Opinions – Bone Collector – BLABBERMOUTH.NET

1980 was a large yr for heavy steel. The checklist of traditional albums launched inside these 12 brief months is absurd. “Heaven And Hell”, “British Metal”, “Ace Of Spades”, “Blizzard Of Ozz” and “Iron Maiden”. Oh, and “Again In Black”. And “Animal Magnetism”. And… effectively, you get the final thought. Shrewd observers may also perceive why so many nice bands had been forming round that point, because the experiments and bravado of the ’70s coalesced round a extra coherent and brutish musical template.

Many nice bands took their first steps in 1980, too. From MANOWAR and METAL CHURCH, to QUEENSRYCHE and HOLY MOSES, the last decade started with all cannons blazing. German legends GRAVE DIGGER additionally emerged 45 years in the past, within the midst of all that inspirational, heavy steel delirium, they usually have barely paused for breath since. Considered one of Europe’s most dogged and defiant bands, they’ve accrued an astonishing catalogue of albums and toured like diehards. Led by the long-lasting, gravel-voiced Chris Boltendahl, GRAVE DIGGER have all the time been totally true to the old-school bone, whereas matching the steadily escalating heaviness of contemporary manufacturing to make sure that each file crushes like seminal debut “Heavy Steel Breakdown” did again in 1984. And so they’ve completed it once more right here, on their heaviest album in a very long time.

Manifestly not for the style acutely aware or trad-phobic, “Bone Collector” is the twenty second studio album to bear the GRAVE DIGGER identify, and it delivers precisely what followers have come to count on and adore during the last four-and-a-half a long time. Maybe extra importantly, these songs are measurably tougher and extra intense than these on 2022’s “Image Of Eternity”. Boltendahl has all the time had the power to refresh the ship’s crew convincingly, and the arrival of latest guitarist Tobias Kersting (ex-ORDEN OGAN / additionally in Chris Boltendahl‘s STEELHAMMER) has revitalized the traditional GRAVE DIGGER sound as soon as once more. Not that a lot has modified, however power ranges have plainly been enhanced, and from the clobbering-time clatter of the opening title monitor, “Bone Collector” is tough, darkish and damaging, and under no circumstances what most individuals would count on from a band of this classic. It is usually fully devoid of up to date energy steel’s shiny-eyed positivity. It is a gritty, bullying steel file, with robust echoes of earlier harder-than-the-rest triumphs; the operatic brutality of 2003’s “Rheingold” and 2014’s grim and punishing “Return of the Reaper” particularly. As a lot as GRAVE DIGGER retain a penchant for extra melodic and laidback materials, even the comparatively restrained likes of “The Satan’s Serenade” and “Mirror Of Hate” arrive shrouded in gloom and steeped in gothic melodrama.

Kersting‘s guitar tone is brilliantly gnarly and laced with hints of doom. Boltendahl continues to sing like an undead army commander hurtling in direction of his subsequent bloodbath. From the monolithic, mournful crawl of “Rivers Of Doom”, to the splendidly sinister and wickedly theatrical “Whispers Of The Damned”, GRAVE DIGGER are as potent in the present day as they’ve ever been, whereas red-blooded rampages like “Kingdom Of Skulls” and “Killing Is My Pleasure” are totally unashamed of their old-school stoicism and but something however dated. As has usually been the case during the last 45 years, Boltendahl and his malleable however myopic military are protecting heavy steel alive, for true believers and the denim-curious amongst us. “Bone Collector” is superb, neck-threatening proof.