Reviewed:
- Heavy Metal Breakdown (1984)
- Witch Hunter (1985)
- War Games (1986)
- The Reaper (1993)
- Symphony of Death (1993, EP)
- Heart of Darkness (1995)
- Tunes of War (1996)
- Knights of the Cross (1998)
- Excalibur (1999)
- The Grave Digger (2001)
- Rheingold (2003)
- The Last Supper (2005)
- 25 to Live (2005, live album)
- Yesterday (2006, EP)
- Liberty or Death (2007)
- Pray (2008, EP)
- Ballads of a Hangman (2009)
- The Clans Will Rise Again (2010)
- Ballad of Mary (2011, EP)
- Clash of the Gods (2012)
- Return of the Reaper (2014)
- Exhumation (The Early Years) (2015)
HEAVY METAL BREAKDOWN 1984 (BMG)
- Standouts: 'Headbanging Man', 'Heavy Metal Breakdown', 'Back from the War', 'Yesterday', 'Legion of the Lost', 'Tyrant', 'Heart Attack'
I'm a bit of a newcomer to Grave Digger, which is baffling because I'm sure if I'd heard pretty much any of their albums way back when I was a teenager, I'd have been an instant fan of them. It's not like they're unknown or forgotten either - these German metallers have been going at it since 1980, with their debut Heavy Metal Breakdown hitting the scene in '84. But yeah, I wasn't even aware of them until I saw them at Bloodstock festival in 2011 - and despite the fact I liked their set, I still didn't go anywhere near Grave Digger again until I bought 3 of their albums from the same eBay seller in 2024 (1996's Tunes of War, 2009's Ballads of a Hangman and 2010's The Clans Will Rise Again)! And even then, I only bought those albums because they came up as a recommended purchase based on my history! Anyway, I'm glad I made those purchases because I've been hooked on Grave Digger since. It took me until my 30s to actually own any of their albums, but whatever!! I guess some bands - even relatively well-known ones - can slip anyone by for years.
I'll say that in general this band do have a specific kind of sound that they've stuck to for many years. But I don't think they moulded that particular sound until the '90s (more about that with later albums in this post of course!), so Heavy Metal Breakdown isn't necessarily the most typically Grave Digger-sounding record if that makes any sense. Don't expect a specific conceptual historical theme throughout the lyrics, and don't expect a strong power metal influence either. Many bands hadn't found their niche with their debut - just look at Judas Priest as a prime example of this. But hey, that doesn't mean you should skimp on HMB! If you look traditional heavy metal and '80s speed metal, you're mostly likely gonna really dig this. I do! Aye, musically this CD is very much an old-school trad/speed metal affair, meaning it's automatically right up my street even if I think this band got better in the '90s. The songs probably weren't breaking new ground within the world of heavy metal in 1984 what with thrash metal taking off at practically this exact point in history, but that doesn't mean it can't still be great fun - which it is.
I feel like I need to talk about vocalist Chris Boltendahl first however. Someone at some point on my favourite YouTube channel Sea of Tranquility described his voice as a cross between Udo Dirkschneider of Accept and Lemmy of Motorhead but with his own added flair. I personally think that's an excellent description - Chris really does have a weirdly unique voice in that he has that high raspy style of Udo and the gruffness of Lemmy, yet still manages to be instantly recognisable whenever he opens his mouth. To be honest, I think Chris is the sort of vocalist that will turn some listeners off this band. If you don't like his vocals from day 1, you're probably gonna struggle with this entire catalogue. He's not really a good singer, but he also makes Grave Digger, well, Grave Digger. I love his vocals, but I became an instant fan of this band after I bought those 3 CDs last year.
Back to the album though, opener 'Headbanging Man' is a pure denin n' leather, balls to the wall '80s speed metal number through-and-through. It's kinda like a poster boy track for this style, a bit like Saxon's 'Heavy Metal Thunder' or Anthrax's 'Metal Thrashing Mad' ('cos that first Anthrax record was SPEED metal, not THRASH metal!). Big riffs, a fast tempo - but not blazingly quick either. 'Headbanging Man' rules, end of. The title track ironically contains no musical breakdowns (were they even yet a thing in metal in 1984?!), but is a jolly good time all the same. The chorus is surprisingly anthemic, and if it wasn't for Chris' vocals, it could easily pass for an Accept number. Great stuff. 'Back from the War' tries to be a bit moodier with it's monk-like chants and slow, doomy intro. It comes off as comedic more than anything, but in the way that only '80s heavy metal can pull off. And for that reason it's cool! 'Yesterday' is an attempt at doing a ballad I suppose, and again, I like it! It's a bit goofy and difficult to take seriously, but the added keyboards have been implemented rather well alongside Chris' vocal arrangements, which are very memorable. 'We Wanna Rock You' probably is as stupid as you'd expect to be lyrically, but musically it's thankfully still 100% heavy metal, and fits in comfortably alongside everything else on the album. Also, 'Legion of the Lost' is one of the best tracks here. It starts off with a ballad-like acoustic melody, but soon transitions into one of the heaviest numbers on the record. Maybe this track is a sign of what was to come years down the line? 'Tyant' and 'Heart Attack' keep the classic speed metal ball rolling until the end. The production is raw, but that's part of it's charm. And it's certainly not murky or seriously flawed in any way to me.
I really don't have a lot of serious problems with Heavy Metal Breakdown. Even the Rolling Stones cover, '2000 Lightyears from Home' manages to fit quite well here, mostly because it's played in the same style as everything else. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Grave Digger have fans that consider it inferior to many of their later albums from the '90s onward because like I said in the beginning of this review, they really found their feet and became better musicians for it. So HMB feels somewhat basic and primitive by comparison - but I've been a massive fan of '80s heavy/speed metal with raw production and cheesy lyrics for well over half my life now, so I still largely enjoy this to the same extent as many of their later albums. You can't expect 'em to come out with a record like 2003's Rheingold from the get-go!! Either way, settling on an overall score was a tad tricky. I was thinking maybe an 8.4 originally, but I looked at some of my other review scores of other albums of similar-ish style and had a little rethink. For example, I don't think HMB is any better than Blind Guardian's Battalions of Fear (which I gave an 8.2), and I certainly don't think it's better than, say, Armoured Saint's March of the Saint or Saxon's Power & the Glory. And let's not forget the fact I think Grave Digger would pump out stronger albums in the future. Although Heavy Metal Breakdown might not be one of the GOATs of it's subgenre, it's a bloody good time if you like your metal as pure and honest as this.
Adam's rating: 8.2/10
WITCH HUNTER 1985 (Noise)
- Standouts: 'Witch Hunter', 'Night Drifter', 'Love Is a Game', 'Get Away'
Not hugely different to what Heavy Metal Breakdown had to offer, but there's still some minor differences to speak of. Well, it starts off with 3 fun speed metal numbers, all of which could've sat quite comfortably on the debut - 'Witch Hunter', 'Night Drifter' and 'Get Ready for Power'. Each of these tracks have that irresistible '80s speed metal charm (although 'Get Ready for Power' also has an anthemic quality); New Wave of British Heavy Metal-style riffage combined with Chris Boltendahl's often hilariously over-the-top Germanic vocal style. There's also a ballad here too, 'Love Is a Game' - and like 'Yesterday' from the predecessor, it's really not bad at all! Goofy, sure. Cheesy, yes. But bad? No! I won't necessarily say I like it more than 'Yesterday', but I can get behind it either way. 'Get Away' - again, another solid speed metaller in the classic Grave Digger style. Nothing special, but good
'Fight for Freedom' tries to be a little more dramatic, but comes off as a bit silly overall. Yet I still like it! 'Friends of Mine' is one of the slower tracks on this album, but is all the heavier for it. It incorporates a big backing vocal segment that almost hints at future Grave Digger albums. 'Here I Stand' is a decent enough way to conclude the record. I guess I could maybe do without the cover of Alice Cooper's 'School's Out', but it doesn't really bother me either. Somewhat enjoyable, but not integral to the album. I really think depending on what sort of metal you started off with, old-school metal like this will either be cool as fuck for some, or just too dumb and primitive for others. If the bands that got you into metal were Meshuggah or Gojira, then bands like Venom and Grave Digger (1980s Grave Digger at least) probably aren't gonna cut the mustard for 'ya. But if like me you did start your metal journey with the oldies, you'll likely have a good time with Witch Hunter.
Me personally, I don't enjoy it quite as much as Heavy Metal Breakdown - the songs aren't really as memorable here to me, and I can't really determine why this is! The production, although a teensy-weensy bit cleaner, is still raw and brash (which is a good thing) - and there's even some tiny shimmers of the power metal style they'd embrace later on in their career seeping into the music at times. But I just don't find myself turning to this album as often as the debut! The songs - while good - just aren't great I guess. On the plus side, I do still like every track here (even the Alice cover is okay), and I can happily listen to Witch Hunter from start to finish to get my '80s metal fix. A solid follow-up with enough differences to give it a character of it's own after the debut, but not one of their best.
Adam's rating: 7.4/10
WAR GAMES 1986 (HR Records)
- Standouts: 'Keep On Rockin'', 'Fire In Your Eyes', Paradise', '(Enola Gay) Drop the Bomb'
Hmm. Perhaps some commercial sheen is finding it's way into the music now, but thankfully the album is usually still heavier than some of the song titles would suggest. Saying that, 'Let Your Heads Roll' and 'Fallout' sound like they could be heavy speed metallers on paper, but they really aren't! They're still heavy, sure, but the singalong choruses are totally reminiscent of '80s Accept, and in general they have very anthemic feels about them. I kinda like 'em actually. 'Love Is Breaking My Heart' however, I can give this one a pass. Even though both previous albums had a ballad on them, this one is much sappier by comparison, with pianos leading the melody and Chris Boltendahl sounding hilariously out of tune with the music. I love the guy, but he doesn't have the pipes for power balladry!! Maybe Steve Perry could do it justice, but certainly not Chris! Most of this album just feels like a continuation of Witch Hunter though, just with more melody at times. 'Keep On Rockin'' is a speed metal opener with a blazing guitar solo in true vintage Grave Digger fashion. You'd be forgiven for expecting it to sound like an arena rocker with that title and lyrics, but it's not. 'Heaven Can Wait' is a chunky mid-tempo number - big power chords and another Accept-like chorus. Good stuff. 'Fire in Your Eyes' and 'Paradise' are strong slices of heavy metal goodness, with Chris singing in that gargling high range he often likes to do. In fact, I can hear some power metal in this number, even if early Grave Digger aren't really associated with the genre just yet. And the speedy '(Enola Gay) Drop the Bomb' sounds like it's come directly from Heavy Metal Breakdown, so that's cool.
Again, like Witch Hunter, War Games is far from one of my favourite Grave Digger albums. Like I said, this album feels like Witch Hunter, just with some added melodic flair (particularly with some of these tracks' choruses). It's still heavy for the most part, just catchier overall - 'Playin' Fools' is a prime example of this. I like this disc - not as much as either predecessor (especially the cool debut), but the only track that really rubs me the wrong way would be 'Love Is Breaking My Heart'. Otherwise I can quite happily sit through the rest of this album and enjoy it. No outstanding songs, but plenty of good ones still.
What happened after was weird though; the band would release their next album, Stronger Than Ever, under the name 'Digger' - presumably because it sounds less metallic than 'Grave Digger'! Now, I don't own a copy of this album, but I've listened to a few of it's songs online. It goes one step further than War Games and takes the music down a fully-fledged radio-friendly metal/rock road. Naturally, it was rejected by the metal community at the time but I personally didn't dislike what I heard per se. Just sounded like listenable glam/pop metal to me - a far cry from Grave Digger, but not terrible. Anyhow, I agree that 'Digger' is a terrible name, and I'm not surprised the album flopped. Some people consider Stronger Than Ever to be part of the Grave Digger catalogue, others treat it as a separate entity and band. On Metal Archives, Digger have their own page. Needless to say, they split afterwards, with Chris Boltendahl and guitarist Uwe Lulis forming a new band called 'Hawaii'. Eventually Grave Digger would reform properly in 1991 and the rest is history. I'm willing to get my hands on a copy of Stronger Than Ever if I can find one cheap. It was never officially released on CD (although bootlegs do exist), so it'd have to be vinyl... and I only buy vinyl here and there.
Adam's rating: 7.1/10 (for War Games that is, not Stronger Than Ever!)
THE REAPER 1993 (GUN)
- Standouts: 'The Reaper', 'Ride On', 'Shadows of a Moonless Night', 'Play Your Game (And Kill)', 'Wedding Day', 'Spy of Mas'On', 'Fight the Fight', 'Legion of the Lost (Part II)', 'Ruler Mr. H'
As stated in my War Games review above, Grave Digger reformed in 1991 and ditched the whole Hawaii act and any of the commercial influences of the Stronger Than Ever album! In fact, quite a lot has changed here, but all for the better. Simply put, Grave Digger said "fuck that" to grunge and whatever alternative influences were hitting heavy metal bands hard in 1993 (and later on in the decade, nu metal) and put out the The Reaper! In fact, this band would stick to their heavy metal guns from hereon. Aye, The Reaper is a blazing speed/power metal platter that sets the musical template for almost all the albums that would come later. So I guess the band did change their sound up a little following the reformation. The music is much tighter than anything they put out in the '80s, and less primitive for it. I love Heavy Metal Breakdown as much as the next guy, but they definitely needed to tighten the screws by the time the reformed Grave Digger arrived (which they did). Even though I did hear elements of classic power metal on some of those older records, they really embrace that sound now - but they still maintain that critical heavy/speed metal sound to go with it. In short, everything's just better now!
The songs kick butt - 'The Reaper', 'Ruler Mr. H', 'Ride On', 'Fight the Fight' and 'Play Your Game (and Kill)' are extremely fast and tight, and packed full of awesome riffage thanks to guitarist Uwe Lulis. Full-on balls-to-the-wall power/speed metal - a bit like Blind Guardian's early material. 'Shadows of a Moonless Night' is just as heavy, but comes with an anthemic chorus. And 'Wedding Day' may bring down the tempo a few notches, but the bass-driven verses combined with Chris' hilariously OTT vocals keep the songs fresh and varied enough to be memorable. 'Spy of Mas'On' starts off with a doomy riff before erupting into another speed metal monster. The ballad 'Legion of the Lost (Part II)' has been handled really well too, because they made it atmospheric and doom-laden instead of slushy and melodic. If you're gonna do a ballad as a heavy metal band, this is a far better way to approach it.
There are few - if any - major downsides to be found here, even the lesser mid-tempo tracks like 'And the Devil Plays Piano' and 'Under My Flag' still serve their purpose, and are really hard to stick the 'filler' badge on. The production is really good too! Much cleaner than what you heard on any of their older albums, but it only enhances the newly-found tighter style of the music. It's necessary. I suppose the only way for me to really rate this one is by comparing it to other's of similar style. This year I reviewed the Blind Guardian catalogue, and I think Grave Digger's '90s output is on par for me. So I'll slap a 9/10 on The Reaper - I love it, but there's still some metal albums of this era I like more (or the same). And I suppose if they cut out tracks like the aforementioned 'Devil Plays Piano' and 'Under My Flag', the album would still be just as strong and maybe even more streamlined for it.
In my opinion, '80s Grave Digger pretty much does nothing better than '90s Grave Digger. The only thing I really miss is the cheesy dumbassery of tracks like 'Headbanging Man' and 'Heavy Metal Breakdown' that only the '80s could deliver, but even then The Reaper is still kinda cheesy in it's own way. Aside from that, this is a killer album from a band I severely regret not checking out for so, so many years! Excellent old-school metal from the era where you had to be doing something trendy to get mainstream exposure. Definitely one of my favourite Grave Digger discs.
Adam's rating: 9/10
SYMPHONY OF DEATH (EP) 1993 (GUN)
- Standouts: 'Symphony of Death', 'Back to the Roots', 'House of Horror', 'Shout It Out', 'Wild and Dangerous'
When I decided to start collecting Grave Digger's catalogue, I wasn't necessarily gonna bother picking up their EPs at first - until I started to do more research that is. There's a few of them out there, and most have tracks exclusive to them. Symphony of Death is easily the best of the one's I own - it's made up of 7 exclusive tracks (although the first one is just a short into) which is really nice. A lot of EPs only contain 3 or 4 songs, some of which feature on a full-length album - so this is probably one of the best one's I have across my entire collection. And musically, it's pretty much a continuation of The Reaper. The title track is a speedy power metal classic, 'House of Horror' has a catchy chorus and massive riffs while 'Shout It Out' is an anthemic speed metaller. I really love 'Back to the Roots', which is literally about the band getting back to their heavy metal roots. 'World of Fools' too is somewhat anthemic but heavy all the same, and 'Wild and Dangerous' ends the disc on a more intense note. No duffers whatsoever, although I think the best songs on The Reaper are still a little stronger than the best ones on here.
Essential Grave Digger for sure, it's just ironic that out of all their CDs I have, this ended up being one of the more expensive one's considering it's an EP. Must be down to it's rarity I suppose. On the whole I'd estimate I paid between £5-£11 on average for the majority of my Grave Digger discs, which I was pretty happy about. I didn't buy them all at the same time of course, it's been over the course of just over a year. But with Symphony of Death I paid €25 inc. postage (about £21) from a German Discogs seller. It was one of the cheapest copies I could find! Meh, that's just the nature of collecting physical music. Sometimes you've just gotta pay up if you really want something.
Adam's rating: 8.4/10
HEART OF DARKNESS 1995 (GUN)
- Standouts: 'Shadow Maker', 'The Grave Dancer', 'Demon's Day', 'Heart of Darkness', 'Hate', 'Circle of Witches', 'Black Death'
They hadn't quite started making concept records yet, but Heart of Darkness' lengthy near-12 minute title track is based on Joseph Conrad's influential novella of the same name according to Wikipedia. Partly true, but when you read the lyrics and notice all the 'general gone mad in Vietnam' themes, the helicopter rotor blade sound effects and even the brief snippet of 'Ride of the Valkyries', it's quite clear that the song is actually inspired by the masterpiece Francis Ford Coppola film Apocalypse Now! Of course, Apocalypse Now was based on the Heart of Darkness story, but was set during the Vietnam war instead of the Congo in the 1800s. Iron Maiden wrote a song based on the same movie - 'The Edge of Darkness' from The X-Factor album (coincidentally also released in 1995). Anyhow, this song is dark, moody and highly atmospheric when needed (as it should be), but it also brings the heavy metal riffs and anthemic vocal arrangements as you'd expect. Since it goes for on for nearly 12 minutes, it's full of mood shifts and musical transitions, but the song as a whole flows together nicely and is certainly the centrepiece of the album. I love it - it was the band's first really ambitious epic, and they pulled it off.
Along with the title track, the rest of Heart of Darkness' songs are longer than most of what we got on The Reaper. Apart from a 2 minute intro track ('Tears of Madness'), the band opted for a 9-song track listing this time. 'Shadowmaker' is a spectacular speeding opener, and 'The Grave Dancer' that follows is a stompin' mid-tempo headbanger. The heavy-ass 'Demon's Day' is one of the finest tracks on the record - it starts off with a mellow intro that builds up to a very well-crafted mid-tempo riff-fest. But it also boasts a catchy chorus, something the band seem to incorporate very well into their songwriting. 'Warchild' isn't particularly fast either, but again, it's heavy and the way Chris handles the chorus is oh-so memorable. The fast, chuggy 'Hate' keeps the variation of the songs interesting while 'Circle of Witches' blends moody atmosphere with a strong power metal style and a blazing Uwe Lulis guitar solo. 'Black Death' is probably the heaviest, riffiest track on the album, and a no-nonsense way to end things on.
Picking holes is difficult, naturally. While the album is far from a masterpiece, it's still another high-class slab of true heavy metal in 1995 - something that I assume was not easy to come by at the time unless you really went out of your way to find it. I think I still prefer The Reaper to this one; Heart of Darkness isn't as fast overall (although it still has it's share of speed metal numbers, and the mid-tempo cuts are definitely heavier this time) and is also a bit darker in tone and style as the title suggests. Looking online at fan reviews and chat, some people prefer The Reaper, others prefer this. There's no objectively better album, it all just comes down to preference! I prefer the predecessor, but that's just me! I definitely prefer The Reaper's guitar tones, but Heart of Darkness' production is still dynamic in a charming '90s way. To be honest, I could quite easily make a playlist of Grave Digger's run from The Reaper up to 2003's Rheingold and listen to it on repeat for the rest of the year. Sorry for the spoilers, but all these albums are that good! And I knew I was expecting to give Heart of Darkness at least an 8/10, but for some reason I went into this review thinking this is my least favourite of these particular records. I'm not so sure right now though! Since I bought this disc several months ago, I've listened to it a lot in the car (along with all the other GD albums in that fantastic 9 year run they had) and for some reason I seem to be enjoying it even more on this particular Saturday morning at home as I type this review! More classic metal that ignores all the trends that plagued the 1990s.
Adam's rating: 8.7/10
TUNES OF WAR 1996 (GUN)
- Standouts: 'Scotland United', 'The Dark of the Sun', 'William Wallace (Braveheart)', 'The Bruce (The Lion King)', 'The Battle of Flodden', 'The Ballad of Mary (Queen of Scots)', 'Cry for Freedom (James the VI)', 'Rebellion (The Clans Are Marching)'
This one tops a lot of peoples' ranking lists - I can understand why, but it's not my personal number 1 choice... hardly a criticism though. As I said in the Heart of Darkness review above, I think all their albums from The Reaper up to 2003's Rheingold are tip-top - there's just some I like more than others. With 1996's Tunes of War, the band tread new territory seeing as this was the album that kicked off the beginning of their 'Middle Ages trilogy'. Naturally, this was a trilogy of concept albums with a different Medieval theme (1996's Tunes of War, 1998's Knights of the Cross and 1999's Excalibur) - and this instance, the band delve into Scotland's conflicts with England, and their fight for independence during the Middle Ages. Interestingly Grave Digger's fascination with Scotland wouldn't end here, but more about that in a later review!
When it comes to concept albums, I've always considered the story/premise as secondary to the music in terms of importance. If the music sucks, then the album's just bad full-stop - it doesn't matter if the lyrics have been handled well or not. But I really like the way Grave Digger handle their concept albums (many more to come!); they stick to their power/speed/heavy metal style and bring the lyrics and topics in a way that is straightforward and easy to understand. They do occasionally touch on whatever music is generally associated subject matter in tiny amounts - with Tunes of War they add guitars to the bagpipe intro 'The Brave', and it exists to set the mood of the album only. The rest of this CD is pure Grave Digger goodness as you'd expect. Basically, when the band write concept albums, they almost always still sound like Grave Digger!! Some bands seem to suddenly forget who they are when they have a pop at making a concept record - look at Judas Priest's Nostradamus! On that album they managed to stretch the whole thing out to over 100+ minutes and dabble with orchestral instrumentation! This is not the Grave Digger way.
Anyway, the music has gotten maybe a little more power metal at this stage - but it's such a natural progression from the last 2 albums that I still think the difference in sound is very minimal overall. Like I said, the band don't do anything drastically different. Songs like 'William Wallace (Braveheart)' and 'Scotland United' are fast and heavy, but also have that anthemic charm about them thanks to the huge backing vocals during the choruses. The massive choruses to 'The Dark of the Sun' and 'The Bruce (The Lion King)' in particular make me want to join the rebellion, and I'm not even Scottish!! I'm English! Some tracks like 'The Battle of Flodden' and 'Cry for Freedom (James the VI)' are, tight, crunchy speed metal cuts that slot alongside the more anthemy numbers very nicely. Others such as 'The Truth' come with a nice level of keyboard-driven atmosphere to accompany the pure heavy metal riffage. The band also get slow and melodic on 'The Ballad of Mary (Queen of Scots)', and it only enhances the enjoyment of this album further. It's a ballad that doesn't kill the pacing of the record. 'Rebellion (The Clans Are Marching)' is a fan-favourite for good reason and almost always gets played live.
As with either of the last 2 albums, Tunes of War doesn't have a lot wrong with it. Production this time is just as good as Heart of Darkness', with high-sustain guitars, audible bass and no over-produced glossiness. I guess I can be critical of the fact there's no mind-blowing tracks to speak of here (also no lengthy epic in the same vein as the song 'Heart of Darkness'), but it doesn't matter when the songs are consistently strong from beginning to end. Endlessly cool old-school metal riffage, wild vocals from Chris and Medieval lyrics to singalong to! What more do you want?! Before typing this review, I was ready stick it below Heart of Darkness. But I literally reviewed that one 2 days ago, and I think I had an ever-so-slightly better time with Tunes! To be honest, if you were to ask me tomorrow which album I prefer, I might just pick HoD. It really depends on my mood! Either way, another '90s true metal classic and the album that would set the blueprint for their next few releases.
Adam's rating: 8.8/10
KNIGHTS OF THE CROSS 1998 (GUN)
- Standouts: 'Knights of the Cross', 'Monks of War', 'Fanatic Assassins', 'Lionheart', 'The Keeper of the Holy Grail', 'Over the Sea', 'The Curse of Jacques', 'The Battle if Bannockburn'
Album number 2 in the Middle Ages trilogy, and this time it's all about the Knights Templar and the Crusades. Like Tunes of War, Knights of the Cross' themes are handled in a fairly straightforward manner and the music is as metal as ever. One other thing I like about Grave Digger's approach to concept records (which I didn't mention in the review above) is the fact I can listen to most of these songs individually or in a playlist. I don't feel like I need to hear the album in full every time to enjoy these tracks, but obviously playing the whole disc in a single sitting is still the best way to hear it. Anyway, the best song on this disc is probably 'Lionheart'. It's pure old-school power metal euphoria - fast, melodic, dramatic... operatic? I love it. It's how power metal should sound to my ears, and a far cry from silly overblown bands like DragonForce (sorry to any DragonForce fans out there, but they've never done it for me!).
Of course, the rest of this album is full of goodies. The title track, 'Over the Sea', 'Monks of War' and 'Inquisition' bring the band's brand of galloping power/speed metal to the forefront. The guitars thunder through the riffs, but also bring a sense of melody to the grunt in pure power metal fashion. 'Heroes of a Time' isn't exactly a ballad, but does bring down the tempo and add a touch of cleanliness to the music. 'Fanatic Assassins' even makes use of Middle Eastern-sounding synths to set the mood of the story it's trying to tell, but the riffs are really punchy and punky. Maybe you could call this track a little more experimental than usual, but it's cool! 'The Keeper of the Holy Grail' too, is built entirely around atmosphere and serves it's purpose in telling the Knights Templar story. The use of layered, epic backing vocals on 'Baphomet' really adds to the grandeur of the album, but is not overdone either. Acoustic guitars are used in moderation (see 'The Curse of Jacques', which for some strange reason manages to remind me a little of Iron Maiden's more modern material vocally) and never overbear the power of the music. Bagpipes briefly make a return for the intro to 'The Battle of Bannockburn'! Other than that, the rest of this track smokes, and is a ballsy finale. Not a lot else to say about the songs as they're all prime examples of '90s Euro power metal. No masterpieces to speak of again, but consistently great throughout for sure. The production is similar to that of Tunes of War, and only makes them all the more enjoyable to me.
Right now I'm feeling an 8.5. If I put Knights of the Cross on again in my car on the drive to work tomorrow, I might like it better than Tunes of War. I think Knights is a tad more melodic than Tunes overall, so the power/speed metal ratio is probably leaning more towards the former here. But that's not a bad thing! Again, it purely depends on what sort of mood I'm in; from the looks of it, Grave Digger too!! Chris' vocals are better here in my honest opinion, but the riffs... maybe not? Whatever! Great album once again.
Adam's rating: 8.5/10
EXCALIBUR 1999 (GUN)
- Standouts: All except 'Emerald Eyes'!
The final album in the Middle Ages trilogy was this, 1999's Excalibur. If the title didn't make it obvious enough, the album focuses on the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. It was also guitarist Uwe Lulis swansong with Grave Digger (who eventually wound up in Accept), and what a way to go out on! Not only is this is my favourite of the Middle Ages trilogy, I think it's my favourite Grave Digger record in general! Even though the band don't make any drastic changes to the formula they've had since Tunes of War (possibly even The Reaper) here, the songwriting on Excalibur is peak. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to the first 2 tracks (excluding the short mood-setting intro 'The Secrets of Merlin' that is) 'Pendragon' and 'Excalibur' since I got my hands on this album about a year ago! Seriously, I can't!! Both are soaring slabs of power metal, delivering all the energy and grandeur you could wish for from the genre. They summarise Grave Digger so well. I'd also argue that the next track, 'The Round Table (Forever)' and 'Lancelot', perfectly showcase the band's ability to write rock-solid mid-tempo heavy metal. Their riffs are relatively simplistic, but grab my attention as soon as the guitar strings are plucked, and the vocal arrangements across both are hugely memorable. Yes, memorable! I mean, all their '90s albums are memorable, there's just something about the songwriting on this particular one that's made me revisit it more than anything else in the catalogue! 'Morgane Le Fay' almost reminds me of Painkiller-era Judas Priest thanks to it's thunderous riffing and cheesy atmosphere (a bit like Priest's 'Night Crawler' I guess). 'The Spell' too, has tons of atmosphere and a mid-tempo pace to keep the flow interesting. Meanwhile 'Tristan's Fate', 'The Final War' and 'Mordred's Song' bring the speed with all the added power metal vocal grandeur on top. Exactly the kind of metal traits I've grown to love since my teens!
There's only 1 song here I could do without, and it's the ballad 'Emerald Eyes'. I actually enjoy plenty of Grave Digger's ballads, but this one just leaves a sour taste due to it's piano-driven nature and Chris' vocal style (it's difficult not to laugh at the way he sings "You are my QUEEEENN!" repeatedly). It just doesn't work for me, and tries to be too tender for it's own good! It's a skip for me whenever it comes on sadly, but thankfully the only skippable cut here. Also worth noting is the production. This album sounds a bit cleaner to me than either Tunes of War and Knights of the Cross, but in a more professional way. The guitars cut through the mix nicer than before, and frankly I think this is the best-sounding album of the Middle Ages trilogy. The fact I also think it has the best set of songs is a coincidence! If I could only own a single Grave Digger album, Excalibur would be it - unsurprisingly. It's not a masterpiece per se, but certainly one of my '90s metal picks out of any subgenre. The majority of this band's albums hit the spot with me, but this is the one I've spent the most time listening to. And hey, I might just spin it again after this review!
Adam's rating: 9.1/10
THE GRAVE DIGGER 2001 (Nuclear Blast)
- Standouts: 'Son of Evil', 'The Grave Digger', 'Raven', 'Scythe of Time', 'Spirits of the Dead', 'The House', 'King Pest', 'Sacred Fire', 'Silence'
Grave Digger enter the 21st century and tear arse yet again with The Grave Digger! I don't think this CD is a full-on concept album like Knights of the Cross, Excalibur etc. were, but the lyrical subject matter is certainly darker in tone throughout this time around. Some of these tracks were inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's gothic horror works, and even the cool album artwork references him on the big gravestone to the left. Speaking of album covers/packaging, my own copy is unfortunately a crappy Nuclear Blast promo one, meaning it comes in a cardboard sleeve rather than a jewel case or even a digipak. It was one of the first Grave Digger albums I got hold of after my initial purchase of Tunes of War, Ballads of a Hangman and The Clans Will Rise Again, and at that point I had no idea I'd end up collecting the bulk of their catalogue. It was cheap, yeah, but it doesn't look good sat next to all my other Grave Digger CDs. This is one I'll have to replace with a better copy in the future.
Shoddy packaging aside, the band do a grand job with the songs here once again. Manni Schmidt replaces Uwe Lulis on guitars, and he's a more than suitable candidate for the job. Coming from fellow classic German power metallers Rage, it's hard to think of a better man to step in. As usual, the first few songs kick things off in tip-top fashion; 'Son of Evil' starts off all haunting and dark (keeping in theme with the album cover and lyrics) before switching to a thundering slab of power metal with an epic chorus, 'The Grave Digger' is a tight and galloping retro speed metal romp while 'Raven' is kind of a perfect blend of the speed and power sides of the bands. As Jeremy Clarkson will tell 'ya, "SPEED AND POWER SOLVES MANY THINGS!"!! Certainly true in the case of Grave Digger! Anyway, the band might change the lyrical themes, but the music is business as usual - and that's exactly how it should be. They follow these tracks up with 'Scythe of Time', a mid-tempo number with a doomy atmosphere and some massive riffs. 'Spirits of the Dead' and 'King Pest' are pure fucking speed metal whichever way you look at them.
'The House' has a ballad quality about it in that it's slower and murkier, but is also integral to keeping the songs varied and memorable. There's even some grooves to be found on 'Sacred Fire', but it slots in perfectly well with the rest of the tracks. This is also true of the lengthier ballad 'Silence'. Some of Grave Digger's past ballads didn't always hit the mark, but this largely acoustic one has been handled really well. Even Chris manages to make it work with his rare vocal style! Barely anything to complain about as you can probably guess. The album barely loses steam, even if a song like 'Funeral Procession' is one of the lesser one's for me. You know, this time yesterday morning I reviewed Machine Head's new album Unatoned. It is an incredibly average modern mainstream metal record to my ears. Putting on The Grave Digger absolutely blows that slab of Robb Flynn-related mediocrity away! This is METAL, plain and simple.
There's no doubt that The Grave Digger is another winner from the band's arsenal. Chris Boltendahl's vocals are as Chris Boltendahl as ever! And the production is similar once again to Excalibur in my opinion, meaning it's polished but certainly still beefy enough to give the songs and riffs the grunt they deserve. I think overall this is one of my absolute favourites of theirs. Although I don't think the band have any masterpieces per se, they simply know how to bring the motherfucking metal - and that they do here once more!! But I'd also like to mention the fact that even though most of their albums from this particular period all follow a similar-ish formula, all are subtly different enough to the point where they all have a personality of their own. As I said in the beginning of the review, this one is a little darker in tone and maybe a bit less epic than the last bunch, but is still 100% Grave Digger in every sense of the word.
Adam's rating: 9/10
RHEINGOLD 2003 (Nuclear Blast)
- Standouts: 'Rheingold', 'Valhalla', 'Giants', 'Maidens of War', 'Sword', 'Dragon', 'Liar', 'Murderer', 'Twilight of the Gods'
Rheingold is the last of what I consider to be a stellar run of albums that began with their reformation album, 1993's The Reaper. Oh don't get me wrong, there's still a whole host of strong albums to come, but that '93-'03 run was very special. With Rheingold they bring back more of that epic power metal sound that was somewhat lacking on the last album, The Grave Digger. Of course, the predecessor didn't need that bigger theatrical sound to be great - they opted for an intentionally darker tone, and played more to their speed metal side over their power metal half. But Rheingold sits a bit closer to the Tunes of War/Knights of the Cross/Excalibur camp than it does the Reaper/Heart of Darkness/The Grave Digger realm. This time the lyrical themes are based on Richard Wagner's The Ring of Nibelung... something I know nothing about, but there 'ya go!
From the very get-go, 'Rheingold', 'Valhalla' and 'Giants' are full of huge heavy metal riffs and big operatic backing vocals. Excalibur part II? Musically, sort of yes. But like all these albums from that brilliant post-reformation run, Rheingold still has it's own character, even if it doesn't do things hugely different to Excalibur or Knights of the Cross. I'm not quite sure how the band manage it, but Chris seems to make his unorthodox vocal style fit well with the epic backing vocals. For a genre with so many high-pitched vocalists, he's gotta be one of the few gruff-sounding guys fronting a power metal band!! Anyway, 'Maidens of War' is something of a ballad, but it packs lots of punch and grandeur and is certainly guitar-focused (unlike 'Emerald Eyes' from Excalibur) - it's just very melodic. The mid-tempo 'Sword' almost feels symphonic in some ways, while 'Dragon' is very much a groove-focused power metal cut and 'Liar' a speed metal 'burner. 'Murderer' comes with some atmosphere thanks to the spooky-sounding clean guitars/keyboards. 'Twilight of the Gods' is absolutely epic - it feels like a 10 minute song, yet is under 7!! I was about to say the Grave Digger song 'Twilight of the Gods' is far better than Amon Amarth's song of the same name, but it turns out they don't have one! I confused it with AA's 'Deceiver of the Gods'! Even the piano-led ballad (actually a bonus track) 'Goodbye' fits quite nicely here!
As you can see, Grave Digger deliver the goods once again on Rheingold. There's not a lot to say else to say about the songs other than the fact pretty much all of them are top quality power/heavy metal cuts. Save for maybe 'Hero', which is somewhat lacking in energy compared to the rest of this disc (though I still like it - plus it's a bonus song), I think the songs are easily as good here as The Grave Digger - it's just that the guitar tones have a slightly fuzzy tone about them (am I right folks?)... like, they don't sound as biting as they did on any of the last few albums? It's one of the only CDs I can think of that reminds me a little of Annihilator's weird fuzzed up guitar sound on the 2002 album Waking the Fury, but not to the same extent of course. It's a tiny criticism overall however, because the songwriting is as strong as ever. I think this along with any of the last 6 records are almost interchangeable for me. If I were to re-review them next year, I wouldn't be surprised if Heart of Darkness came out top. Maybe I will write a blog post next year ranking these 7 albums again to see where they stand? Right now though, this one's getting a much-deserved 8.9/10.
Adam's rating: 8.9/10
THE LAST SUPPER 2005 (Nuclear Blast)
- Standouts: 'The Last Supper', 'Desert Rose', 'Hell to Pay', 'Soul Saviour', 'The Night Before', 'Black Widows', 'Hundred Days'
So the theme for this album mostly revolves around Jesus Christ, but I don't think it's really fair to call it a 'concept album' despite this. Some of the songs are about Jesus (as well as the album's title The Last Supper and the artwork to go with it), but not all. Also, Grave Digger aren't a Christian metal band - I'm pretty sure they're not literally trying to preach Christianity on this CD, I think they're mainly just looking at Jesus from a historical perspective. They're just observing the latter part of his life. I don't have any issues with this. Even if they were a Christian metal band, I wouldn't care. I'm not a religious person myself, but I still own that first Mortification album 'cos it's great! And to be honest, it's quite refreshing to hear songs from the other end of the spectrum, rather than "Satan this and Hell that" for a change! The short opening intro 'Passion' leads into the surprisingly slow-burner that is the title track. It's still metallic, and still sounds like Grave Digger of course - I just find it interesting that they decided to go into this disc a bit mellower for once. It's a great track either way. Of course, 'Desert Rose' quickly picks up the pace with it's tight and technical speedy riffage. The band also manage to pack in lots of melody and some surprisingly uplifting vocals from Chris. 'Hell to Pay' has a surprisingly upbeat rock n' roll feel about it, kinda like Motorhead. It's fun! The band nail their brand of speed metal on 'Soul Saviour', and they do the same thing on 'Divided Cross', only they home in on their power metal side this time. 'The Night Before' and 'Black Widows' sound like straight-up German power metal-meets-NWOBHM to me! Good stuff. 'Hundred Days' is probably one of my favourites too, one of the fastest on the album, but also anthemic when it wants to be.
The album's not always on point. I can't find anything offensive to my ears - this band haven't made any silly mistakes since the '80s - but there's a definite minor drop in quality somewhere after the last 7 albums! 'Grave in the No Man's Land' has some riffs that remind me of 'Enter Sandman', but thankfully Grave Digger don't fully rip-off Metallica here! 'Crucified' is the record's epic at 7 minutes, but sadly doesn't feel as epic as it should! The ingredients are all there and truth be told, I do still like it overall - it just isn't one of the major highlights of this album for me, whereas I feel it should be! Plus, closing ballad 'Always and Eternally' is pleasant enough musically, but I don't always find Chris to be the best vocalist for properly mellow stuff like this. Not their worst ballad, but far from their best. I think the problem is the overall tone of this disc isn't as energetic as the last bunch. Maybe this was intentional and they weren't trying to raise pulses so much? But if I listen to, say, The Reaper - and then put on The Last Supper immediately afterwards, there's absolutely no contest between the 2. I'd certainly take the former! I will say that at first I felt The Last Supper's production was a little weaker than the last few albums, but it only took a couple of listens for it to really grow on me. It's a bit less polished and sharp, and a little more vintage-sounding. The album is probably less heavy for it, granted. But given that a lot of these tracks seem to focus a little more on melody this time around, it actually makes sense to me.
I guess after 7 ridiculously strong albums, the streak had to end sometime. Thing is though, The Last Supper is still a very good Grave Digger album overall. I still think it's stronger than most of their '80s works, and there's really no reason to not recommend it. I suppose when you've released such killer albums like The Grave Digger and Rheingold directly before this one, all of the niggles just seem more noticeable somehow. This one is a little more subdued in some ways, but also more mature for it. Had it been the first Grave Digger album I'd ever heard, I'd probably love it more. Whatever I say, don't skimp on it!
Adam's rating: 7.7/10
25 TO LIVE 2005 (Metalville)
A strong 2 CD live offering with songs from many of their albums up to the point it was recorded. Speaking of which, the album was recorded in Sao Paulo, Brazil - just listening to the energetic performance makes me as sweaty as the humid Brazilian weather! There's more of an emphasis on the Excalibur, The Grave Digger, Rheingold and Last Supper albums than anything else, but that kind of makes sense given the era of the concert. You'll still find the odd track from Heart of Darkness or Tunes of War, plus a couple of oldies from the '80s, like 'Heavy Metal Breakdown' which ends the show. My favourite performance here is probably that of 'Twilight of the Gods', originally from Rheingold. The band stretch out it's epicness to 9 minutes and it just works perfectly on stage. Chris gets the crowd to sing and chant along to the bulk of the songs, making the music feel more intimate - as a live album should feel. I wouldn't say the band are playing as tight as a drum - if anything, Chris sounds as gravelly as ever, but it only adds to the raw power of Grave Digger's awesome brand of heavy metal. If Grave Digger were a techy prog band then I'd absolutely be critical of sloppy playing! But that's not their style. And anyway, the music is far from sloppy - it's just not flashy. Nope, the music is raw and bouncing with energy - just how I like my classic heavy metal.
I knew this would be great from the moment the postie shoved it through my door. It's not the greatest live album I've ever heard of course, but it's perfect listening for a road trip or gym workout. I find it comparable to Blind Guardian's 2002 live album (called, erm, Live), and I find 25 to Live to be just as good.
Adam's rating: 8.5/10
YESTERDAY (EP) 2006 (Locomotive Records)
4-track EP that I hadn't originally intended on picking up until I did a bit more research. The band re-recorded the ballad 'Yesterday' from Heavy Metal Breakdown here, and since this was 2006, the production and sound is quality is vastly superior. Chris Boltendahl also sings it better now in my opinion, because he'd really nailed his vocal style by the '90s. The whole thing sounds much more professional overall, but I wouldn't necessarily say I like it any more than it's '80s grandad! It depends on my mood I guess. 'The Reapers Dance' is a punchy original number that could have easily fit on any of the last few albums. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this CD however, is the cover of Led Zeppelin's 'No Quarter'. I've always been a huge fan of Zep's version, and consider it to be one of their greatest songs. Grave Digger's take is actually pretty solid too. Not great per se; it's somewhat lacking the murky mysteriousness and obviously feels more metallic by comparison - but it's a fun listen either way, and certainly still atmospheric. Chris makes it work around his own vocals. I don't care much for the orchestral version of 'Yesterday' which closes the EP, but it is what it is.
In addition to the CD is also a DVD of the band's 2001 Rock Machine festival performance, in Spain. I must admit, I rarely watch music DVDs anymore compared to when I was a teenager. I've got a few of them littered around in my collection as bonus companion pieces, and they just don't interest me much these days. Odd really, because I love live albums, and I love actually attending concerts and festivals. Either way, the DVD is still a neat addition, but I'll be basing my score purely on Yesterday's CD. And it's good! Not Symphony of Death levels of good as an EP, but certainly fun for fans like myself.
Adam's rating: 7/10
LIBERTY OR DEATH 2007 (Locomotive Records)
- Standouts: 'Liberty or Death', 'Ocean of Blood', 'Highland Tears', 'Until the Last King Died', 'Massada'
This CD starts off with the melodic mid-tempo title track. Despite it's choir-like backing vocals and use of keyboards, it still sounds like pure Grave Digger to me. Just very melodic, slow-burning Grave Digger. Taking away Chris' gravelly vocals, it almost sounds like a heavier Magnum to me. They pick up the pace with the excellent speed metal monger 'Ocean of Blood' and 'Highland Tears' hearkens back to Tunes of War with it's bagpipes intro and Scottish themes. Cool! 'The Terrible One' is crunchy and reminiscent of any of their '90s works, as is the mid-tempo 'Until the Last King Died'. 'Shadowland' is a worthy blend of pure speed and power metal, and 'Massada' has this vast, expansive Middle Eastern-feel about it at times. It's an interesting song, and a solid conclusion. Vocally, Chris Boltendahl is his usual self, delivering the goods. As for Manni Schmidt's guitars, well, his riffs on the standout tracks are top-notch, but I feel like they're downplayed on occasion during the second half of the album. Not enough to break the record for me of course, just not as powerful as on albums like Excalibur or The Reaper etc.. The production to me is a tad cleaner than what we got on The Last Supper, and I can't really fault this aspect of the CD.
Liberty or Death holds a user review score of 61% on Metal Archives, so it seems to be one of their less popular albums with fans on that site at least. Most of the criticism seems to come from supposedly unambitious songwriting. Fair enough, but I think Grave Digger are self-aware. They're not trying to reinvent the wheel with every album, they just wanna crank out powerful old-school heavy metal. Even still, I don't consider them to a be 1-trick pony. They have albums that lean more towards heavy/speed metal as well as stuff that is clearly more power metal-focused. Some follow a specific lyrical concept, some don't. I do agree that Liberty or Death is not one of their best, but I still enjoyed this one. The songs are a nice blend of everything they do; occasionally they can sound a bit flat (the guitars on 'March of the Innocent' aren't dynamic enough and 'Silent Revolution' is just too damn slow), sure, but they're never bad. The second half of the album is certainly weaker than the first, but I still like most of the songs here. Frankly, I ain't got much else to say!
Adam's rating: 7.3/10
PRAY (EP) 2008 (Napalm Records)
Another 4-track EP. This CD comes with the extended version of the song 'Pray' - a shortened version would appear on the forthcoming full-length Ballads of a Hangman from 2009. Extended though it may be, it's still only about 30 seconds longer than the version that ended up on the album the following year. Either way, it's a solid hard rock song with lots of melody. Yep, a hard rock song! But it's one that still sounds like Grave Digger, just Grave Digger doing hard rock if that makes any sense. As good as this track is, it doesn't represent the Ballads of a Hangman album musically (thankfully). There's also 2 exclusive original tracks here with 'My Blood Will Live Forever' and 'When the Sun Goes Down'. The former is a solid anthemic slice of metal while the latter is a rock-solid mid-tempo song. The Pray EP also comes with a scorching cover of Motorhead's 'Overkill' - given Chris' gravelly voice, I'm surprised we hadn't heard him cover Lemmy already at this point!
Unlike the last EP (Yesterday), there's no throwaway cut to be found on this one. I'm not a fan of having multiple versions of the same song on a single disc which that last EP was guilty of ('Yesterday' plus an orchestral version of it. By the way, I still like the Yesterday EP overall). I will admit that the song 'Pray' is probably the best on here, so it's no surprise it would end up on the album the next year, but the 'Overkill' cover is great too. I don't know if I like it more than their rendition of Zep's 'No Quarter', but Grave Digger certainly do seem in their element covering Motorhead. Can't say I'm surprised. Either way, a very good EP. Not great, but very cool.
Adam's rating: 7.8/10
BALLADS OF A HANGMAN 2009 (Napalm Records)
- Standouts: 'Ballads of a Hangman', 'Hell of Disillusion', 'Sorrow of the Dead', 'Grave of the Addicted', 'Lonely the Innocence Dies', 'Into the War', 'Pray'
As I've already stated several times on this page, 2009's Ballads of a Hangman along with 1996's Tunes of War and 2010's The Clans Will Rise Again were the first Grave Digger albums I got my hands on, and they're certainly the discs I credit with making me want to go out and collect the rest of their catalogue. Put simply, Ballads of a Hangman is yet more Germanic heavy metal goodness to add to their never-ending armoury of albums. I think this one does things a tad better than Liberty or Death - not that this predecessor was poor in any way, it's just that this time around the songs sound a little more refreshed and energetic in comparison. This is evident from the opening notes of the melodic, up-tempo title track and the anthemic power metal of 'Hell of Disillusion'. Hell, 'Sorrow of the Dead' keeps the momentum going thanks to it's thrashy riffing, yet surprisingly melodic chorus. This is what Grave Digger are all about. 'Grave of the Addicted' is maybe the catchiest song here thanks to it's groove-laden riffs while 'Lonely the Innocence Dies' is a competent ballad. In fact, 'Lonely the Innocence Dies' see's Chris duet with Veronica Freeman of the band Benedictum. She has a bit of grit to her voice, but still comes nowhere near the gravelly nature of Chris Boltendahl's vocals. Either way, it's a fun song that utilises both singers well.
There's more crunchy speed metal to digest on 'Into the War' and 'Funeral for a Fallen Angel'. A slightly shorter version of the melodic hard rocker 'Pray' from the EP of the same name also made it's way onto this album, which is cool by me. My copy also comes with a surprisingly fun cover of Thin Lizzy's 'Jailbreak'. It's just a bonus track, but I dig it. The other thing I like about Ballads of a Hangman is it's shorter, more compact overall length. This is a 40 minute CD (unless you include the bonus track) as opposed to a 50 minute-plus affair like so many others. Not that 50 or more minutes of music is tedious as evidenced by how good albums like Tunes of War, Heart of Darkness, Excalibur etc. are, but after a couple of slightly weaker efforts in The Last Supper and Liberty or Death, Ballads feels a little more streamlined to me. Seeing as this one does not follow a particular lyrical concept/story (or at least I think so anyway), and is more-or-less just a straightforward slab of heavy metal, 41 minutes is a nice well-rounded length. The only song that really comes to close to being filler would be 'The Shadow of Your Soul'. It's just one of those songs that has me guessing how it goes right after hearing it!
Overall then, another corker. I won't put it up there with Grave Digger's absolute best albums because as strong as these tracks are, they've still recorded better. Nor can I call the album a 'return to form' - even if I find Liberty or Death and The Last Supper to be weaker than a shit load of the albums that came before them, they're still good records at the end of the day. But these are just small gripes for what is another kick-ass album from this discography. It was also the last to feature Manni Schmidt on guitars, so it's a nice swansong for him too.
Adam's rating: 8/10
THE CLANS WILL RISE AGAIN 2010 (Napalm Records)
- Standouts: 'Paid in Blood', 'Hammer of the Scots', 'Highland Farewell', 'The Clans Will Rise Again', 'Rebels', 'Valley of Tears', 'Spider', 'Coming Home'
The band's fascination with Scotland makes a comeback with The Clans Will Rise Again. It's another concept album based on Scottish history and is considered to be something of a sequel to Tunes of War. I guess if you make 2 concept albums based on similar themes, they'll always be linked together in some way. Anyhow, this was the first album to feature guitarist Axel Ritt, who eventually exited the band in 2023. But what a debut for him! Of all the post-Rheingold albums, The Clans Will Rise Again is likely one the one's I've listened to the most. The fact it was among the first Grave Digger discs I picked up helps of course, but even so, I've definitely enjoyed this one a lot since I got hold of it.
Things kick off with 'Paid in Blood', which is a killer up-tempo number with an uplifting, epic chorus. 'Hammer of the Scots' focuses more on kicking your butt - it's simplistic chorus gets my fist pumpin', and the riffs are roaring! 'Highland Farewell' makes use of bagpipes for it's intro, and is a crunchy, chuggin' cut once it gets going. It also has a very Scottish-sounding anthemic chorus, which is appropriate. The title track is kind of a slow-burner, but not in a bad way. It's not really a ballad, more like a heavy, doomy number with lots of mystique about it - I really like it. Then you've got tracks like 'Rebels' - a strong slab of Germanic power metal with a particularly gravelly Chris Boltendahl vocal performance. 'Valley of Tears' is definitely of the power metal ilk too with it's singalong vocal arrangements, plus there's a surprisingly soft and fluffy mid-section to this song which helps keep the songwriting feel fresh. Some of the riffs on 'Execution' kind of remind me of Priest's 'Painkiller', but with Chris on vocals it still sounds primarily like Grave Digger of course. More vintage speed metal can be found on 'Spider', and 'Coming Home' reminds us all that this is a Scottish-themed album thanks to it's epic, bagpipe-backed chorus. Cool!
Really there's not a lacklustre track to be found here. 'Whom the Gods Love Die Young' is a bit devoid of energy and plods along at snails pace, but it's still kinda decent overall. The album's slow half-ballad finale 'When Rain Turns to Blood' feels a little tacked-on too. I think 'Coming Home' would've wrapped things up quite nicely with all those bagpipes, but there 'ya go! There's also a bonus track with the addition of 'Watch Me Die'. This one is a bit of generic hard rocker with a melodic chorus - fun overall, but not essential. Let's not forget it is just a bonus track though, so it won't go against my overall rating of this CD.
I certainly agree that The Clans Will Rise Again is the best Grave Digger album since Rheingold. Assuming other fans feel the same way of course (on Metal Archives they don't since The Last Supper holds an 83% rating and this 81%, but whatever!)! I think it's their best since '03 anyway! I can't really give any detailed reasons as to why this is, just vague points. Even though I really like Ballads of a Hangman, Axel Ritt's riff-work on Clans seems almost as inspired as Manni Schmidt's earlier playing on albums like Rheingold and The Grave Digger, and in general the songs just seem a little more energised than what we got on The Last Supper, Liberty or Death etc. To be honest, it's just generic factors that make this one a real winner. I'm still reluctant to put it above their '90s/early 2000s works - the production is no better than any of the last few albums (but still solid), and the songs themselves don't actually do anything better than my favourite era of Grave Digger. But it's a comfortable album in that the songwriting is memorable and retains all the signature traits that I love the band for in the first place. And once again they do the concept album thing properly, even if we already had a Scottish-themed one before. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Adam's rating: 8.3/10
BALLAD OF MARY (EP) 2011 (Napalm Records)
Another EP, but this one definitely feels more like a collector's item more than anything else. There's 5 tracks in total, but 2 of them are just instrumental versions of 'Highland Farewell' and 'Coming Home' from The Clans Will Rise Again. There's not a lot to say about them. The strength of this disc comes from the 2010 re-recorded versions of 'The Ballad of Mary' and 'Rebellion', both originally from Tunes of War. This new version of 'The Ballad of Mary' see's Chris and Doro Pesch duetting together, and it works rather well. It's also the most German-sounding thing ever with these 2! The fact it's a ballad (and was always a good one) means Doro can really shine - despite being considered a pioneering lady in metal, she's ironically always sang lots of ballads on her own records, and she helps Chris carry the song along in a new light. As for 'Rebellion 2010', well, it's been given a new lick of paint and sounds a bit glossier now. But it's still a great song. The other track I haven't mentioned yet is another version of 'The Ballad of Mary' - an acoustic one, again featuring Doro. This version is just okay. Obviously it lacks power being acoustic, but that's kind of the point anyway. No complaints with the vocals once again. I've never really been much of a fan of Doro's albums - they've always been a bit 'meh' for me, but I do like her vocals, and she's pretty damn good live as well.
Quite hard to score this one. 2 out of the 3 re-recorded numbers are great, but the rest of the tracks on this CD are just kinda there. Definitely worth a listen and maybe even a purchase for fans like myself, otherwise just check it out on Spotify.
Adam's rating: 6.5/10
CLASH OF THE GODS 2012 (Napalm Records)
- Standouts: 'God of Terror', 'Hell Dog', 'Medusa', 'Clash of the Gods', 'Death Angel & The Grave Digger', 'Walls of Sorrow', 'Call of the Sirens', 'Home at Last'
Chris Boltendahl focuses on Greek mythology on 2012's Clash of the Gods (there's a song on here called 'Medusa', naturally), so I guess this one can be considered another concept album.
Like the majority of their records, it starts with a short intro to set the mood ('Charon (Fährmann des Todes)') before the band hit hard with 'God of Terror'. This is an excellent opener - massive power choruses, massive riffs, massive... keyboards?! Yeah, the guitars take a back seat in terms of solos, because the keyboard solo here is awesome! Gives me strong '70s heavy rock vibes, and reminds me a little of Jon Lord's organ solos on the Coverdale/Hughes era of Deep Purple. 'Hell Dog' is both pummelling and melodic while 'Medusa' offers up a bit of everything - crunchy riffs, speed and power metal arrangements, plus solid keyboard work to create a nice atmosphere. Very good stuff. The title track is a slower, doomy affair - but an extremely memorable one. It has touches of folk in it, and has a very mystical aura about it. Other tracks like 'Death Angel & The Grave Digger' and 'Walls of Sorrow' bring more of the band's signature brand of high-energy metal to the fold. Then there's 'Call of the Sirens', which is a big, ballsy yet doomy ballad with yet another hugely memorable chorus. "Hugely" is appropriate, because the chorus is huge! This album ends superbly too with 'Home at Last'. It's feels like a huge epic despite the fact it's just under 4 minutes in length! And I'm not sure if I'm talking complete bollocks now, but it's tracks like this that leave me under the impression that Grave Digger may have even influenced bands like Turisas. Maybe it's just me, but I hear similarities in the way the chorus has been sang and arranged. Just thought I'd drop that into this review!
Well, you've only gone and done it again lads! For some reason, I have it in my head that The Clans Will Rise Again is one of the best latter-period Grave Digger records. Maybe it is, but every time I listen to Clash of the Gods it seems to get better and better. Hell, I think it might even rival the band's Reaper-to-Rheingold era! I definitely enjoy it at least as much as Knights of the Cross. Maybe even Heart of Darkness. My only real complaint with this album is the fact that the songs aren't necessarily masterworks - this is true of pretty much all their albums, but if it's consistently high quality, well written/performed/produced old-school heavy/power metal you're after, then Grave Digger deliver here YET AGAIN!!
Adam's rating: 8.6/10
RETURN OF THE REAPER 2014 (Napalm Records)
- Standouts: 'Hell Funeral', 'War God', 'Tattooed Rider', 'Resurrection Day', 'Season of the Witch', 'Road Rage Killer', 'Satan's Host', 'Death Smiles at All of Us'
A sequel to 1993's The Reaper?! Return of the Reaper certainly hints at this with that title! And from the get-go we're treated to a couple of scorchers - 'Hell Funeral' and 'War God'. Oh, and 'Resurrection Day' rips too! This is real metal! Fast and loud, and full of blazing riffs and guitar solos. And despite featuring synths akin to Judas Priest's 'Turbo' (!!), 'Tattooed Rider' is really a thundering molten metal cut. The tempo is brought down a little with the moodier 'Season of the Witch', but it's still a heavy 'un too. 'Road Rage Killer' is faster, but Axel Ritt's riffing this time adds more groove as well as nice usage of pinched harmonics. It's like a slightly more modernised Grave Digger, but obviously still mostly old-school in the end! Unlike 'Satan's Host', which is basically pure '80s speed metal in every sense of word. And even though 'Grave Desecrator' is kind of generic with it's chuggy riffs, there's enough energy in Chris' vocals to slot in comfortably with the rest of these tracks. The band don't slow down on 'Dia De Los Muertos' or 'Death Smiles at All of Us' either.
Any niggles I might have are pretty insignificant once again. I don't really take any proper issue with any of the last few albums production-wise, but they're all kinda samey-sounding - including this one, which is somewhat disappointing I guess. Sonically I don't think it differentiates much from Clash of the Gods or The Clans Will Rise Again etc., but thankfully the more straightforward speed/heavy metal approach of the songs do separate this one from the last bunch. There's only really one song that doesn't follow the vintage approach, and that's the album's closer 'Nothing to Believe'. Nope, this one's a ballad. An okay one, and certainly not a sappy affair - but the band have certainly recorded better ballads in the past. They've recorded worse as well, sure, but I'd have been happy with the album ending on 'Death Smiles at All of Us'. No biggie though. One random observation I have is that the band also decided to slightly modify their logo for a few years when they dropped this album. Both of the letter 'R''s in their name have this added curvature flick for whatever reason, and it's always looked slightly off to me. Of course, the album cover itself is great as usual, like I said, this is just a pointless observation! They'd go back to their original logo design for 2025's Bone Collector.
I bought these albums in batches. Like, I tended to buy 2 or 3 Grave Digger CDs every month or so over the last year while I was building my collection. It's not really surprising then that some of them took longer to get around to hearing than others. Return of the Reaper was one of them, but having properly listened to it several times now I can happily say it's another 'banger! I don't enjoy it as much as I do The Reaper which it takes inspiration from (although Chris also stated Heavy Metal Breakdown and Witch Hunter also played a part in the direction of the music), it's nice to have a straightforward speed/traditional heavy metal-focused Grave Digger album from the 21st century. Practically every album they've made in the past 20/30 years have at least a couple of vintage speed metaller or no-nonsense heavy metal anthems on them, the bulk of them also have that strong power metal style going for them. And there's nothing wrong with this either of course! But Grave Digger weren't doing power metal from the very beginning, so a proper return to their roots is welcome every now and then. And on Return of the Reaper they more-or-less nailed it. There's no epics to speak of, and I don't think the songs aren't always as memorable as the stuff on Clash of the Gods. But at the end of the day this is still a very nicely-crafted, refined slab of vintage metal indeed.
Adam's rating: 8.3/10
EXHUMATION (THE EARLY YEARS) 2015 (Naplam Records)
A collection of re-recorded songs, most of which originally came from the first 3 records (Heavy Metal Breakdown, Witch Hunter and War Games). I've always been on the fence with these sorts of releases. Depending on the band and the songs that have been chosen to be re-recorded, sometimes they make sense, sometimes they don't. In the case of Grave Digger, I can somewhat understand why they decided to re-record these tracks. I'll bet if you polled a few thousand GD fans, you'll have a hard time finding any of their first 3 albums (4 if you count Stronger than Ever) at the top of anyone's favourites lists. Not that any of those records are bad - in fact, I openly admit that I'm a fan of the debut - but I certainly think the material they were putting out in the '90s after their reformation is superior in almost every single way. So it does kind of make sense to me that the band wanted to re-recorded some of the earlier songs and bring them more up to date with regards to the production and tone. If they'd gone back and re-recorded stuff from Tunes of War, The Reaper or Knights of the Cross etc., then that would've been a complete waste of time. Those albums don't need a refresh.
Personally I think the Witcher Hunter/War Games stuff is maybe a bit stronger now. I like those albums, but they're definitely weaker than Heavy Metal Breakdown. The re-recorded versions of tracks like 'Witch Hunter', 'Get Away', '(Enola Gay) Drop the Bomb' and 'Fire in Your Eyes' are ballsier and pack more punch now thanks to the crunchier modern production, which is on par with any of the last few albums. They're also tighter and more professional-sounding, with a more mature Chris Boltendahl singing them. I also like the new rendition of 'Stand Up and Rock' from their commercial 1986 Stronger than Ever record, when they performed as just 'Digger'! As for songs like 'Headbanging Man', 'Heavy Metal Breakdown' and 'Tyrant'... well, I think I'll always prefer the original versions from the debut album! Sloppy '80s speed metal has been my jams since forever, but I can still get some enjoyment of these newer recordings too I guess. Another nice touch is the addition of 2 exclusive new tracks - 'My Private Morning Hell' and 'Young and Dangerous'. The former is a frantic speed metaller that sounds like it could have fit on Return of the Reaper while the latter is another solid, anthemic heavy metal tune.
In no way is this CD essential Grave Digger, but it's still a decent package overall. I don't see why any fan wouldn't enjoy this even if isn't anything particularly special. I personally don't take any major issue with this disc because Grave Digger are one of those bands that consistently release new albums near-enough every other year - it's not like they released fuck-all albums for years and then put out this instead of brand new material. It reminds me a lot of Saxon's Heavy Metal Thunder from 2002 - again, another album full of re-recorded oldies from another band that's nearly always hard at work putting out new music for fans.
Adam's rating: 7/10
