Iron Maiden drop more WOTW clues in Monsters of Rock live video
A live performance of 'The Clairvoyant' from 1988
Last updated 12th Jul 2021
Perennial teases Iron Maiden have shared a vintage video from Monsters of Rock that contains more clues about what is seemingly their 17th studio album.
Ahead of taking part in a Tim’s Twitter Listening Party for their seminal ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ album tonight (9th July), Iron Maiden have shared a video of their performance of ‘The Clairvoyant’ at Monsters of Rock 33 years ago.
Iron Maiden headlined the legendary one-day Donington Park extravaganza on 20th August 1988 with KISS, David Lee Roth, Megadeth, Guns N’ Roses and Helloween also on the bill.
In true 1980s style, ‘The Clairvoyant’ live video keeps getting interrupted by VHS static. On closer inspection, within the static you can see various things from the Belshazzar’s Feast poster and T-shirts that have surfaced in recent weeks.
Belshazzar’s Feast is the story of the writing on the wall in the bible and Iron Maiden fans are speculating whether the band’s 17th album is indeed called ‘Writing on the Wall.’
As you can see below, the static contains the mountain (or is it a volcano or tower?!) and the words ‘Man or Beast’ and ‘Live Forever’ from the posters and T-shirts:
There’s also an image of what appears to be the inside of a theatre, and another mystery image:
Intriguing stuff!
Watch Iron Maiden's 'The Clairvoyant' video from Monsters of Rock:
If you’re not fully clued up on Iron Maiden’s cryptic activity, you can read Planet Rock’s original article RIGHT HERE and yet find more information HERE.
Update: Bruce Dickinson invites us to Belshazzar's Feast:
Following Iron Maiden's Tim's Twitter Listening Party for 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son', Iron Maiden shared a 34-second video filmed inside the theatre teased in 'The Clairvoyant Video.
In the clip, Bruce Dickinson tells the camera: "July the 15th. Rain or shine, heaven or hell, man or beast, you're invited to Belshazzar's Feast… But your mum can't come."
Iron Maiden album cover clues:
Since the weekend, Iron Maiden have been further fuelling new album speculation by posting snippets of songs as Instagram stories accompanied by images of the albums the tracks are lifted from.
Just like ‘The Clairvoyant’ video, the album sleeves feature tiny clues alluding to WOTW (Writing on the Wall) and the Belshazzar’s Feast image. Check them all out below:
Iron Maiden add Writing on the Wall (WOTW) clues to their album covers:
Iron Maiden – ‘Iron Maiden’
Iron Maiden – ‘Iron Maiden’
Graffitied onto the wall to the right of Eddie the Head are the initials WOTW – aka Writing on the Wall.
Iron Maiden – ‘Killers’
Iron Maiden – ‘Killers’
There are two clues on the 'Killers' album cover – one is the mountain from the Belshazzar's Feast image above the row of shops, and the second is minuscule WOTW letters drawn onto a window in the block of flats.
Iron Maiden – ‘The Number of the Beast’
Iron Maiden – ‘The Number of the Beast’
Again, there are two clues on 'The Number of the Beast' – the Belshazzar's Feast mountain is Photoshopped just below Lucifer's crotch, and tiny 'WOTW' letters are held aloft by a figure in the flames.
Iron Maiden – ‘Piece of Mind’
Iron Maiden – ‘Piece of Mind’
The initials WOTW – Writing on the Wall – are crudely scratched onto the padded wall of Eddie's cell.
Iron Maiden - 'Powerslave'
Iron Maiden - 'Powerslave'
The 'WOTW' hieroglyphs can be found written vertically above Eddie's hand, while the Belshazzar's Feast mountain is on the right hand side of the pyramid.
Iron Maiden - 'Somewhere in Time'
Iron Maiden - 'Somewhere in Time'
On 'Somewhere in Time', a Belshazzar's Feast poster can be seen on the wall of the department store beneath cyborg Eddie's leg. The 'WOTW' can be seen very clearly as graffiti on the right hand side of the album cover.
Iron Maiden - 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'
Iron Maiden - 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'
The mysterious mountain from the Belshazzar's Feast poster is on the left of Iron Maiden's 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' album cover on top of one of the icebergs.
Iron Maiden - 'No Prayer for the Dying'
Iron Maiden - 'No Prayer for the Dying'
The Belshazzar's Feast poster is on Eddie's tombstone.
Iron Maiden - 'Fear of the Dark'
Iron Maiden - 'Fear of the Dark'
The Belshazzar's Feast poser is beneath Eddie's tree leg.
Iron Maiden - 'The X Factor'
Iron Maiden - 'The X Factor'
The WOTW is scrawled on the wall behind poor Eddie's lobotomised head.
Iron Maiden - 'Virtual XI'
Iron Maiden - 'Virtual XI'
There's that now familiar Belshazzar's Feast mountain/volcano/tower in the flames behind Eddie.
Iron Maiden - 'Brave New World'
Iron Maiden - 'Brave New World'
The Belshazzar's Feast mountain/volcano/tower looks almost Mount Fuji-esque in the background of the futuristic London.
Iron Maiden - 'Dance of Death'
Iron Maiden - 'Dance of Death'
The Belshazzar's Feast mountain is beneath the grim reaper Eddie, while one of the goats is wearing a Belshazzar's Feast T-shirt.
Iron Maiden - 'A Matter of Life and Death'
Iron Maiden - 'A Matter of Life and Death'
One of Eddie's zombie soldiers on the left hand side of the album cover is wearing a Belshazzar's Feast T-Shirt. Meanwhile, the chalk counting marks on the tank tot up to 17 - alluding to Iron Maiden's 17th studio album.
Iron Maiden - 'The Final Frontier'
Iron Maiden - 'The Final Frontier'
The key that the alien Eddie is holding is the Chinese symbol for death. Meanwhile the Eddie skull and crossbones picture has the number 17 beneath it.
Iron Maiden - 'The Book of Souls'
Iron Maiden - 'The Book of Souls'
When you zoom in closely and adjust the brightness of the album cover, you can make out XVII (number 17) scratches on Eddie's body. There also appears to be an XVII and the Chinese symbol for death in Eddie's eyes.