Grave Digger "Symbol Of Eternity (Digipak, Greece, ROAR!/Rock of Angels Records, ROAR2208DIGI)"

Symbol of Eternity is the twenty-first studio album by German heavy metal band Grave Digger, released on 26 August 2022 by Napalm Records. The album continues the band's story of the Crusaders, first explored in their 1998 album Knights of the Cross. It is the last album to feature guitarist Axel Ritt as he departed the band on 10 September 2023. He was replaced with former Orden Ogan guitarist Tobias Kersting.

Track listing

1. "The Siege of Akkon" 1:04
2. "Battle Cry" 3:53
3. "Hell Is My Purgatory" 3:52
4. "King of the Kings" 4:44
5. "Symbol of Eternity" 5:19
6. "Saladin" 0:37
7. "Nights of Jerusalem" 4:40
8. "Heart of a Warrior" 3:47
9. "Grace of God" 4:24
10. "Sky of Swords" 4:16
11. "Holy Warfare" 3:44
12. "The Last Crusade" 5:21
13. "Hellas Hellas" (Vasilis Papakonstantinou cover) 3:59

Time:  49:44

Conceptual album based on the Knights Templar, the Crusades and the Holy Grail.

Sequel album to 1998's "Knights of the Cross".

Official video:

- 'Hell Is My Purgatory',

- 'King of the Kings'.

Official lyric video:

- 'Battle Cry'.

The bonus track, "Hellas Hellas", has been a staple in Grave Digger's sets whenever they played Greece, since the 90s. Chris Boltendahl heard it while holidaying in Greece, learned it phonetically, and sang it for their Greek fans. R.D. Liapakis helped Chris with pronunciation for this recorded version.

Recording information:

Mixed and mastered at Graveyard Studios, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany from November 2021 to February 2022.

Guitars, bass, and drums were recorded at Meadow Studios, Babenhausen, Hesse, Germany.

Vocals recorded at Graveyard Studios, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Grave Digger "Symphony Of Death (EP, Germany, GUN Records, GUN 039)"

Symphony of Death is an EP released by Grave Digger in April 14th, 1994.

Tracklist:

1. Intro 00:57  
2. Symphony of Death 04:26  
3. Back to the Roots 04:27  
4. House of Horror 03:36   
5. Shout It Out 03:09
6. World of Fools 05:05   
7. Wild and Dangerous 02:45  

Time:  24:25  

Recording information:

Drums were recorded at Karo Studios/Brackel.

Guitars, bass, and vocals recorded at Soundhaus Studio/Hamburg.

Mixed at Fairland Studio/Bochum.

Grave Digger "Tunes Of War (Digipak, Germany, GUN Records, GUN 146)"

Tunes of War is the seventh studio album by German heavy metal band Grave Digger. It is a concept about the Scottish struggles for independence from England, from the medieval conflicts between its clans in the 11th century through to the Jacobite rebellion of the 18th. This is the first album to feature drummer Stefan Arnold, and the last album to feature bassist Tomi Göttlich.

It is the first album in Grave Digger's trilogy of medievally inspired concept albums which was continued by Knights of the Cross (1998) and concluding with Excalibur (1999).

Track listing

All songs composed & arranged by Grave Digger.

1. "The Brave" (Intro) 2:24
2. "Scotland United" 4:35
3. "The Dark of the Sun" 4:32
4. "William Wallace (Braveheart)" 5:01
5. "The Bruce" 6:57
6. "The Battle of Flodden" 4:04
7. "The Ballad of Mary (Queen of Scots)" 5:00
8. "The Truth" 3:50
9. "Cry for Freedom (James the VI)" 3:16
10. "Killing Time" 2:52
11. "Rebellion (The Clans Are Marching)" 4:05
12. "Culloden Muir" 4:05
13. "The Fall of the Brave" (Outro) 1:58
14. "Heavy Metal Breakdown" (Re-recorded version) 4:31
15. "Witchhunter" (Re-recorded version) 3:14
16. "Headbanging Man" (Re-recorded version) 3:55

Total length: 1:04:19

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed in May 1996 at Principal Studios in Senden, Münster, Germany.

The bonus tracks are re-recordings of some of Grave Digger's earliest material.

Chris Boltendahl - producer

Uwe Lulis - producer

Suno Fabitch - mixing, engineering

John Cremer - mastering

Andreas Schöwe - photography

Andreas Marschall - cover art

Ines Phillip - photography

Grave Digger "Knights Of The Cross (Japan, Victor Entertainment, VICP-60596)"

Knights of the Cross is the eighth studio album by German heavy metal band Grave Digger. It was released in 1998. It is the second album of the Middle Ages Trilogy, and the first Grave Digger album to feature former Running Wild bassist Jens Becker.

It is mentioned in the first track, Deus lo Vult, that "this is the fascinating tale of the Templars, probably the most powerful and mysterious organisations of the Middle Ages. The Order of The Poor Knights Of Christ and the Temple Of Solomon, originate from a group of nine Aristocrates, whose sole aim was the protection of the Holy Land. So let us undertake a journey into the past, back to the origin, rise and fall of the Order of the Templars. A journey, which will lead as to the legendary world of the Knights of the Cross."

The album tells the story of the Knights Templar from the times of the Order's birth in 1119, through the years of its glory, and finally to its fall in 1312. The first song describes the First Crusade organised in the West after Muslim victories in Asia Minor over the weakening forces of Byzantine Empire ("Deus Lo Vult", "Knights of the Cross"). Subsequent songs mention the foundation of the Knights Templar by French knight Hugues de Payens in 1119 after the establishing of the Kingdom of Jerusalem ("Monks of War"), and the new danger to the Franks brought some time later by Saladin's Egyptian armies and Nizari sect of Hashashim ("Heroes Of This Time", "Fanatic Assassins"). Then the album deals with cruelties of the Third Crusade led by Richard I of England and Philip Augustus of France ("Lionheart"), and with the myth of Templars holding the Holy Grail ("Keeper Of The Holy Grail"). The next four songs deals with the tragic end of the Order: putting hundreds of Knights Templar under arrest in 1307 to face the Inquisition on false accusations by French king Philip the Fair of heresy and homosexual practices within the Order ("Inquisition"), prisoners' statements - forced under torture - about worshipping the demon Baphomet which led to Order's cancellation by Pope Clement V in 1312 ("Baphomet"), the escape of some former Templar Knights into Scotland ("Over the Sea"), and the execution of Order's last Grand Master Jacques de Molay in 1314, who was believed to curse the King and the Pope from his stake while being burned alive, so both of them would die the same year he did ("The Curse of Jacques"). The last song deals with the alleged help of former Templar Knights to the Scots during the Battle of Bannockburn, which allowed them to acquire independence from the English rule ("Battle of Bannockburn").

The album mixes historical accurate content (the Templars' founding and their demise under false accusations at the hand of Philip IV of France, Richard Lionheart on crusade) with myths and legends (i.e. the Holy Grail, the curse of Jacques de Molay, the cult of Baphomet, the Templars' alleged role in the Battle of Bannockburn).

Track listing

All songs composed and arranged by Chris Boltendahl and Uwe Lulis except where noted. All lyrics by Boltendahl and Yvonne Thorhauer.

1. "Deus lo Vult" Hans Peter Katzenburg 2:28
2. "Knights of the Cross" 4:35
3. "Monks of War" 3:38
4. "Heroes of This Time" 4:10
5. "Fanatic Assassins" 3:40
6. "Lionheart" 4:33
7. "The Keeper of the Holy Grail" 5:57
8. "Inquisition" 3:47
9. "Baphomet" 4:12
10. "Over the Sea" 3:51
11. "The Curse of Jacques" 4:52
12. "The Battle of Bannockburn" 6:42
13. "Kill the King (Rainbow cover)"  4:27  
14. "Children of the Grave" (Black Sabbath cover) Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward 4:28

Total length: 01:01:18

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed in February and March 1998 at Principal Studios in Senden, Münster, Germany.

Chris Boltendahl - producer

Uwe Lulis - producer

Suno Fabitch - mixing, engineering

John Cremer - mastering

Markus Mayer - cover art

Jens Rosendahl - photography