Grave Digger - Bone Collector review
Band: | Grave Digger |
Album: | Bone Collector |
Style: | Heavy metal |
Release date: | January 17, 2025 |
A review by: | omne metallum |
01. Bone Collector
02. The Rich The Poor The Dying
03. Kingdom Of Skulls
04. The Devil’s Serenade
05. Killing Is My Pleasure
06. Mirror Of Hate
07. Riders Of Doom
08. Made Of Madness
09. Graveyard Kings
10. Forever Evil & Buried Alive
11. Whispers Of The Damned
I am a (grave digging) dwarf, and I'm digging a hole, diggy diggy hole, diggy diggy hole.
Celebrating their 45th anniversary, German metal institution Grave Digger decide to mark the occasion with the release of their 21st album, Bone Collector; make no bones about it, the band aren't digging their own graves just yet. They may have come a long way from their Noise Records days, with different members and many albums along the way, but the core sound and identity remain, something few bands can claim over such a long career.
Showing no signs of slowing down, the band barrel into their 45th year as a group on the back of barnstorming energy in tracks like "The Rich The Poor The Dying" and "Made Of Madness" that belie the band's years; indeed, these veterans retain their youthful vim and vinegar while combining it with the experience gained from such longevity. Bone Collector is lighter on the epics that punctuated their 90s revival a la Excalibur, which may disappoint fans of that era of Grave Digger's sound (especially as the opening title track pales in comparison to previous efforts in that style by the band); however fans of the band's earliest work can rejoice, as tracks like "Forever Evil & Buried Alive" call back to the days when the band were just establishing themselves as an act.
Newcomer Kersting's efforts ensure that there is a constant flow of stripped-down, rawness-infused guitar running from the start to the end of the record, with "Killing Is My Pleasure" a showcase for his six-string work. While Becker does the same on the bass, it is largely buried beneath the rest of the bandm making for a welcome moment in the sun when it does break through the noise.
Bone Collector is unfortunately a poorly produced affair, undermining the musicianship by presenting it in a muddy mix that resembles a cacophony more than a band. With Kniep's cymbals in particular pushed way too high in the mix, tracks sound like each instrument is fighting for a limited spotlight, standing atop one another. "Riders Of Doom" in particular alternates between which element is pushed to the forefront, rather than sounding like a natural, cohesive unit. It is unfortunate, as Kersting's guitar work has perhaps one of the best tones I've heard in a long time.
Ironically, this could have had the unintended benefit of protecting Boltendahl's vocals, long the weak link in Grave Digger. Given the right production and songwriting, his limitations can be minimised and can work; however, on Bone Collector, his ageing voice is exposed. His (understandably) weakening voice can't enthuse the amount of power that a track like "Kingdom Of Skulls" seems written for. While it doesn't hinder any tracks, it doesn't help elevate them either, with "The Devil's Serenade" not hitting the heights that a more forceful voice could take it to.
While it would have been against the odds that the band's crowning achievement coincided to mark their 45th anniversary and 21st album as their peak, you would be forgiven to have expected more from a band with this kind of legacy and quality. While Grave Digger aren't dropping the ball on Bone Collector, they are fumbling it while going nowhere fast.
Rating breakdown
Performance: | 7 |
Songwriting: | 6 |
Originality: | 6 |
Production: | 5 |
| Written on 13.01.2025 by Just because I don't care doesn't mean I'm not listening. |
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