood Brothers
Sign of the Cross
Flight of Icarus
Fear of the Dark
Hallowed Be Thy Name
The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden

Encore:
The Trooper
The Clansman
Run to the Hills

Encore 2:
Churchill’s Speech
Aces High
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Collectibles Review – Iron Maiden’s Senjutsu FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box

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Do you want to know what’s inside the most discussed box of the current metal scene?

As I mentioned in the review for Senjutsu, the superb new album by Heavy Metal institution Iron Maiden, it’s time for a detailed review of the most hyped, important and desired box in the heavy music scene at the moment, the Senjutsu FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box. And before I begin talking about the box and each one of its items, let me remind you that this is NOT the Senjutsu Super Deluxe Boxset available at retail. While they may look similar, the FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box is very different, being a handcrafted, lacquered wooden box that contains unique items that can’t be found anywhere else, and of course it was only available to members of The Iron Maiden Fan Club.

Just to give you an overview of what the box is and how it was going to be sold to the public, the first time all members of the IMFC heard about it was on July 20 when we received the Letters from the Rue Morgue #18 from the IMFC, informing us the box was going to be exclusive to us members regardless of what country we’re in, and that we would have plenty of notice for when the pre-sale of the box was going to happen. The IMFC also informed us that the box was going to be extremely limited and there would be only 2021 made, therefore limiting those to one per member (any attempt to order more than one box would be cancelled). The boxes then went on sale on Friday August 13, being released in two batches via the FC shop in order to give people in different time zones a fair chance to order, with the first batch going live at 10:00am BST and the second batch at 5:30pm BST. The total cost of the box already included shipping (it didn’t matter where in the world the buyer was located), and the IMFC also informed they would do their best to ensure that orders arrived on or before September 3, the day Senjutsu was officially released, but of course keeping in mind that Covid-19 and customs-related delays were beyond their control.

As I’m located in Toronto, Canada, I had to wake up at 4:30am ET (which is the same as 9:30am BST) to be able to buy the box in the first batch, and fortunately I succeeded despite the sales happening on a Friday the 13th. It wasn’t easy, though, as the payment process took forever to go through, but thanks to the information provided by other Maidenmaniacs from the IMFC forum who were able to buy the box all I had to do was to keep hitting the “process payment” button without refreshing the page, because as soon as the box was in my shopping cart it was mine unless I didn’t pay for it or cancelled the purchase, of course. It was indeed a fun ride, and after that it was the excitement for the album release on September 3 and the arrival of the famous box. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond what the IMFC could do, the box didn’t arrive on September 3, but only on September 7, which in the end wasn’t a big deal as I used Spotify to enjoy Senjutsu for hours (and hours and hours) until receiving the CD version of the album with the box.

Having said all that, how about reviewing each item on its own and providing some sort of rating from 0 to 10 to each one of them? There are also pictures of each item for you to know exactly what I’m talking about, and see why this is indeed a one-of-a-kind offer from Iron Maiden to us loyal fans.

1. The CD digipak version of Senjutsu

Comments: Everything that had to be said about the album itself can be found in our Senjutsu review HERE, but of course it’s always a pleasure to grab a physical album with your own hands, and Senjutsu is a thing of beauty, from its double cover artwork with two ass-kicking samurai Eddies to its very detailed booklet. I highly recommend you grab a physical copy of the album, that being the CD, the LP or any other available version of it.
Rating: 10/10

2. The Blu-Ray digipak of The Writing On The Wall, including a making-of video and sleeve notes

Comments: Not only the Blu-Ray comes with the two versions of the official video for the song (the original one and the fantastic SFX Version), but there’s also an over 40-minute making-of showing all details of how the video was done, the ideas and stories behind it, and so on. Put differently, it’s a true must-watch for any Iron Maiden fan or any fan of arts in general (and the booklet on its own is already awesome).
Rating: 10/10

3. A decorated board portfolio containing the following:

  • 4. A Japanese hanko-style Eddie stamp, made of teak and engraved, in an engraved teak case.
    Comments: The Eddie stamp is a beautiful piece of art, a nice add-on to the box that is very useful if you want to customize your letters and documents. My only complaint is that the ink that comes with it is not enough to last for a long time, and I also saw some fans complaining their ink was too dry when they got their boxes.
    Rating: 9.0/10
  • 5. An exclusive Mark Wilkinson print, signed and stamped by the man himself
    Comments: This one is just a different version of the samurai Eddie from the album art, or maybe I should say an expanded one, signed by the artist responsible for drawing it. And that’s it. Framing it and hanging it on your wall is highly recommended, otherwise there’s no much usage for it.
    Rating: 8.0/10
  • 6. A unique artwork print in Japan’s Ukiyo-e tradition illustrated by Masumi Ishikawa, who previously created 2 pieces of Iron Maiden ukiyo-e works.
    Comments: This is my favorite of the items from the decorated portfolio, as it’s not only gorgeous with all of its colors making it a unique piece of art, but it’s also perfect for framing and displaying on your wall. And if you search online for more of the work by Masumi Ishikawa you’ll see that guy is a beast when armed with his illustration kit.
    Rating: 10/10

Overall Comments: All items that came with the portfolio are outstanding and cannot be replicated or found anywhere else but inside the FC box, and that’s why the box is more than recommended for all Iron Maiden stuff collectors out there.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10

7. An Eddie lenticular

Comments: This is a tricky one, as although it’s quite cool to have an Eddie lenticular, let’s say it’s no something as exclusive as the other items from the box. You can find very high-end lenticulars pretty much anywhere. They just might not be as badass as Eddie, of course.
Rating: 8.5/10

8. A Japanese-style tsuba – a decorated metal sword hilt typically worn by the Samurai
Comments: This is one of my favorite items of the FC box, and the only reason I’m not giving it a 10 is because now I need a samurai sword to add it to. Apart from that (and you probably noticed I’m just joking), it’s a very well-crafted metal piece that lives up to the Japanese-inspired theme of the album.
Rating: 9.5/10

9. A Senjutsu Eddie pendant necklace

Comments: Another distinguished addition to the FC box. I bet whoever was able to buy the box will be proudly wearing the pendant during next year’s Iron Maiden concerts, with the only issue for me being the necklace that comes with it. A more durable, metal one would have been perfect.
Rating: 9.0/10

10. A printed canvas banner with wooden ends

Comments: If you have a wall to hang it, just do it, as the banner is awesome and will give an extra fiery touch to your decoration. It would have been flawless if it was made of some type of cloth instead of the regular banner material used, but it’s already great the way it is.
Rating: 9.0/10

11. And last but not least, a certificate of authenticity presented in an envelope inspired by Japanese celebratory Shugi Bukuro envelopes and featuring an intricate bow: a mizuhiki

Comments: At the same time some people might say this is just “paper”, it’s one of the most significant items of the box, as it’s not only extremely detailed and delicate, but each certificate is unique to its owner. It deserves a 10 out of 10 hands down.
Rating: 10/10

Overall, the Senjutsu FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box is a 10 out of 10 (or in the case of The Headbanging Moose, a 5 out of 5 skulls), representing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for lovers of everything Iron Maiden who are members of the IMFC to add something absolutely different from anything else they might have in their personal collections. There have been multiple reports of damaged boxes all around the world, unfortunately, plus the fact that even the ones that arrived to their buyers in pristine conditions (like mine) had the interior red cardboard divider slightly damaged, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it’s cost. Just like what happens in any project, there was obviously a considerable probability a few issues would happen along the way with the Senjutsu FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box, mostly with the delivery part of the whole process; however, the guys from the IMFC are making sure they fix the issues reported to them, replace the damaged boxes and so on, so that all of us box buyers get beyond happy with our recent acquisition. In other words, if you have the FC box, enjoy it as much as you can while listening to Senjutsu… and UP THE IRONS!

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On a side note, have you seen the new animated video for the song Stratego? It might have little to do with the FC box, but I thought it would be awesome to add it here for you guys.

Album Review – Iron Maiden / Senjutsu (2021)

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Behold another masterpiece by the one and only Iron Maiden with its 82 minutes of tactics, strategy, war, resilience and determination in the form of majestic Heavy Metal.

5.0rating

iron-maiden-senjutsu-2021“Have you seen the writing on the wall?”

The wait is finally over. After nearly six years, Senjutsu (or 戦術 in Japanese, loosely translated as “tactics and strategy”), the seventeenth studio album by British Heavy Metal legends Iron Maiden, has finally seen the light of day, and let me tell you each second waiting for such masterpiece was absolutely worth it. Marking the longest gap between two Iron Maiden studio albums following The Book of Souls from 2015, Senjutsu is also the band’s second double album, again using their original logotype (with the extended letters R, M and N) like in The Book of Souls, their first studio album since their 1984 cult album Powerslave to have no songwriting contributions from Dave Murray in any way, and the first since their 1998 opus Virtual XI to feature multiple songs written by Steve Harris alone. Once again recorded at Studios Guillaume Tell in Paris, produced by Kevin Shirley, co-produced by Steve Harris, and displaying a formidable samurai version of our beloved Eddie on the artwork designed by Mark Wilkinson (with the name of the album rendered on the right side of the cover art by the actual vertical Japanese spelling of “senjutsu” and on the left side by a font reminiscent of Japanese characters), Senjutsu takes the band back to the darker and edgier sound from albums the likes of The X-Factor, A Matter of Life and Death, The Final Frontier and The Book of Souls, showcasing another brilliant work done by the unstoppable Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Nicko McBrain.

Traditional Japanese drums ignite the obscure and introspective title-track Senjutsu, offering us Maidenmaniacs over eight minutes of epicness to properly kick things off with Bruce already mesmerizing us all with his unique voice. Moreover, I love how his vocals walk hand in hand with the guitars by Dave, Adrian and Janick, not to mention the song’s ritualistic vibe (similar to what they did in their previous album with “If Eternity Should Fail”), followed by the already known tune Stratego with its lyrics full of metaphors about how hard it is for anyone to face their own lives (“How do you read a madman’s mind / Teach me the art of war / For I shall bring more / Than you bargained for”), while Nicko and Steve take care of that amazing galloping sound that became the band’s trademark, not to mention the song’s stunning guitar solos. Then we have The Writing on the Wall, the first single of the album which you might have probably listened to countless times already, where a country and southern vibe together with its catchy-as-hell chorus declaimed by Bruce (“Have you seen the writing on the wall / Have you seen that writing / Can you see the riders on the storm / Can you see them riding / Can you see them riding… Riding next to you”) turn it into the perfect option for hitting the road with your loved ones.

Lost in a Lost World brings forward another sinister intro to the sound of acoustic guitars that feels like it was taken from one of Bruce’s solo albums, exploding into a fusion of The X-Factor, Brave New World and A Matter of Life and Death with a lot of elements from Progressive Rock and Metal added to their core sonority, and with Steve’s bass lines being superb as usual, punching you right in your face, whereas back to a heavier sound we’re treated to the mid-tempo, rockin’ feast titled Days of Future Past, again blending classic Iron Maiden with Bruce’s solo material and displaying an amazing job done by the band’s guitar triumvirate accompanied by the pounding drums by an inspired Nicko. Needless to say, it will sound amazing if added to their live performances. Then beginning in a similar way as The Final Frontier’s “The Talisman”, The Time Machine presents a more cadenced pace with the background keys by Steve complementing the sharp work by the guitar boys, evolving into a sick galloping and diverse extravaganza halfway through it; and the sound of the ocean brings comfort to our hearts before Iron Maiden once again hypnotize us all in Darkest Hour, a somber ballad in the vein of A Matter of Life and Death’s “Out of the Shadows” but with a stronger vibe, all spiced up by their undisputed, soulful guitar solos.

iron-maiden-senjutsu-super-deluxe-boxset

Iron Maiden Senjutsu Super Deluxe Boxset

The last batch of songs from Senjutsu was entirely written by Steve Harris, and let me tell you it’s a flawless lesson in rock and metal music, starting with his undisputed bass lines in Death of the Celts, being gradually joined by Nicko and the rest of the crew. What a bold, multi-layered metal voyage by the band, overflowing epicness, progressiveness and electricity nonstop, spearheaded by the rumbling kitchen by Steve and Nicko, of course. And you better get ready for over 12 minutes of majestic Heavy Metal in the form of The Parchment, once again beginning in a serene, cryptic manner and evolving into a very progressive mid-tempo sound. Bruce’s vocals are utterly imposing and epic from start to finish, with Dave, Janick and Adrian being on total fire with their stringed axes. And lastly, Hell on Earth is a song that gave me goosebumps from the very first second, as soon as I started listening to it, feeling like “The Aftermath” from The X-Factor but at the same time a lot more intricate and powerful, with Steve and Nicko taking the lead while Dave, Adrian and Janick deliver sheer melody through their incendiary riffs, providing Bruce all he needs to flawlessly tell the story proposed in the song until all fades into the unknown in a somber and climatic manner. In other words, thank you, Mr. Steve Harris, for being so awesome.

iron-maiden-2021To be fair, there are no actual words I can choose to describe all the darkness, the energy, the details and the intricacy found in Senjutsu. It’s simply incredible how Iron Maiden managed to deliver such masterpiece without sounding outdated, repetitive or bland after so many decades on the road, leaving us all eager for another studio album, for their next tour, for more Eddies and so on, even knowing all members are in their 60’s already (as a matter of fact, Nicko is almost 70). Not only that, the way they promoted the new album on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube from day one, including the fun ride that was “Belshazzar’s Feast” (a story from the Book of Daniel in the Bible, also known as ​“the story of the writing on the wall”, with the initials WOTW cropping up in a lot of Iron Maiden-related places), was beyond entertaining, proving the band trespassed the barriers of music with Senjutsu. Furthermore, this is also one of those situations where buying the physical album, despite the fact we live in a digital world, is almost mandatory, especially if you go for the Super Deluxe Boxset, or even better, for the FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box, which will deserve its own review as soon as I receive it next week. And now please excuse me, as I need to get back to Senjutsu and listen to it another billion times on a loop for the foreseeable future, just the way it’s supposed to be when the band in question is the almighty Iron Maiden.

Best moments of the album: Senjutsu, Days of Future Past, Death of the Celts, The Parchment and Hell on Earth.

Worst moments of the album: I’m still trying to find one.

Released in 2021 Parlophone/Sanctuary Copyrights/BMG

Track listing 
1. Senjutsu 8:20
2. Stratego 4:59
3. The Writing on the Wall 6:13
4. Lost in a Lost World 9:31
5. Days of Future Past 4:03
6. The Time Machine 7:09
7. Darkest Hour 7:20
8. Death of the Celts 10:20
9. The Parchment 12:39
10. Hell on Earth 11:19

FC Exclusive Limited Edition Collectors Box/Super Deluxe Boxset Bonus Disc (Blu-ray)
1.The Writing on the Wall documentary

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass, keyboards
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums