Grave Digger – Return of the reaper

German 80s metal band Grave Digger are releasing their latest album, “Return of the reaper” on 14th July 2014.  It’s their seventeenth studio album – since they released their debut album in 1984, they’ve released albums every year or two (except for a six year split at the end of the 80s). Throw in their live albums and you’re looking at a band that has released an album on average every 18 months consistently over a 30 year period – now that’s hard working.

A quick look at the track listing shows several common heavy metal lyrical themes are here – Witches, Satan and death.  That looks to me like the band going back to their roots lyrically, but the band don’t always stick to these themes having released concept albums in the past about Scottish history  and based on the Richard Wagner opera, Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Brief comments on a few tracks..

The album has a distinctive German metal sound, and opens with “Return of the reaper”, a short intro which is a funeral march played on the piano, along with some sound effects of a horse approaching before there’s a scream and the electric guitars kick in  to prepare you for the first full track, Hell funeral.

Tracks such as “Road rage killer” and “Dia de los muertos” are good heavy guitar-driven tracks and sound great, good solid metal songs.

“Hell Funeral” is the first video to be released from the album – check it out below and hear for yourself what it’s like.  I think it’s a great track and a strong opener for the album.

“Nothing to believe” is a slower song.  It starts with a piano and vocals section before the rest of the band join in on their instruments and backing vocals.

An excellent album, and one that I will certainly be buying.

“Return of the reaper” will be released on 14th July 2014

Track listing

1. Return of the reaper
2. Hell funeral
3. Wargod
4. Tattooed rider
5. Resurrection day
6. Season of the witch
7. Road rage killer
8. Grave desecrator
9. Satan’s host
10. Dia de los muertos
11. Death smiles at all of us
12. Nothing to believe