One of heavy metal's most reliable and prolific acts is Germany's Grave Digger. The band debuted in 1984 with Heavy Metal Breakdown, and they've released 15 more albums since then as well as a score of EPs, compilations, and live albums. Initially, they played uncomplicated speed metal, but, after a six year hiatus that lasted from 1987 to 1993, vocalist Chris Boltendahl reformed the band with new members and a sound that incorporated power metal influences. Somehow, over 30 years and countless lineup changes, Boltendhal and company have managed to avoid releasing a bad album. Grave Digger's back catalog is certainly uneven, but everything the band has ever released has ranged from decent to great. Now, Grave Digger is set to release their 17th album, Return of the Reaper, on July 15th and Boltendhal is promising a return to the band's early speed metal roots.
Longtime fans will know to take that claim with a grain of salt. Post-hiatus Grave Digger definitely slowed things down a bit and adopted some aspects of power metal, but their sound hasn't changed all that much over the band's three-decade long history. Boltendhal's unique Lemmy-with-a-vibrato vocal style has remained basically the same since the beginning, the band's music has always been fairly straight-forward and free of pretension, and lyrics are generally catchy and memorable thanks to Boltendahl's penchant for writing choruses that consist of the song's title repeated multiple times. Since the band's music is somewhat formulaic, anyone who's heard a few Grave Digger albums already knows what to expect from Return of the Reaper. The only question is whether this is one of the band's stronger albums.
There doesn't seem to be an obvious explanation for what determines the quality of any given Grave Digger release. But, whatever the secret formula is, the band got it mostly right on Return of the Reaper. The album isn't on the same level as their 2003 magnum opus Rheingold, but it still contains some of the band's best material. Grave Digger's current signature sound is still on display, but, true to Chris Boltendhal's word, most of the songs on the album sound like throw-backs to the band's 80's speed metal incarnation. Songs like "Tattoed Rider," "Road Rage Killer," and "Satan's Host" combine NWOBHM's galloping guitars with Boltendhal's gravely vocals to produce the kind of music that's a perfect soundtrack to tearing down the highway astride a motorcycle. This is the most energetic Grave Digger has sounded in a long time, and "Tattooed Rider" in particular is one of the best songs the band has ever recorded.
Return of the Reaper isn't all 80's worshiping speed metal, though. "Hell Funeral," "Season of the Witch," and "Death Smiles At All Of Us" showcase the band's power metal side, and even the hard-charging retro offerings utilize multitracked vocals that give each song an epic air. The album's sole misstep is the final song – a power ballad called "Nothing To Believe." It's not necessarily a bad song, but it doesn't match the tone of the rest of the record at all. And, while Chris Boltendhal certainly has a unique voice, it's not necessarily well suited for a Queenesque tale of lost love.
Considering this is Grave Digger's 17th album in 30 years, Return of the Reaper sounds surprisingly fresh and exciting. There's nothing remotely original about the band's music, but, in a world where the metal landscape is becoming increasingly crowded with bands using multihyphenated genre tags, this album is a welcome reminder that pure heavy metal can still compel you to bang your head and pump your fist.
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