Grave Digger
Heavy Metal Breakdown

THE REVIEW

1984 is quite a remarkable year for Metal. Many bands haven't yet figured out what they want to be when they grow up, while others already had clear ideas. Among the groups that didn't know what they wanted to be were undoubtedly the Grave Digger, led by the powerful voice of Chris Boltendhal. 1984, as we said. The Iron Maiden confirmed their consistency with 'Powerslave', while the Metallica were busy with the famous 'Ride The Lightning'. But heavy music, in general, had reached a crossroads. The idea of labeling some Heavy Metal albums, which seemed to hit harder than others, as Speed/Thrash was just being considered. Thrash wasn't yet a true genre, nor was Speed. In this oblivion, we find the debut of the undertakers, of German stamp, called 'Heavy Metal Breakdown'.

Still far from being classifiable as an album in full Grave Digger style, the album in question is worth listening to thanks to tracks that would later become musts in live performances, like the fast 'Headbanging Man' or the title track. Many are the happy episodes, such as 'We Wanna Rock You', a true manifesto of Heavy (a bit like 'I Wanna Rock' by Twisted Sister or 'Chains & Leather' by fellow countrymen Running Wild). But the album reaches its peaks with the beautiful semi-ballad 'Legion of the Lost' and the fast 'Tyrant' which give the album that something extra. Another episode worth mentioning is the ballad 'Yesterday', far from being yet another cover of the Beatles' song, but with a strong impact. Lastly, a cover of the Rolling Stones ('200 Light Years From Home').

Excellent vocal performance by leader Chris Boltendhal, the only one who will carry the Grave banner high over the years, good guitar by Masson, and without praise or infamy the drums and bass. Unfortunately, what penalizes the final score is the poor production that makes a smooth listening experience difficult. The undertakers were searching for their path, and they were also criticized for being yet another copy of the immortal Accept. But everyone has their points of reference, right?