Grave Digger
Tunes Of Wacken

THE REVIEW

Tunes of Wacken

If you're looking for a band that has never compromised, a band that has always marched to the beat of its own drum despite a thousand adversities, then you can stop searching. Grave Digger, in the person of Chris Boltendhal, have done the rounds, and from their formation in the '80s to their consecration in the international metal scene with "Tunes Of War," quite a bit of time has passed.

Up to what we can define as the peak of a musician's live career in the field: being a headliner at Wacken. Documenting the event is this 'Tunes Of Wacken', which may not be the live album of the century, but it certainly does justice to a band in great shape and with a respected discography. It starts with those bagpipes so loved by the Scots, featured in the bestseller Tunes Of War, in this intro that precedes “Scotland United,” opener of the same album, which immediately drags the viewer/listener with stern heavy metal endowed with devastating energy.

With “The Dark Of The Sun” the music doesn't change, and Chris incites the audience with his charisma and a voice we might define as not exactly clean. Unfortunately, I can only imagine the mosh pit that erupted during “The Reaper,” a wild concert song if ever there was one. We fly to the realms of King Arthur with “The Roundtable,” a ruthless march of war followed by the fast album companion “Excalibur” (Sword of the King!), a duo that grabs the audience, who scream every word at the top of their lungs.
Heart Of Darkness is represented only by the single “Circle Of Witches” with Manni Schmidt churning out riffs relentlessly. The magnificent “The Ballad Of Mary (Queen Of Scots)” might seem out of place with its sadness and sweetness amidst this torrent of molten metal, but it thoroughly deserves this stage as the best ballad of the group.

The band returns to spit venom at the audience with “Lionheart,” another example of what it means to know your stuff live. “Morgane Le Fay” is the song that has gained the most in the transition from studio to live, the riff that sweeps away the quiet of the beginning is simply legendary. Not even a moment to catch a breath and you're swept away by the violence of the crusades in “Knights Of The Cross,” absolutely devastating.
After the storm there's a moment of calm... the song that may be the group's emblem is introduced: “Rebellion (The Clans Are Marching).” Wacken honors the band, and you can feel Chris's satisfaction during the chorus when the crowd almost overwhelms the instruments... a great moment, no doubt about it.

In conclusion, in all its imposingness, “Heavy Metal Breakdown” couldn't be missing, a worthy conclusion to a superb concert. An excellent production that greatly highlighted a wild audience and didn't erase some small instrumental flaws and a forcibly reduced duration, giving us the sensation of having truly been at W.O.A. that day.

If you like Grave Digger, you can’t go wrong with this live album (despite the not very exciting cover), a good opportunity as well for those who want to get to know a historic band in the German and European metal scene.