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Grave Digger
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German power metal band Grave Digger was formed in late 1980 by frontman Chris Boltendahl, guitarist Peter Masson, bassist Willi Lackmann and drummer Albert Eckardt. Debuting three years later on the Rock from Hell compilation, in 1984 Grave Digger returned with the full-length Heavy Metal Breakdown; after the following year's Witch Hunter, Lackmann left the lineup, and was replaced by bassist C.F. Brank for 1986's War Games. The group then shortened their name to simply Digger for 1987's Stronger than Ever, which saw guitarist Uwe Lulis substituting for Masson; Boltendahl then dissolved the project, finally reuniting with Lulis in 1991 and recruiting new bassist Tomi Gottlich and drummer Jörg Michael for The Reaper, credited once again to Grave Digger. Drummer Frank Ullrich replaced Michael for 1995's Heart of Darkness, with percussion duties handled by Stefan Arnold on Tunes of War; with the departure of Gottlich, Jens Becker assumed the bass for 1998's Knights of the Cross. Keyboardist H.P.
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Heady stuff for an otherwise classic German power metal band, but then again, Grave Digger is anything but conventional, from frontman Chris Boltendahl’s gravel-throated croon to the band’s hybrid writing style of neo-balladry and fist-pumping, chorus-chanting anthems. The band’s long-standing penchant for conceptual pieces seeps through to The Last Supper, though limited to the first 8 tracks of the 12-song (14-song on the Euro digipack) opus. While the cover art and title would give the passing listener the impression that the band is trying to cash in on Mel Gibson’s controversial film about Jesus getting the Rodney King treatment, actual inspection resonates more like the skepticism central to Scorcese’s far superior gangster-absent (though Keitel’s portrayal of Judas leaves one wondering) Last Temptation of Christ.
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In 2000, Grave Digger celebrated their 20th anniversary; to mark the occasion they performed at a sell-out concert at the Zeche in Bochum. Many of the band's most popular songs were played alongside other less well-known ones. There were ... a number of different supporting acts appearing with Grave Digger. This concert also marked a defining chapter in the band's history, as Uwe Lulis left a short while before the concert because of personal and business reasons. Lulis finally called his new band Rebellion.
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After three fairly successful studio albums, Grave Digger dropped the "Grave" from their name and changed the their sound in an attempt to gain more commercial success. Not unlike Raven's "Pack is Back" or Celtic Frost's "Cold Lake", this album is often looked at as the black sheep of their catalog and often forgotten or left off. However, what transpires isn't quite as bad as most would lead one to believe. "Stronger than Ever" an odd mixture of classic Grave Digger heavy metal and melodic, pop metal riffs that works together about as good as oil and water. Chris Boltendahl attempts to sing here and there, drifting in an out of that signature gravely metal sound on each song. There are a few songs that stand out. "Wanna Get Close" and "Moonriders" aren't far off from some of the material on "War Games". Also, "Shadows of the Past" is a fast thrasher with a bluesy bridge that ... stands above the pack.
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Im Jahr 2000 feierten Grave Digger zwanzigjähriges Bestehen und spielten zu diesem Anlass am 11. November in der „Zeche“ in Bochum ein Konzert, welches völlig ausverkauft war. Geboten wurden die beliebtesten Lieder der Band, ergänzt durch eher selten gespielte Lieder. Unterstützung erhielten Grave Digger auch von verschiedenen Gastmusikern. Dieses Konzert markiert einen Abschnitt in der Bandgeschichte, auch weil kurz danach Uwe Lulis aus persönlichen und geschäftlichen Gründen die Band verließ. Nach seiner Zeit bei Grave Digger gründete Lulis die Band Rebellion.
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A very good compilation that wraps together the 80's era of Grave Digger quite nicely. The compilation, released in 1992 by Noise Records, contains 2 unreleased tracks, recorded during the 'War Games' sessions (Nov/Dec. 1985). The tracks "Girls of Rock 'n' Roll" and "Don't Kill The Children" are both unique to this compilation. "Tears of Blood" was ... recorded during these sessions but was released on the "Metal Attack Vol. 1" compilation as well. Unfortunately they did not release "Shine On," which is the other track from "Metal Attack Vol. 1."
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Grave Digger