Launched Via: RPM ROAR
Unencumber Date: January seventeenth, 2025
Style: Heavy/Energy Steel
Hyperlinks: https://www.grave-digger.de/
Line Up:
Chris Boltendahl – Vocals
Tobias Kersting – Guitars
Jens Becker – Bass
Marcus Kniep – Drums
Tracklist:
1. Bone Collector
2. The Wealthy, the Deficient, the Death
3. Kingdom of Skulls
4. Thw Satan’s Serenade
5. Killing is My Excitement
6. Replicate of Hate
7. Riders of Doom
8. Product of Insanity
9. Graveyard Kings
10. Without end Evil and Buried Alive
11. Whispers of the Damned
It’s uncommon to peer a steel band nonetheless firing on all cylinders after 4+ a long time, however that’s very a lot the case with German heavy/steel band Grave Digger, who can be celebrating their 45th anniversary in 2025, and they are going to be doing so with the discharge in their 22nd complete period album, Bone Collector. The previous few years had been very busy for frontman Chris Boltendahl, who’s appearing no indicators of slowing down in any way, as he continues to unencumber nice new tune on a constant foundation. Following a short lived smash to paintings on a solo undertaking, he has returned with a brand new album from his major band, and it’s one longtime lovers particularly are certain to like, because it has an excessively vintage, very uncooked sound to it.
Grave Digger have all the time been recognized for having an competitive, guitar pushed sound, with very heavy riffs, intense, uncooked vocals, and a focal point on natural steel and not using a nonsense, and all of this is very a lot true of Bone Collector. If truth be told, the band has said that that is their first actual album not to have a unmarried use of keyboards, leaving the guitar, bass and drums to do the entire heavy lifting, and naturally, “heavy” is the optimum phrase right here. The band has an excessively distinct sound, and their albums are all the time at the heavier facet of energy steel, however a few of their previous few albums had been a little bit extra melodic every now and then, which is indubitably now not the case this time round. This album harkens again to the band’s outdated days, and is by means of a long way their rawest sounding album since a minimum of Go back of the Reaper, regardless that I’d say it’s much more uncooked and vintage sounding than that album used to be. The songs right here aren’t moderately as uncooked and primitive sounding as the ones on Exhumation (a selection of re-recorded tracks from the band’s first 3 albums) however the general sound may be very uncooked and old-school sounding, with the manufacturing feeling intentionally dialed again to permit the heaviness of the guitars and drums to completely shine thru. Whilst maximum in their fresh albums have been a mixture of heavy steel and gear steel, I’d say this album brings again one of the vital intense, fiery velocity steel sound that they had on their first few albums, as some songs listed here are very thrashy, and strangely fast moving, even by means of energy steel requirements, with “The Wealthy, the Deficient, the Death” particularly virtually sounding like natural thrash at issues.
There’s been a big trade to the lineup since Image of Eternity, which is the departure of guitarist Axel Ritt, who’s been changed by means of Tobias Kersting. He will have to be acquainted to Orden Ogan lovers, in addition to those that listened to Boltendahl’s Steelhammer solo album in 2023, as he used to be the lead guitarist on that album. For probably the most phase, the guitar paintings is in step with what longtime lovers would be expecting, because it’s very competitive, very full of life and really uncooked sounding. If the rest, I’d say there’s a little bit extra of a thrash/velocity steel affect in one of the vital guitar paintings, and the guitar solos are a little bit extra technical and extra adventurous at issues. General, he suits in completely with the band, and indubitably does an ideal activity of bringing the type of vintage steel sound Boltendahl goes for with this album. In contrast to the previous few albums, there’s no overarching thought right here, regardless that the bleak reaper is discussed a couple of occasions, and there’s subject matters of dying and violence right through, that are each conventional Grave Digger fare. Songwriting is superb right through, with a pleasant mixture of speedier tracks, some mid-paced tracks, and a form of energy ballad, which closes out the album. It’s now not probably the most dynamic or distinctive Grave Digger album, however there’s an excellent drift to the tracks, and each monitor is excellent in its personal approach. Clearly, Boltendahl is as robust and animated as standard along with his vocals, and his voice nonetheless sounds as nice as ever.
The album kicks off with the name monitor, which opens up with some sound results, earlier than the heavy guitar paintings kicks in, and it briefly becomes the type of full of life, up-tempo opener lovers would be expecting from the band. The guitars are thick and heavy right through, with an excessively vintage sound, and Boltendahl sounds fiery as all the time right through the verses, which transfer at a gradual tempo. The refrain slows down somewhat, however continues to be intense, with a gradual rhythm to the drums and vocal supply, which in reality places an additional emphasis at the lyrics. The guitar solo may be very vintage sounding, and sounds nice. Subsequent is “The Wealthy, the Deficient, the Death”, which opens up in no time with some thrashy guitar paintings, and as soon as the drums absolutely kick in it is going complete throttle, transferring at a frantic tempo, with some extremely uncooked, competitive guitar paintings and intense vocals from Boltendahl. It by no means loses momentum at any level, continuously transferring alongside in a hurry, and it’s by means of a long way one of the vital speediest and maximum thrash infused songs I’ve ever heard from Grave Digger. The verses are already intense, however the refrain by hook or by crook manages so as to add an additional layer of heaviness to the guitar paintings, whilst the vocal supply stays intense, after which the solo kicks in and the music best will get even thrashier from there. It’s an excessively amusing monitor, with a robust unfashionable really feel to it, and it’s by means of a long way my favourite at the album.
Issues best loosen up somewhat with lead unmarried “Kingdom of Skulls”,a extra conventional heavy/energy steel monitor, which alternates effectively between sluggish and fast passages. It begins off sluggish, hurries up a little bit, after which slows down once more all over the outlet verse, which is extra fairly paced, with a mixture between vintage heavy steel riffs and competitive vocals from Boltendahl. The pace alternatives up for the refrain, which is a little more melodic and catchy, however nonetheless moderately heavy, and the guitar paintings has a sinister sound to it. The solo has an excessively vintage energy steel really feel, and is without doubt one of the highlights of the monitor. The primary slower monitor of the album is “The Satan’s Serenade”, a heavy steel monitor, with a little bit of a vintage area rock really feel to it. It strikes at a slightly reasonable pace, and whilst the guitar continues to be somewhat heavy, it has a extra restrained and melodic sound, in comparison to on the last few tracks. The verses are very laid again, whilst the refrain is a little more intense, with a robust emphasis at the vocals. It’s an excessively amusing and catchy monitor, and whilst it’s now not one in all my favorites at the album, I will be able to see it being numerous amusing in a reside environment.
Most likely probably the most prototypical Grave Digger monitor at the album is “Killing is My Excitement”, which feels extra in step with their last few albums, whilst nonetheless sounding a little bit extra uncooked. It strikes at a quick tempo right through, with heavy riffs that experience extra of a vintage energy steel sound to them. The verses are heavy and a little bit darkish in spots, whilst the refrain is a little bit lighter, however nonetheless rapid and heavy, with some very good vocals. The solo phase begins off thrashy, however then turns again to vintage energy steel, and it’s some other fast spotlight. Subsequent is a couple of slower tracks, beginning with “Replicate of Hate”. This monitor strikes at a slightly sluggish tempo, and has a vintage heavy steel really feel to it. The verses are slightly calm and laid again, with softer guitar paintings and a powerful center of attention on setting, in addition to a few of Boltendahl’s softer vocals. The refrain is a little more upbeat, and it’s moderately melodic and catchy, whilst additionally having some heavy guitar paintings. Apparently, there’s some form of growls within the leadup to the refrain, which isn’t one thing I spotted on the remainder of the album, or a lot in any respect on earlier Grave Digger albums. The second one of the slower tracks is “Riders of Doom”, and the name is moderately apt, because the monitor has a vintage doom steel really feel to it, with very sluggish, darkish and atmospheric guitar paintings. There’s a pleasant groove to the refrain, whilst the verses are slightly sluggish and moody. The music may be very darkish and atmospheric right through, regardless that the refrain is a little more full of life than the verses, and the guitar solo may be slightly laid again, however nonetheless very good. It’s no doubt one of the vital extra fascinating songs the band has accomplished in recent times, despite the fact that it’s now not a private favourite.
There’s a really nice, cushy instrumental phase to open up “Product of Madeness”, however that doesn’t closing lengthy, because the heavy guitars and frantic drums kick in in a while, and from there the monitor becomes some other full of life, up-tempo velocity steel monitor. The verses are fast moving and intense, whilst the refrain has an excessively vintage velocity steel sound to it, with thrashy riffs, frantic vocals and catchy lyrics. The solo phase begins off sluggish, however quickly hurries up and stays moderately thrashy right through. That is most probably my favourite monitor on the second one part of the album. Subsequent is “Graveyard Kings”, some other slightly conventional monitor for the band. It has a really nice groove, transferring at extra of a marching tempo, with fairly heavy guitar paintings and drums. The verses are heavy and full of life whilst the refrain may be very amusing and catchy.
The closing heavy monitor of the album is “Without end Evil and Buried Alive”, some other frantic, heavy monitor with a robust velocity steel really feel to it. The primary riff may be very vintage Grave Digger sounding, however with an additional burst of depth to it. The verses are rapid and heavy, however nonetheless really feel extra like a buildup to the refrain, the place the band is going all out, and it’s very competitive, but nonetheless amusing and catchy. The guitar solo is slightly transient, but additionally moderately technical and numerous amusing. Remaining out the album is “Whispers of the Damned”, an influence ballad, led by means of cushy, moody guitar paintings. The monitor begins off very calm, with great melodic guitar paintings all over the outlet verse, and Bolendahl sings softly. It builds up depth because it is going alongside, with the refrain being somewhat heavier and having only a slight trace of steel, after which all over the second one verse the guitar begins getting a little bit heavier, and Boltendahl’s vocals transform extra intense. There’s a longer guitar solo within the heart, which is superb, and it’s adopted up by means of a short lived spoken phase from Boltendahll. So far as ballads cross, that is indubitably one of the vital higher ones I’ve heard from the band, because it has a robust setting right through, the instrumental paintings is superb, and Boltendahl sounds strangely sturdy the entire approach thru. It closes the album out on a robust word.
Grave Digger continues to turn no indicators of slowing down, and Bone Collector is but some other very good album, with extra of a uncooked, velocity steel infused sound than any in their previous few albums. Longtime lovers will have to be more than happy with how heavy and full of life this album is, because it has an incredibly uncooked, vintage sound to it for a contemporary album, with out sounding out of date in the slightest degree. It’s now not one in all my non-public favorites by means of the band, however I nonetheless a great deal revel in it, and I feel heavy/energy steel lovers on the lookout for one thing a little bit extra uncooked, darkish and intense will have to indubitably give it a shot.
Rankings: 8/10
Written by means of: Travis Inexperienced
My World Thoughts – Team of workers Author
Travis Inexperienced is a Canadian primarily based creator for My World Thoughts, with a specific interest for energy steel, in addition to an pastime steel in all its paperwork.
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