Iron Maiden – The Writing On The Wall

Senjutsu (Japanese: 戦術, loosely translated as "tactics and strategy") is the seventeenth studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, due to be released on 3 September 2021. Senjutsu is the band's first studio album in nearly six years, following The Book of Souls (2015), marking the longest gap between two studio Iron Maiden albums. This is also their second double album and the second use of their original logotype (with the extended letters R, M and N) on the album cover since The X Factor (1995) (and following their previous use on The Book of Souls), as well as their first studio album since Powerslave (1984) to have no songwriting contributions from guitarist Dave Murray in any way, and the first since Virtual XI (1998) to feature multiple songs written by bassist Steve Harris alone. The name of the album is rendered on the right side of the cover art by the actual vertical Japanese spelling of "senjutsu" (戦術), and on the left side by a font reminiscent of Japanese characters.

Senjutsu (Japanese: 戦術, loosely translated as "tactics and strategy") is the seventeenth studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, due to be released on 3 September 2021. Senjutsu is the band's first studio album in nearly six years, following The Book of Souls (2015), marking the longest gap between two studio Iron Maiden albums. This is also their second double album and the second use of their original logotype (with the extended letters R, M and N) on the album cover since The X Factor (1995) (and following their previous use on The Book of Souls), as well as their first studio album since Powerslave (1984) to have no songwriting contributions from guitarist Dave Murray in any way, and the first since Virtual XI (1998) to feature multiple songs written by bassist Steve Harris alone.

Although vintage British psychedelia is viewed by many these days as an Alice In Wonderland-style enchanted garden full of beatific flower children innocently gathering flowers or chasing butterflies, there was always a more visceral element to the scene. Pointedly free of such fripperies as scarlet tunic-wearing gnomes, phenomenal cats and talismanic bicycles, the power trio format that was popularised by the likes of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience spawned a host of imitators. As the Sixties drew to a close and pop evolved slowly but inexorably into rock, psychedelia gave way to a sound that was harder, leaner, heavier, louder.

Although vintage British psychedelia is viewed by many these days as an Alice In Wonderland-style enchanted garden full of beatific flower children innocently gathering flowers or chasing butterflies, there was always a more visceral element to the scene. Pointedly free of such fripperies as scarlet tunic-wearing gnomes, phenomenal cats and talismanic bicycles, the power trio format that was popularised by the likes of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience spawned a host of imitators. As the Sixties drew to a close and pop evolved slowly but inexorably into rock, psychedelia gave way to a sound that was harder, leaner, heavier, louder.

Although vintage British psychedelia is viewed by many these days as an Alice In Wonderland-style enchanted garden full of beatific flower children innocently gathering flowers or chasing butterflies, there was always a more visceral element to the scene. Pointedly free of such fripperies as scarlet tunic-wearing gnomes, phenomenal cats and talismanic bicycles, the power trio format that was popularised by the likes of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience spawned a host of imitators. As the Sixties drew to a close and pop evolved slowly but inexorably into rock, psychedelia gave way to a sound that was harder, leaner, heavier, louder.

Stretch were a 1970s British rock band that grew from the collaboration between Elmer Gantry (real name Dave Terry) and Kirby (real name Graham Gregory). Gantry had been the frontman of Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera. Kirby had been a member of Curved Air. The band was put together in 1974 with help from Fleetwood Mac manager Clifford Davis and drummer Mick Fleetwood, to perform as Fleetwood Mac on a US tour because the existing Fleetwood Mac were not in a position to fulfil outstanding contractual obligations. However, Fleetwood did not join the tour as planned, and later denied any knowledge or involvement, and partway through the tour it became obvious to audiences that there was no original member of Fleetwood Mac in the band, and the tour collapsed. Bass player Paul Martinez claimed, "Mick Fleetwood pulled out at the last minute claiming not to know who we were!"

Skin’s debut album, recorded in LA when the band were still searching for a name. Skin’s biggest chart success so far, hitting number 9 in the UK album chart. It launched the career of the band in a big way, and featured the hits singles “Tower of Strength”, “Money”, “House of Love” and “Look But Don’t Touch”. Japanese re-issue added 6 bonus tracks. Skin were formed in 1993 by ex-Jagged Edge members Myke Gray and Andy Robbins (also formerly of Tokyo Blade & Shogun) along with former Kooga vocalist Neville MacDonald and drummer Dicki Fliszar, formerly from Bruce Dickinson’s touring band and band Vamp. Originally called Taste, they went through a number of names (Obsession, Bad For Good, Phoenix) as they played a smattering of small club dates throughout 1992…