July 15th marked the long-awaited return of Iron Maiden with their first release in five years, the song "The Writing On The Wall" . The band didn't let their return go unnoticed and teased fans with clues about a "Feast of Belshazzar" , giving a glimpse of the concept that would be presented in the new music video.
Flyers posted on the band's website and social media announced Belshazzar's Feast, which took place today at 2 PM on YouTube, marking the premiere of the music video.
The Feast of Belshazzar is a biblical event narrated in the Old Testament about a mysterious message that appeared on the wall during a feast of the king of the same name, to which only the rich and noble were invited. This message, which only the renowned elder managed to read, contained a prophecy of his death for blaspheming against God. The story is also known as Writing on the Wall because of these writings.
The 7.5-minute animated video can be considered a short film full of biblical references set in an apocalyptic scenario, uniting various narratives from the Bible with current events and figures of power in today's society. The story was created by Bruce Dickinson , directed by Nicos Livesey , and with creative direction by Mark Andrews.
We at Wikimetal have put together a super post with all the references you might have missed.
1. "Flight of Icarus"
In the first frame of the video, it is possible to see three vultures circling under the sun, a reference to the cover of the single "Flight Of Icarus" , which shows Eddie flying with bat wings while Icarus' wings burn in the background.
2. World Slavery Tour
Right at the beginning of the video, we see vultures circling a malnourished young woman who walks with difficulty wearing a World Slavery Tour , the tour that took place from 1984 to 1985 to promote the album Powerslave .
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3. "Belshazzar's Feast"
The poster that Iron Maiden used to invite fans to the premiere of the "The Writing On The Wall" music video can be seen in the hand of the dying girl, marking an invitation to an event that seems to attract street vendors in the desert.
4. Piece of Mind
When the girl dies from malnutrition, a hooded figure wearing a ring of the mascot Eddie Piece of Mind album version closes his eyes and appears to give an order to a crow perched on his shoulder.
5. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The raven in question joins the birds circling the sky, and they transform into four hooded motorcyclists, referencing the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – biblical representations of famine, plague, war, and death; torments that would plague the Earth as signs of the End Times.
6. Pub Cart and Horses and Aces High Store
In a deserted landscape, we see the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse coming towards us. At this moment, on the left we see the Cart and Horses , where Iron Maiden played their first show in 1976. On the right is the Aces High Store.
7. Ed Force One
The riders pilot their motorcycles through a desolate landscape and pass by the wreckage of an airplane representing the Ed Force One , used by the band on the Book Of Souls World Tour .
READ ALSO: The hidden references on the cover of Iron Maiden's Somewhere In Time
8. Big Ben and London Bridge
The desolate landscape features two London landmarks buried in the sand: London Bridge and the Big Ben clock. In an interview , creative director Mark Andrews stated that the films Mad Max and Planet of the Apes inspired the animation's visual style, a reference that can be clearly seen in world monuments that appear throughout the video, such as the heads of Easter Island ( 1:45 ).
9. Album 17?
On one of the motorcycles, it's possible to count 17 scratches, which could symbolize Iron Maiden's possible 17th studio album, of which "The Writing On The Wall" is speculated to be the first single.
10. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
Immediately afterwards, we follow a procession of people heading towards the site of Belshazzar's Feast. On the ruins of what appears to be a pipe, it is possible to read the Latin inscription "sic transit gloria mundi," which means "thus passes the glory of the world" or "worldly things are fleeting." The words "Eddie Lives" can also be read in the lower left corner, along with the mysterious word "Throne," which could symbolize some future Easter egg.
11. United States, United Kingdom and China
Leading the procession of the hungry seeking Belshazzar's Feast is a figure representing the President of the United States, riding ahead in a luxurious presidential car – as indicated by the license plate “Pres” – pulled by a malnourished horse. This figure is well-fed and well-dressed, but flies are seen buzzing around his head, which may indicate a foul odor due to poor hygiene caused by water scarcity.
The President glances in his rearview mirror at the figures of three faceless men holding tea trays with cake and wearing torn trousers that reveal underwear with Union Jack flags. Just behind them, a number of malnourished people pull an imperial chariot containing a large missile in the mouth of a Chinese dragon, representing China's nuclear power. Atop the giant chariot sits an emperor.
12. No Prayer For The Dying and The Final Frontier
In one of the frames, it's possible to see a tombstone with the inscription "No Prayer For The Dying," a reference to Iron Maiden's eighth studio album, released in 1990. It's also possible to identify the figure of a dying astronaut, similar to the cover of The Final Frontier , from 2010 – the band's 15th studio album.
13. The Trooper and “Empire Of The Clouds”
The crushed cans symbolize The Trooper, Iron Maiden's beer, while below the precipice, the wreckage of a zeppelin can be seen, referencing the one found on the cover of the single "Empire Of The Clouds".
14. Belshazzar's Feast
Inside a palace protected by guards and a futuristic wall, a grand feast takes place around a huge greenish fire, while a male figure representing Belshazzar stands at the center of a device that allows him to feed on what appears to be the life energy of two people – a man and a woman – granting him rejuvenation.
Outside, we see that the rich and healthy manage to cross the wall towards this oasis, while those who are languishing due to death and disease are struck down by lightning as soon as they try to cross the gates.
READ ALSO: How Iron Maiden's Eddie was born, grew up and became the greatest mascot of all time
15. Samurai Eddie
The mysterious hooded figure that appeared at the beginning of the video reveals itself to be carrying a kind of magic staff, with which it manages to pass through the gates and invade the banquet venue – with images referencing the biblical passage that mentions the parting of the Red Sea by Moses.
Inside the building, the hooded savior throws himself into the fire located in the center of the building and transforms into a humanoid samurai, introducing the new version of the character Eddie, who has previously appeared in Sun and Steel beer and in the game Legacy Of The Beast .
16. The Four Eddies
After a clash between Samurai Eddie and Belshazzar, the latter transforms into the figure of a goat (a possible representation of the Antichrist), and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are summoned through a symbol on the wall, symbolizing war, famine, plague, and death.
The mysterious horsemen then remove their hoods, revealing that each one represents a version of Eddie from previous Iron Maiden albums. The first carries an axe, symbolizing the Eddie from Killers (1981), the second carries a scythe, like the one from Dance Of Death (2003), the third is a cyborg like the one from Somewhere In Time (1986), and the fourth represents the pharaoh found on the cover of Powerslave (1984).
17. The Number of the Beast
After a bloodbath caused by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – where we see the figures of the president, the British representatives, and the Chinese emperor perishing – Samurai Eddie saves the couple who were being held hostage by Belshazzar and leaves the banquet in the presidential car with the flags of the United States. On the side of the vehicle, it is possible to see the Roman numeral DCLXVI spray-painted in neon, which in cardinal numbers would be 666, referencing Iron Maiden's third studio album, The Number of the Beast .
18. Adam and Eve
While driving the car, Eddie conjures an apple which he hands to the couple sitting in the back seat, who passionately bite into it. This is a direct reference to the biblical story of Adam and Eve, the first humans created by God who were expelled from the Garden of Eden for biting the apple, the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.
With that initial sin, Adam and Eve gave rise to humanity, which means that after the apocalyptic scenario, the savior Eddie intends to start all over again from the beginning.
19. Two Minutes To Midnight
In the final scene, we see a monumental explosion that raises a mushroom-shaped cloud similar to that on the cover of the song "2 Minutes To Midnight," representing the total annihilation of humanity towards a new beginning.
READ ALSO: A poem that Iron Maiden turned into one of the band's best songs
