Early years and split (1980–1987)
After various appearances at small festivals, the band recorded two songs for the compilation album Rock from Hell in 1983. A year later, Grave Digger, now comprising Chris Boltendahl (vocals), Peter Masson (guitar), Willi Lackmann (bass) and Albert Eckardt (drums), released their debut album Heavy Metal Breakdown.
In 1985, with Lackmann having left the band, they recorded and released their second album Witch Hunter. Only after the album was completed, a replacement on bass was found in the form of C.F. Brank. Further festival appearances followed, a tour with Helloween as special guest and, finally, their third album War Games in January 1986. To promote this album, a triple headline tour with Celtic Frost and Helloween followed. Thereafter, Peter Masson gave way to Uwe Lulis; in 1987 the band's name was changed to Digger, the name under which they released the album Stronger Than Ever. The album flopped, as it was not accepted by fans or the masses. As a result, Boltendahl declared at the end of 1987, the breakup of the band.
Reformation and Middle Ages Trilogy (1991–1999)
In 1991, the band was partially reformed. Boltendahl and Lulis, along with two newcomers, Tomi Göttlich and Jörg Michael, who had been the drummer for Rage and Running Wild, released a comeback record called The Reaper in 1993. This album was a return to the true roots of Grave Digger. In the same year, the album The Best of the Eighties was released. It represented a quasi Best-of-Album of their earlier songs.
An EP titled Symphony of Death followed in 1994. In the interim, Grave Digger, now with a new drummer, Frank Ullrich, toured Germany, playing as the warm-up act for Manowar. In 1995, the album Heart of Darkness appeared. It was a very dark album with many influences from the early works of Annihilator.
In 1996, Stefan Arnold became the band's new drummer. This year also marked the release of the concept album Tunes of War, which dealt with the history of Scotland. This album was the first part of the Middle Ages Trilogy. The second album, Knights of the Cross, with Jens Becker as bass guitarist, was released in 1998 and was about the rise and fall of the Knights Templar. The final part of the trilogy finished in 1999 with Excalibur. This album explored the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Shortly after, a tour soon followed through with keyboardist Hans-Peter Katzenburg, who later became a permanent band member.
The Grave Digger and Rheingold (2000–2004)
In 2000, Grave Digger celebrated their 20th anniversary. To mark the occasion, they performed at a sell-out concert at the Zeche in Bochum. Many of the band's most popular songs were played alongside other less well-known ones. There were also a number of different supporting acts appearing with Grave Digger. This concert also marked a defining chapter in the band's history, as Uwe Lulis left a short while before the concert because of personal and business reasons. Lulis finally called his new band Rebellion.
A replacement, in the form of the ex-Rage guitarist, Manni Schmidt, was found. Along with him and the new record label Nuclear Blast, the album The Grave Digger, appeared in 2001. The works of Edgar Allan Poe served as an inspiration for the lyrics of the new album. Their first live album, Tunes of Wacken, appeared in 2002. This was coupled with the release of their first DVD of the same name. The next album Rheingold was released on 26 May 2003, which centered on the opera Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner. They embarked on a tour in support of the album into early 2004.
The Last Supper and Ballads of a Hangman (2005–2009)
After the successful Rheingold Tour, the band recorded another album, The Last Supper, which was released on 17 January 2005. The artwork was first revealed in November 2004 which received positive feedback. A number of fans were disappointed by the artwork because of the motive. The band issued a statement saying that the cover isn't a message of the Devil and not against Christians, but a representation of a depressive Jesus Christ at his last days before his death. Unlike their previous albums, The Last Supper was not a concept album, despite several songs about the last days of Jesus. A few journalists described the album as the best since Tunes of War or Heavy Metal Breakdown. According to the band, it contains "more metal, more passion and more power" than the group's previous efforts. Less than a month later, the band began a tour with Stormhammer and Astral Doors in Andernach, the birthplace of Manni Schmidt.
October 2005 saw the release of a live DVD titled 25 to Live, which was recorded live in São Paulo, commemorating the band's 25th anniversary.
In December 2006, a number of release parties was announced for the band's follow-up album, Liberty or Death, which was released on 12 January 2007. A Double-Headline Tour together with Therion followed, beginning 17 January 2007 in Essen.
In late February 2008, Grave Digger began writing new material. In mid-August, they entered Principal studios with additional guitarist Thilo Hermann to record their 13th studio album entitled Ballads of a Hangman, which was released on 9 January 2009 under their new label Napalm Records. It was their first album with twin guitars.
In February 2009, the band parted ways with Thilo Hermann due to the built up excitement of a second guitarist and with the free space on stage and musical aspects that was observed by every old band member independently. In early October, Manni Schmidt left the band due to ongoing disagreements with Chris Boltendahl.
The Clans Will Rise Again and The Living Dead (2010–2018)
On 12 January 2010, Schmidt was replaced by Domain guitarist Axel Ritt after performing temporarily during the remaining dates of the band's previous tour. On 1 October 2010, Grave Digger released the album The Clans Will Rise Again in Europe, with a North American release following soon after. The band members explain that it is a loose sequel of the 1996 album Tunes of War, "but this time not a concept album about the Scottish history, rather a work about Scotland, its mysticism and its people." On 11 September 2011, a video for the song "Highland Farewell" was made available for streaming.
On 27 July 2012, the band released an EP entitled Home at Last with the album Clash of the Gods following on 31 August 2012. They performed a handful of shows in the UK and Europe from early to late 2012 and then toured throughout 2013 in Europe and a few shows in Brazil in support of the album.
In February 2014, the band began recording their next album titled Return of the Reaper, which was released on 11 July 2014, with later release dates elsewhere. In November 2014, keyboardist H.P. Katzenburg left the band in order to spend more time on outside projects. He was replaced by new member Marcus Kniep, who would continue performing as The Reaper.
In October 2015, Exhumation - The Early Years was released, which contains re-recorded versions of the band's "absolute classics with a dynamic and powerful sound of 2015," according to a press release.
In June 2016, Grave Digger entered the studio to begin working on their next album entitled Healed by Metal, which was released on 13 January 2017. They embarked on a tour with Blind Guardian as the support act on the second leg North American tour supporting the album Beyond the Red Mirror.
In March 2018, the band returned to the studio to record their nineteenth album The Living Dead, which was released on 14 September 2018, with a European tour taking place in January 2019. On 25 June 2018, longtime drummer Stefan Arnold departed the band. He was replaced by Marcus Kniep.
Fields of Blood (2020–present)
Grave Digger's twentieth album Fields of Blood was released on 29 May 2020, celebrating the band's 40th anniversary. The follow-up album Symbol of Eternity was released on 26 August 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_Digger_(band)
Studio albums
Heavy Metal Breakdown (1984)
Witch Hunter (1985)
War Games (1986)
Stronger Than Ever (1986) (as Digger)
The Reaper (1993)
Heart of Darkness (1995)
Tunes of War (1996)
Knights of the Cross (1998)
Excalibur (1999)
The Grave Digger (2001)
Rheingold (2003)
The Last Supper (2005)
Liberty or Death (2007)
Ballads of a Hangman (2009)
The Clans Will Rise Again (2010)
Clash of the Gods (2012)
Return of the Reaper (2014)
Healed by Metal (2017)
The Living Dead (2018)
Fields of Blood (2020)
Symbol of Eternity (2022)
Lionheart
Grave Digger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's the ruler, no one is bolder
His steel - blue eyes won't show no fear
Reflecting the suffering of war so clear
A knight, a leader, wearing England's crown
Richard the Lionheart wants to put the Moslems down
He sets the sail, heading Outremer
Defending the name he bears
A man like a Lion
With a generous heart
For his sake thousands die
Lionheart - England's Pride
Lionheart
Almighty king
Freedom you'll
Bring
Lionheart
Spread your wings
King pf the kings
[2] King Philipp at his side and many knights
Overcome the Islam, souls painted white
He executes all prisoners, without regret
Corpses cover the ground as the sun sets
[3] Akkon has fallen into Richard's hands
Still war on his mind, moving to France
In one fatal moment came the end of his quest
Breathing his last with an arrow in his chest
The song "Lionheart" by Grave Digger is about Richard the Lionheart, the King of England who led the Third Crusade to Outremer to fight against the Muslim forces. The lyrics praise Richard as a knight and a leader, who wanted to put the Muslims down and defend the name he bears. He is described as having fiery red curls, steel-blue eyes, and a generous heart. The song also mentions his ally King Philipp and their victory over the Muslims, executing all prisoners without regret. The song narrates the fall of the city of Akkon into Richard's hands, and how he still had war on his mind, moving to France. Sadly, his quest came to an end when he was fatally wounded by an arrow.
Through the lyrics, the song highlights Richard's bravery and his unwavering commitment to his mission, despite the suffering caused by war. However, the song also points out the dark side of his crusade, such as executing prisoners and causing a massive number of deaths.
Line by Line Meaning
Fiery red curls cover his shoulder
Describing the physical appearance of Richard the Lionheart, with his red hair covering one of his shoulders.
He's the ruler, no one is bolder
Richard the Lionheart is established as a powerful leader and king, with no one being braver than he is.
His steel - blue eyes won't show no fear
Richard's blue eyes reflect the pain and suffering of war. He never shows fear, even in the face of danger.
Reflecting the suffering of war so clear
Richard's eyes reflect the suffering he has witnessed during war, making it clear how devastating it can be.
A knight, a leader, wearing England's crown
Describing Richard as a knight and leader, who is wearing the crown of England.
Richard the Lionheart wants to put the Moslems down
Richard's goal is to defeat the Muslim forces during the Crusades.
He sets the sail, heading Outremer
Richard sets sail to the Holy Land, known at the time as Outremer, to defend Christianity.
Defending the name he bears
Richard defends both his own name and the name of England during the Crusades.
A man like a Lion
Comparing Richard the Lionheart to a lion, a symbol of strength and bravery.
With a generous heart
Despite his reputation as a warrior, Richard is known for his generosity.
For his sake thousands die
Richard's leadership and bravery result in both victories and losses, with many deaths occurring during battle.
Lionheart - England's Pride
Richard is called the Lionheart, a name that honors his bravery and leadership, and he is a source of pride for England.
Almighty king
Richard is seen as a powerful and influential king.
Freedom you'll bring
Richard's leadership is associated with bringing freedom to the people under his rule.
Spread your wings
Encouraging Richard to use his power and influence to lead England and achieve greatness.
King of the kings
Richard is seen as not only a king, but the greatest of all kings during his lifetime.
King Philipp at his side and many knights
Richard is aided by King Philipp and numerous knights in his quest to defeat the Muslim forces.
Overcome the Islam, souls painted white
Richard and his army are victorious over the Muslim forces, with many of the enemy soldiers dying in battle.
He executes all prisoners, without regret
Richard orders the execution of all prisoners of war without feeling any remorse.
Corpses cover the ground as the sun sets
The aftermath of the battle results in many corpses lying on the ground, with the sun setting in the distance.
Akkon has fallen into Richard's hands
Richard and his army take control of the city of Akkon, a key strategic location in the Crusades.
Still war on his mind, moving to France
Despite his success, Richard remains focused on the continuing war and moves on to France to continue his battles.
In one fatal moment came the end of his quest
Richard's journey came to an end in one tragic moment.
Breathing his last with an arrow in his chest
Richard dies after being shot with an arrow, bringing an end to his life and his quest for glory.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRIS BOLTENDAHL, UWE WALTER LULIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lúcio Voreno
The purest Power Metal!! All Hail!!
Štefan Antol
Originally on "Knight of the Cross" album from 1998.
Eleni K.
Epic!
Demonetization
You know you made a good song when the people the song is directed against likes it too.