Grave Digger

Formed in 1980 in Gladbeck, West Germany, Grave Digger is a heavy metal band considered one of four most influential German power metal bands alongside Helloween, Rage, and Running Wild. Founded by vocalist Chris Boltendahl and guitarist Peter Masson (who left in 1986), Grave Digger has gone through numerous lineup changes with Boltendahl being the only constant member during their 40+ year career. Shortly after forming, the band played several dates at small festivals before recording a pair of songs for the 1983 compilation Rock from Hell. They released their debut album, Heavy Metal Breakdown, in 1984. They released two more albums – Witch Hunter (1985) and War Games (1986) – before changing their name to Digger and releasing the album Stronger Than Ever (1986). When that album failed, Boltendahl decided to split up the band. Five years later, he had a change of heart and reformed the band in 1991 under the original Grave Digger name. They released several albums throughout the ‘90s including The Reaper (1993), Heart of Darkness (1995), Tunes of War (1996), Knights of the Cross (1998), and Excalibur (1999). The group celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a live show in Bochum, Germany before released the album The Grave Digger (2001). Amidst more lineup changes, the band soldiered on and released albums such as Rheingold (2003), The Last Supper (2005), Liberty or Death (2007), Ballads of a Hangman (2009), Clash of the Gods (2012), Healed by Metal (2017), and The Living Dead (2018). In 2020, Grave Digger celebrated their 40th Anniversary with the release of their 20th album, Fields of Blood. The group followed that release two years later with Symbol of Eternity (2022). During their career, Grave Digger has also released several compilations, live albums, EPs, and singles.