Grave Digger - The Living Dead (2018)

It seems like the Germans in Grave Digger are trying to revive the zombie hype again with their 19th record "The Living Dead", and I certainly would not mind, if it was not for the fact that the zombie craze has tried to revive itself for the last decade or so. Zombies feel a little outdated these days, and unfortunately, so does Grave Digger it seems. After a couple of mediocre albums in "Return of The Reaper" and "Healed By Metal", it gives me a bad feeling when they are unveiling another new album only one year after the last one. Let us hope my gut feeling is wrong this time.

So it should come as no surprise that "The Living Dead" is pretty much like every other Grave Digger album, classic German heavy metal with catchy choruses, sweet riffs, and a little cheese sprinkled in between. It is certainly comfortable for me as a reviewer, since I do not need to listen through the album a billion times to get me an opinion on it (I do it anyway). You sit there, bob your head from time to time, and let their age old tricks entertain you.

At the same time though, it is kind of boring to listen to this record, since you already know what it is going to sound like, and you also know that they have done this formula better previously. It does not seem to matter that songs like "When Death Passes By", "Hymn of The Damned", and "The Power of Metal" are of good quality, you are still more likely to go back to other songs the band have made half a year from now. Most of the songs in here work for the moment, but are unlikely to have a lasting impact on fans, or live setlists.

Neither the lyrical themes seem to excite, with most of them being already explored in previous outings, and other being slightly strange. "Fist In Your Face" is one of the more confusing ones, not only for the title that would be more fitting on Anthrax's debut record, but also that the lyrics do not match up with the music at all. You would think it is a hard hitting tune, but nope, it is one of the more mellow songs on the album. All of this is just weird.

Speaking of weird, when the final track "Zombie Dance" hits my ear drums I get treated with... polka? This is the only original injection from the band in this record, a strange and infectious folk metal song in the style of Trollfest that must be a homage to Michael Jackson's "Thriller". It is an incredibly strange song that has gotten me hooked, getting me into a trance that sounds wrong, but feels right. And like that was not enough, the video for this track is pretty strange as well, which is topped by the Grim Reaper leading a conga line, whilst playing the accordion. This is definitely a track that will divide the fan base.

Yes, this is another Grave Digger album that is certainly not missing any passion or skill, but it has very little new to offer, which makes "The Living Dead" a fairly anonymous outing amongst the rest of the band's esteemed discography. It has a lot of enjoyable things, and even a wtf moment, but it is a comfortable record from a comfortable band. They know who they are, and that is fine in itself, but if they expect to make any "best of the year" lists, then they have to step up their game significantly. The fans will be happy, the rest will go back to their coffins in the wait for something more powerful.

Songs worthy of recognition: Hymn of The Damned, When Death Passes By, Zombie Dance

Rating: 6/10 Fists In Your Face

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More reviews of Grave Digger
Return of The Reaper
Healed By Metal

Grave Digger - Healed By Metal (2017)

"Healed By Metal". Let that title sink in for a bit. Yes, it is one of the cheesier ones out there, but what can you really expect from a band like Grave Digger, who has been in the game for a lot of year, doing their own thing. The point is, as long as the band holds its own weight, you know that the end result will be a good one, which is usually the case with these Germans.

Well, not much has changed since 2014, which is when they last released an album ("Return of The Reaper"). It is still catchy German heavy metal with its roots planted in the medieval age. The music is familiar, the themes as well, leaving no fan disappointed. Sure, it is cheesy here and there (especially in the title track), but it works really well.

What ultimately defines a Grave Digger record is the quality of the songs, and we got several ones that has the potential to knock you off your feet. "When Night Falls" is an instant classic, a powerful charge with sweet riffs, solos, and an epic chorus that was made for loud mouthed metal heads. Another mauler is "Call For War", and even if it might be stolen from Sabaton's classic recipe of bombastic power metal, it is still a blood pumping song that suits the band very well. Then we have "Hallelujah", which... well.. do I really need to mention that it makes you a believer? Thought so.

There are a couple of songs though that are more reminiscent of classic rock than pure heavy metal, and the consequences for the album is that it becomes less cohesive in its sound. While the bonus song "Bucket List" does not make any sense at all, I do think that this different sound worked to a small extent. "Free Forever" has a really nice catchy chorus that does not take too much space, but it just does not have the punch to make me love it. Punch is something "Kill Ritual" do have in its chorus, which is arguably the catchiest one in the album, but there is something about it that makes it feel stolen. Possibly from some late 80's band or something. Oh well, it is a really fun song, and the band truly shows it with their playful performance.

While the album does have several nice outings here and there, I almost feel like "Healed By Metal" had the same main problem as its predecessor, that it just lacks the momentum to carry through the entire playtime. Songs like "Laughing With The Dead" and "Ten Commandments of Metal" tries to change up the tempo, but it ends up holding the album back instead. I guess this is a problem only a few of you would agree with me on, but I just feel like it is a missed opportunity here, they could have done it better. With that said though, it is still obvious that the band has a lot of fire left in them, so they will probably not hang up their instruments just yet.

So yeah, "Healed By Metal" may not truly possess any healing powers that would revolutionize the medical system, but it eases the pain that we all experience when we go on for a prolonged time without our favourite type of music. It is an enjoyable album with several good hits here and there, nothing too ground breaking or anything, but comfortable enough for your everyday listening session. Yes, Grave Digger delivers yet another good, solid album with good German heavy metal.

Songs worthy of recognition: When Night Falls, Call For War, Kill Ritual

Rating: 7/10 Lawbreakers

www.grave-digger.de/
twitter.com/GRAVEDIGGERclan

More reviews of Grave Digger
Return of The Reaper
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Grave Digger - Return of The Reaper (2014)

It is indeed the return of the reaper when the German band Grave Digger returns with their 17th album of their career. The band has been in the game for over 30 years and has been one of the leaders when it comes to the development of German power metal. Most of the fans agree on that the band has hit their peak during the 90's with albums like "Tunes of War" and "Excalibur", but there is no denying that the Germans still packs quite a punch in their music.

Nothing is severely different here from earlier albums, except that this album does not have a cohesive theme like its predecessor "Clash of The Gods". And it starts off in a furious tempo after the calm title track that opens up the album. "Hell Funeral" blasts off in classic Grave Digger fashion and it is sure to be a powerful piece that pumps up the crowd at a concert. The following track "War God" is maybe not as fast, but it packs a great amount of punch with its straight forward chorus. And then we have "Tattooed Rider" that is a good epic track that is the track that stands out the most in the album.

But there is something happening with the album after that track, and it is not for the better. The song quality drops for every songs and it just seems like the album does not know where to go in which direction. The songs are not necessarily bad, they are just lackluster. Some songs in the later half like "Resurrection Day" and "Death Smiles At All of Us"  saves some of the band's honor, but it is not enough to save the album.

One thing that comes up for me is that the band is trying to reinvent themselves, not only in the music, but also in the lyrics. "Grave Desecrator" does what it suggest, it has dug up famous Grave Digger lines like last supper and bagpipers play tunes of sorrow. It is still a great song, but the lyrics bug me. And when the band tries to be innovative, they fail miserably. The ballad "Nothing To Believe" is the perfect example, a boring track that ends the album in a sleepy mood. I could have sworn that I nodded of to this song at one of the listening sessions I had.

This review may come out as a very negative one and that I think this album sucks, which is not the case. "Return of The Reaper" is a decent album that is typical Grave Digger, but the problem is that the set list is not very strong and that the band can do a lot better. With over 30 years of experience, you would think that these Germans would know how to make a solid album. Oh well, some songs entertain and the cover art is fantastic, it will have to do until next time.

Songs worthy of recognition: Hell Funeral, Tattooed Rider, Grave Desecrator

Rating: 6/10 War Gods

www.grave-digger.de/
twitter.com/GRAVEDIGGERclan

More reviews of Grave Digger
Healed By Metal
The Living Dead