Grave Digger Bio

Twenty years ago, GRAVE DIGGER released their legendary debut album "Heavy Metal Breakdown" and conquered the heart of the metal scene.
A lot has happened in the world of GRAVE DIGGER since then. They achieved great recognition within the heavy metal community with their unique sound and became one of the leading bands in the German metal scene. Vocalist and band-leader Chris Boltendahl just released his biography "Grave Digger - die definitive Biografie" (so far only in German), which vividly illustrates all the band's ups and downs, their dreams and their successes.

Alongside acts such as Helloween, Running Wild, Sinner and Destruction, GRAVE DIGGER consistently created their own special sound and helped establish the label "Made In Germany" as an international trade mark for quality heavy metal. On their early records like "Heavy Metal Breakdown" and "Witchhunter" their style was a primary example of the true Teutonic sound. Back in the '90s, GRAVE DIGGER began working on concept albums focusing more upon topics steeped in legends and sagas. Excellent records like "Heart Of Darkness", "Tunes Of War", "Knights Of The Cross", "Excalibur", "The Grave Digger" or "Rheingold" pushed the band into higher ground of recognition, even as far as breaking into the official German charts. On "The Grave Digger", Manni Schmidt (formerly Rage) joined the band and his influence had an immediate impact on the new material as well.

With "The Last Supper", GRAVE DIGGER return to their roots. The band put the continuation of their trilogy work on hold for the time being and concentrated on writing songs with the spirit that drove them in the early 80s. Thus eleven hymns of German Heavy Metal were produced. You can really feel it: the magic and the atmosphere, just like at the times when Heavy Metal made in Germany started its triumphal procession. GRAVE DIGGER rock the house free and light-hearted, the sound comes out rough and brutish. Once again Manni Schmidt shows his top class guitar playing! Arnold and Becker provide the fitting "carpet", on which Boltendahl and Schmidt let off steam to the top of their bents. Last but not least HP Katzenburg improves everything with the most ingenious sounds since the beginning of the GRAVE DIGGER history.
Songs like 'The Last Supper', 'Desert Rose', 'Hell To Pay' or 'Black Widow' are neckbreakers par excellence, alternating with heavy mid tempo groovers like 'Grave In The No Man's Land' or 'Crucified'. "The Last Supper" is an album that leaves no one cold - the addiction factor of this masterpiece is 110% !!!