Artwork by Gyula Havancsák
After 36 years of touring and writing new music, Grave Digger is still at it putting out fantastic power metal anthems. Their new album, ‘Healed By Metal’ dropped on January 13th, 2017 on Napalm Records. It is their fourth release with the label and their 18th album overall. ‘Healed By Metal’ lives up to the big expectations following their previous, stellar release, ‘Return of the Reaper’ (2014). This record also features the debut of new keyboardist, Marcus Kniep. The rest of the band remains the same from the last album including Chris “Reaper” Boltendahl on the vocals, Stefan Arnold on drums, Jens Becker on bass, and Axel “Ironfinger” Ritt on the guitars. The German power metal band continues to put out strong material consistently almost every 2 years. You can buy ‘Healed By Metal’ on Amazon or you can get it on iTunes.
The title track “Healed by Metal” kicks off the album with a ton of star power. The anthem like chorus and chugging riffs throughout maintain the classic heavy metal sound that Grave Digger is known for. There is also plenty of shredding in there from Axel Ritt, who always is able to showcase his talents greatly. “When Night Falls” sends the record into an even faster gear when the intro starts with a ton of speed and doesn’t let up for the rest of the song. The galloping guitar solo is one of my favorites from the band, as Ritt continues to exhibit his ability to combine technicality and songwriting skills into one, creating a melodic and soulful piece. Boltendahl still sounds raw and aggressive as ever. The guy has been in the band since their start in 1980 and still sounds just like he did then! “Call For War” consists of headbanging beats from Stefan Arnold that lead the quick pace of the song. It changes tempo quite a bit and makes for an epic live song with a chorus perfect for the crowd to chant along to. You can stream the track below. “Ten Commandments of Metal” could be a hymn for all of us metalheads with its ripping solos and groovy bass fills from Jens Becker. This song is also strongly led by the pounding drums of Arnold. “Hallelujah” continues the quick paced tempo of this album, another great song complete with finger blistering solos and dynamic riffage. Overall, Grave Digger has once again risen to the occasion and released yet another fantastic heavy metal record. ‘Healed by Metal’ is still classic Grave Digger and will be loved by any old school metal fan. Don’t forget to pick up the album and be sure to follow Grave Digger on Facebook to keep up with new music and tour updates. Also check out their website and stream “Call For War” below.
