Iron Maiden Release Pummeling New Song, 'Stratego' - Review

Iron Maiden Release Pummeling New Song, ‘Stratego’ – Review

2021-08-19

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden jumping in the air during a live concert.

Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden – Story by Anne Erickson, photo by Ken Settle

“Stratego,” the new song from Iron Maiden, features Bruce Dickinson’s soaring vocals amid pummeling riffs

Iron Maiden have released the second single from their upcoming album, “Senjutsu,” due out Sept. 3. The new song, “Stratego,” is a thick, meaty concoction of heavy metal featuring Bruce Dickinson’s soaring vocals amid pulsating synths and pummeling riffs.

Opening with a groovy rhythms and swirling sonics, the song almost begins with a hint of psychedelic rock before launching into a powerful metal anthem. “Looking beyond beneath the sea / Eye of the storm is here again / Been there before you were ever born,” Dickinson sings in the chorus. It’s a powerful piece of music from start to finish, offering the best of Iron Maiden from yesterday to today.

“Stratego” was written by guitarist Janick Gers and founding bass player Steve Harris. The band recorded the song back in 2019 at Guillaume Tell studios in Paris, with production by Kevin “Caveman” Shirley and co-production by Steve Harris.

“Stratego” follows Iron Maiden’s first single off “Senjutsu,” “The Writing on the Wall,” which marked their first original song release in six years. The upcoming full-length will feature 10 new tracks and clock in at 82 minutes.

“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,” Dickinson said regarding the new album in a statement.

“The Writing on the Wall” will arrive in a variety of formats, including digital, special CD packages, colored vinyl and more. A super deluxe box set of the release will pack a CD, Blu-ray and special memorabilia. Pre-orders are currently available at Iron Maiden’s website.

In other news, Dickinson recently tested positive for COVID-19. Prior to getting the diagnosis, he postponed the final dates of his solo spoken-word tour after a member of his immediate household tested positive.

Listen to “Stratego” below. Ink rating: 9/10 stars.

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based music reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, Loudwire.com and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.