How Rammstein Inspired Iron Maiden’s ‘The Writing on the Wall’ Video
Filled with tons of easter eggs from their 45-year history, Iron Maiden’s new video for “The Writing on the Wall” is one of the most epic and exciting releases of 2021. Interestingly enough, Rammstein’s masterful 2019 video for “Deutschland” inspired Maiden’s newest clip, challenging the British metal legends to make something larger-than-life.
“Deutschland” was a gigantic hit for Rammstein at the close of the 2010s, solidifying the German industrial band as stadium headliners across the globe. The “Deutschland” video tells the story of the history of human conflict, placing the members of Rammstein right in the center of cinematic scenes.
“I said to Rod [Smallwood, Iron Maiden’s manager], ‘Have you seen the video for ‘Deutschland’ by Rammstein?’” vocalist Bruce Dickinson recalled during an interview with Kerrang! “That, to me, is a groundbreaking video. That’s astonishing.”
Dickinson continues, “Now, I’m not suggesting we do that, because we’re not Rammstein. But think of what we could do that would have the equivalent impact for us. So, I wrote storyboard for the vid, tweaked it a little bit, and gave it a happy ending. Well, kind of a happy ending – Adam and Eve start again, but with Eddie going, ‘I’ll still get you in the end’.”
Collaborators for “The Writing on the Wall” feature some of Pixar’s most creative minds in Mark Andrews and Andrew Gordon, whose credits include The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo.
“I’m very proud of the way the video turned out, it’s more like a mini-film really,” Dickinson raves. “I knew it was going to work out as soon as Mark brought my treatment to life with his incredible storyboards – I thought we could make something very special together. I think we did and hope our fans will agree. In fact it’s pretty much created by Maiden fans!”
“The Writing on the Wall” is Iron Maiden’s first single from their 17th studio album, Senjutsu, which will be released Sept. 3. The video did extremely well upon release, receiving mass acclaim from Iron Maiden fans.