Grave Digger - Ballads Of A Hangman

Well, no much to say about Grave Digger, which with their long and devoted offer to the German Metal scene, have nothing more to prove. The Diggers have reached glorious fame,especially in our country, some years ago, when they published "Tunes Of War" concept (based on "Braveheart") album, but the releases that followed, haven’t been anything special. During those years some experienced musicians of the local scene, such as Manni Schmidt (ex-RAGE) and Thilo Herrmann (ex-Running Wild), have joined forces with the band. In the year 2009 a new cd (the first with Napalm Records) is born and its name, "Ballads Of A Hangman". As I told before, they have nothing to prove and therefore, don’t expect something innovative here. Typical Grave Digger sound and tracks fulfill this cd, with Chris’ recognisable voice, not at all complicated song structures, a good production and some catchy choruses. Highlights of this cliche German Power Metal release, in my opinion could be "Ballad Of A Hangman" (an epic song with galloping riffs and great guitar solos), "Lonely The Innocence Dies" (a slower tempo song with good melodies and the help of Veronica Freeman of BENEDICTUM, on vocals), "Funeral For A Fallen Angel" (starting with Spanish-like acoustic guitars and turning out to be a thunderous song, with great bridge and catchy chorus) and "Grave Of The Addicted". To sum things up, the band seems to make a strong comeback, after their mediocre previous release ("Liberty Or Death") and even if their music is cliche, their devoted fans will have something to be happy with, listening to "Ballads Of A Hangman".
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\r\nJohny "L.O.V.E. Machine" Litinakis\r\n