Iron Maiden returned in September 2021 with Senjutsu, their 17th studio album and their first full-length record since 2015's The Book of Souls.
The album was released on September 3 and quickly made its presence felt on the UK charts. Senjutsu reached number one on the Official Vinyl Albums Chart and became the week's biggest physical album release in the UK.
According to reporting based on Official Charts Company figures, the album recorded more than 44,000 sales during its first week, with around 88 percent of those sales coming from physical formats. The result showed just how strong the connection between Iron Maiden and physical album collectors remained in an era when streaming had become a major part of the music business.
Senjutsu ultimately entered the main UK Albums Chart at number two, narrowly missing the top position behind Drake's Certified Lover Boy. The difference was reported to be only around 1,200 units.
The album had been introduced to fans earlier in the year through "The Writing on the Wall." The track gave listeners their first taste of the band's new material and arrived with a cinematic animated video.
Senjutsu was recorded at Guillaume Tell Studio in Paris and was produced by Kevin Shirley alongside bassist and band founder Steve Harris.
The album contains ten tracks and runs for more than 80 minutes, with several songs extending well beyond the usual length of a radio single.
For Iron Maiden, Senjutsu represented another major release from a band that had continued to operate on a large scale despite the disruption caused by the pandemic. The album's strong physical performance also offered an interesting reminder that, for some artists, the traditional album format still had plenty of life left in it.
