Maiden Japan: Iron Maiden finds eastern muse

“Senjutsu,” Iron Maiden (BMG)

Iron Maiden is not a band for those with short attention spans.

That is particularly the case on their 17th studio album, “Senjutsu,” which translates from Japanese as “strategy and tactics.”

The album’s 10 tracks average eight minutes apiece, and the final three last for a combined 34 minutes.

Give singer Bruce Dickinson and Co. props for sticking to their musical guns and writing a song to be as long as it needs to be.

The guitar trio of Dave Murray, Janick Gers and Adrian Smith bring an unparalleled level of firepower to each track, and the duo of bassist Steve Harris and drummer Nicko McBrain has long been among the best in metal.