10 Best Hard Rock Albums Of The 2020s So Far
5. Senjutsu - Iron Maiden
On the surface, the idea of an Iron Maiden album in 2021 should send shivers down the spine of any self-respecting music fan. The band look like they'd struggle to work a touchscreen, let alone put out anything half decent.
However, as they have done many a time over their career, Maiden proved us wrong.
In September '21, the English metal gods released Senjutsu, complete with a bloodied samurai Eddie front and centre on the cover. Whilst the album doesn't take a deep historical look at feudal Japan (shame), it does do one thing very well - it kicks ass.
Maiden prove on this record that they still have what it takes to make it in a genre they helped invent. They still have a complete mastery over heavy metal riffs and explosive solos, and Bruce Dickinson still sounds great for a singer entering his mid-sixties.
Old dogs may not learn new tricks, but these metal hounds have spent the last forty years perfecting the tricks they already know - and this album is firm proof of that.
If anybody wants to draw Steve Harris as a poodle, that would be welcomed.