Enjoying the reviews here. Very happy with Senjutsu, I like it more than TBOS right off the bat, jury is still out on where it places but it’s top five potential at the very least. Steve wrote some of his best melodies and each guitarist wrote some of their best solos.
Jeesh, Mosh, don't be a stranger.
This forum can be tough to keep up with! I read it pretty regularly (mostly the PR section actually) but I suppose I tend to be a lurker. I thought I would update my discography thread when LOTB ended but now we’re in a weird place where the tour is still ongoing but there’s an official live release from it AND now a new album.
I get a ton of X Factor vibes, particularly Lost in a Lost World, but maybe that goes to show how much influence Steve had on that album (and Virtual) compared to the reunion albums. I remember thinking that both The Red and the Black and When the Wild Wind Blows were reminiscent of the Blaze era, and those were the only solo Steve contributions. That side has always been there, but never as pronounced as on the Blaze albums until now.
One thing with TXF that Senjutsu improves upon is the presence of Bruce and Adrian as writers. They only have three songs, but those three songs really do a lot to help pace the album and bring in more variety. Janick has also blossomed as a writer since then and he has some great contributions. TXF really misses stuff like Stratego, Days of Future Past, and even Writing on the Wall.
But man, those last three Harris epics are something else. Any one of them is a contender for the best thing Steve has done, and they’re all so different from each other. My favorite right now is Death of the Celts, but the other two are incredible. Also earlier in the album, but I love Lost in a Lost World.