Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith Discusses Making ‘Senjutsu’ In New Video
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith discusses the making of the band’s upcoming 17th studio album, Senjutsu in a new video you can watch in full below.
Senjutsu is Iron Maiden’s first album in six years and it’s out on 3 September. It was recorded in Paris with longstanding producer Kevin Shirley and co-produced by Steve Harris. It was preceded on 15 July by an already highly acclaimed animated video for the first single The Writing On The Wall made by BlinkInk based on a concept by singer Bruce Dickinson with two former Pixar executives. It followed a month-long teaser campaign and global “treasure hunt” for clues about the track title and concept.
For Senjutsu — loosely translated as “tactics and strategy” — the band once again enlisted the services of Mark Wilkinson to create the spectacular Samurai themed cover artwork, based on an idea by bassist Steve Harris. With a running time of a little under 82 minutes, Senjutsu, like their previous record The Book Of Souls, will be a double CD/Triple vinyl album.
Of making the album, Adrian Smith said: “The studio [Guillaume Tell in Paris] is familiar territory for us as we’ve made two albums there before. It’s got a nice big live room and it’s convenient and comfortable to start working there.
“[Senjutsu] came together pretty easily. We didn’t rehearse before we went into the studio. I had quite a lot prepared in fairly advanced demo form. I’d finished about four songs and I had a ton of other ideas. Steve [Harris] brought in stuff too. He’d have an idea on an iPhone or something and we’d expand on that.”
“The album has a few song which are a bit of a departure for us”, he added. “Writing On The Wall, for example, is a concoction of styles. Some people have said it’s got a country flavour, but I’d day it was more folk-based. But there are also some longer pieces which are very intricate. Fans of all the Maiden epics will be happy with that, I’m sure.
“It’s all very dramatic. I don’t see why this record wouldn’t translate really well in the live situation. Sonically, as an album, it’s one of the best things we’ve done.”