"The Writing on the Wall" is a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The song was released on 15 July 2021 alongside a music video,[1] and served as the lead single from their seventeenth studio album Senjutsu. It was also the band's first single since 2016's "Empire of the Clouds".[1][2]
| "The Writing on the Wall" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Iron Maiden | ||||
| from the album Senjutsu | ||||
| Released | 15 July 2021 | |||
| Recorded | Early 2019 | |||
| Studio | Guillaume Tell (Paris) | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 6:13 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Kevin Shirley | |||
| Iron Maiden singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "The Writing on the Wall" on YouTube | ||||
It was elected by Loudwire as the 14th best metal song of 2021.[3]
Music video
editThe song's music video was directed by Nicos Livesey from BlinkInk, a London based animation studio, in collaboration with Bruce Dickinson and former Pixar executives and long-standing Maiden fans Mark Andrews and Andrew Gordon via weekly Zoom meetings.[4] The video is a story written by Dickinson, inspired by the biblical stories of Belshazzar's feast and Daniel, as well as other biblical references[5] featuring the band's mascot, Eddie, in various styles influenced by the artwork of previous albums.[6] The visual effects were provided by BlinkInk with fans of the band reaching out with storyboard ideas from across the globe.[7]
Personnel
editIron Maiden
- Bruce Dickinson – vocals
- Dave Murray – guitars
- Janick Gers – guitars
- Adrian Smith – guitars
- Steve Harris – bass
- Nicko McBrain – drums
Production
- Kevin Shirley – production, mixing
- Steve Harris – co-production
Charts
edit| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[8] | 15 |
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[9] | 39 |
| US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[10] | 36 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Iron Maiden Release The Writing on the Wall, Their First New Song in Six Years". Guitar.com. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ "Iron Maiden return with new single, The Writing On The Wall". GuitarWorld.com. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ Al-Sharif, Rabab; DiVita, Joe; Hartmann, Graham; Richardson, Jake; Trapp, Philip; Summan, Yasmine (6 December 2021). "The 35 Best Metal Songs of 2021". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ Blabbermouth (15 July 2021). "IRON MAIDEN Releases First New Song In Six Years, 'The Writing On The Wall'". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "Iron Maiden returns with an overtly political animated epic by Nicos Livesey". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ McKittrick, Christopher (10 August 2021). "Animated 'WRITING ON THE WALL' Music Video Celebrates the Visual History of Iron Maiden". VFX Voice. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (15 July 2021). "Iron Maiden Drops Biblical Epic 'The Writing on the Wall,' First New Music in 6 Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
- ^ "Iron Maiden Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
- ^ "Iron Maiden Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
External links
edit- The Writing on the Wall at MusicBrainz (list of releases)