Review 2555 : Grave Digger – Bone Collector – English

Grave Digger continues its legend with a twenty-second album.

Entitled Bone Collector, it also sees Chris Boltendahl (vocals, Hellryder), Jens Becker (bass, Bon Scott, ex-Running Wild), and Marcus Kniep (drums/keyboards, Temple of Your Soul, Veritates) introduce their new guitarist, Tobias Kersting (ex-Orden Ogan), and is released in early 2025 via RPM ROAR.

The eponymous song Bone Collector kicks off the album, first with a few oppressive touches, then with aggressive Heavy Metal joined by powerful vocal parts. The unifying chorus will be a hit live, as will the solo with fans, before moving on to The Rich, the Poor, the Dying, which reawakens the Speed roots of the band’s early days with a virulent rhythm. The track passes quickly enough, but motivates us to get Kingdom of Skulls’ raw groove, which is immediately very catchy and makes us want to shake our fists in the air and sing along with Chris. The Devil’s Serenade veers towards softer Power Metal elements, while remaining relatively more melodic, especially on the choruses where the harmonics soothe while remaining effective, before the musicians return to heaviness with Killing Is My Pleasure, a previously unveiled composition that will certainly find its place in future setlists. The acceleration before the final chorus is more than satisfying, but Mirror of Hate presents us with a softer version of the Germans’ music, with a few martial parts and soaring melodies, as does Riders of Doom, which allows for calm but disturbing passages. The lead guitar comes increasingly to the fore on this composition, but it clearly changes tonality on Made of Madness, which starts out almost mysteriously, but quickly returns to its frantic influences to carry us along for the ride. We continue with Graveyard Kings, which is sure to provoke headbanging sessions from die-hard fans, followed by Forever Evil and Buried Alive, which offers a few bursts of energy in its already excited rhythm. The atmosphere shifts one last time to melancholy with Whispers of the Damned, the last and longest composition on this album, which acts as a power ballad and allows the band to close this new chapter on a softer note.

Despite the years and line-up changes, Grave Digger remains a sure bet on the Heavy/Power scene. Their Speed roots give Bone Collector some wild bursts, making it a highly rhythmic album, perfect for contributing to their legacy.

85/100

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