Iron Maiden's 'Speed Of Light' Pays Tribute To 30 Years Of Video Games

New song chronicles digital Eddie through the ages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F7A24f6gNc One of the greatest metal bands of all time (to some, the greatest) have released an absolutely outstanding video for Speed of Light, the first track off their upcoming The Book of Souls album - and boy is it one hell of a nostalgia trip. Depicting their infamous Eddie the Head made up in a biker-themed, Killers-esque attire, he ventures into an arcade chock-full of titles all with spins on Iron Maiden's album covers and imagery. Diving into one with the new song name atop, the video then features a heady look at the last 30 years of game design; all with Ed as the central figure. First up there's a Donkey Kong-looking platformer, then Splatterhouse/Mega Man gets a nod, into Mortal Kombat (featuring Ed getting his Deadpool on and winning by beating The Beast with the victory titles themselves) and finally a Serious Sam/Halo-esque first-person shooter that ends with him completing a puzzle by pulling out his own heart. It's all fantastic to watch, and the song itself is classic Maiden. A thundering rhythm section compliments some brilliant lyrics - "Shadows and the stars/ We will not return/ Humanity won't save us/ At the speed of light!" - all topped off by an extended guitar solo that already begs to be learned and mastered. Maiden are back in 2015, and with a video as immediately memorable and iconic for future generations as this, they've done so with a huge amount of style. What do you make of the track? Would you play any of the games featured if Maiden license them out? Let us know in the comments!

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Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.