German metal veterans Grave Digger have finished working on their new album “Bone Collector”. The band, which can look back on 45 years of heavy metal, still shows a lot of energy and passion for their music and sound. However, some changes in the last few years seem to have an impact on the new album as it sounds fresh and very dynamic.
After Axel Ritt left the band last year after 14 years with Grave Digger, Tobias Kersting took over the guitar duties. Kersting and bandleader Chris Boltendahl have already worked together in Chris Boltendahl’s Steelhammer, and now the guys continue their collaboration under the Grave Digger banner.
The band is also going back to their roots, as “Bone Collector” comes without keyboards. Guitar, vocals, bass and drums, that is it. With such an approach, the spirit of the “Heavy Metal Breakdown” album comes alive again and the heaviness of “Bone Collector” is much more present than on the previous longplayers.
The regained intensity is already present in the title track. The opener is a blasting heavy metal track that relies on the rawness of the genre. It’s a fast and furious metal track that sets the stage for the album. “The Rich, the Poor, the Dying” picks up the spirit of the title track, while “Riders of Doom” builds on a strong groove and slower tempo. The thunderous “Forever Evil & Buried Alive” is the result of pushing the pedal to the metal. Equipped with a well-forged melody, the might of heavy metal is the driving force of this pounding metal smasher.
With “Whispers of the Damned” the album also includes an impressive closer. Clocking in at over six minutes, the song takes a cinematic approach to traditional heavy metal. In the context of this album, we’re not talking about progressive soundscapes. It is more of a multifaceted spirit that is expressed through songs like the album’s closer.
Grave Digger go back in time. “Bone Collector” connects to the early days of the band and became a powerful and blistering heavy metal record that inhales the spirit of the 80’s while transporting the atmosphere into the here and now. “Bone Collector” represents the delight of denim and leather metal from start to finish.
Tracklist:
- Bone Collector
- The Rich, the Poor, the Dying
- Kingdom of Skulls
- The Devil’s Serenade
- Killing Is My Pleasure
- Mirror of Hate
- Riders of Doom
- Made of Madness
- Graveyard Kings
- Forever Evil and Buried Alive
- Whispers of the Damned
Label: ROAR
Genre: Heavy Metal
Release Date EU: January 17th, 2025
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