English heavy metal band Iron Maiden has dropped brand new song titled “Stratego.” The empowering single is the newest taste of the band’s highly anticipated seventeenth’s album, Senjutsu, that will drop on September 3. The song follows up the album’s lead single, “The Writing on the Wall,” that was released last month.
“Stratego” is a fast driven metal song that features themes of devotion and self-empowerment. Guitarist Janick Gers and founder member/bassist Steve Harris penned the track together while Harris co-produced it with Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley.
Lyrics like “I hear you calling my name / Come to claim my life again / Pray for me I’m almost there / The pain almost too much to bear” hint at the idea of suffering and hoping something within ourselves, like religion, is able to rescue us. Lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson’s passionate delivery embraces this idea through the projection of his voice in the lines, “Hear me, listen my call / I am ready to fall / Lord hear me now / Let me go.”
The track’s sound calls back to the band’s past discography like 2000’s Brave New World, particularly the guitar solo in the third quarter of the song. Additionally, the structure of the song creates a climactic feel by building towards the instrumental bridge. While they both feature powerful vocals from Dickinson, “Stratego” departs from “The Writing on the Wall” by having a faster tempo that contributes to the former’s movement.
Senjutsu will be the band’s newest project since 2015’s The Book of Souls. To pre-order Senjutsu, click here. “Stratego” is available everywhere.
Leave a Comment