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)
Scotland United
Grave Digger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Scots follow you
Into battle
We will go
Conquer Lothian
To the river Forth
Overcome the Angels
Defeated Ecgfrith
at Nectan's Mere
Subdued the picts
we feel no fear
Forge a kingdom
Take you down
Cut to pieces
In blood you'll drown
Fires in the sky we saw for 30 days they shone
Fate is on our side forever win the scottish throne
[Chorus:]
United,united, we stand
United-united, forever and ever
Into battle
Kill and fight
Forge a kingdom
Scotland unite
Malcom King
You won the right
Take the throne
Scotland united
It's the year 1018
march for your country
to the battle of Carham
We will spell history
The lyrics of Grave Digger's song "Scotland United" invoke the spirit of Scottish kings and warriors of the past, specifically Malcolm King, who led Scottish armies into battle against the English. The opening lines "Malcolm King, Scots follow you, into battle we will go" set the tone for the rest of the song, emphasizing the unfaltering loyalty and courage of Scottish soldiers.
The song further celebrates the Scottish victories over the English in Lothian and Nectan's Mere, where Scottish forces defeated Ecgfrith and subdued the Picts. The lyrics assert that the Scots felt no fear in battle and were determined to create a kingdom and take down their foes. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "United, united, we stand", emphasizes the importance of Scottish unity in achieving victory.
The song concludes with a call to action for all Scots to march for their country and make history at the Battle of Carham in 1018. The lyrics powerfully convey a sense of national pride and determination, inspiring listeners to stand together and fight for what they believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
Malcom King
Addressing King Malcolm III, who reigned over Scotland from 1058 to 1093.
Scots follow you
The people of Scotland are led by King Malcolm III and are ready to follow him into battle.
Into battle
The Scottish army is marching toward the enemy in order to fight them.
We will go
The Scottish army is committed to engaging in battle.
Conquer Lothian
The Scottish army intends to conquer the historical region of Lothian, located in southeast Scotland.
To the river Forth
The Scottish army plans to move past Lothian all the way to the River Forth which forms the boundary between the Scottish lowlands and highlands.
Overcome the Angels
Refers to the Anglo-Saxons, who the Scots hope to defeat in battle.
Win the war
The Scottish army hopes to emerge victorious from the conflict with their enemies.
Defeated Ecgfrith
Refers to King Ecgfrith of Northumbria, who the Scots overcame in battle at Nectan's Mere in the year 685.
at Nectan's Mere
The location in northern England where King Ecgfrith was defeated by the Scots.
Subdued the picts
The Scots were able to conquer the Picts, another group of people who occupied Scotland.
we feel no fear
The Scottish army is confident and unafraid of the enemy.
Forge a kingdom
The Scots will create a kingdom of their own with Malcolm III as their king.
Take you down
The Scottish army intends to defeat and conquer their enemies.
Cut to pieces
The Scottish army will destroy their enemies in battle, potentially inflicting severe damage.
In blood you'll drown
The battle will be intense and bloody with the enemy suffering many casualties.
Fires in the sky we saw for 30 days they shone
Literal language describing a natural phenomenon - most likely referring to an aurora borealis (northern lights) display.
Fate is on our side forever win the scottish throne
The Scots believe that they will emerge victorious and secure their kingdom for future generations. Their success is aided by luck or destiny.
United,united, we stand
The Scots are united as a people under their king and army leader.
United-united, forever and ever
The unity of the Scots will remain strong and last long into the future.
Into battle
Reiteration of the Scottish army's readiness to face their enemies in combat.
Kill and fight
The Scots will fight to the death to emerge victorious in battle.
Scotland unite
A rallying cry and call to arms for the Scottish people to band together toward a common goal.
Malcom King
Reiteration of the Scottish king's leadership role in the Scottish army.
You won the right
King Malcolm III was entitled and deserving of the Scottish throne due to his military prowess and leadership abilities.
Take the throne
The Scottish people are determined to see Malcolm III take his rightful place as their king.
Scotland united
The unification of Scotland under Malcolm III's reign will create a more powerful and prosperous nation.
It's the year 1018
Refers to the timing of the Battle of Carham, which took place in the year 1018 AD.
march for your country
A patriotic call to action for the Scottish people to fight for the future of their nation.
to the battle of Carham
The Scottish army is preparing for a major conflict against their enemies at the Battle of Carham.
We will spell history
The Scottish army's success in the Battle of Carham will go down in history as a significant and memorable event.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS BOLTENDAHL, THOMAS GOETTLICH, UWE WALTER LULIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charlie Zelenowski
I am a Stewart but I am only 43% Scottish.
I was raised by a man named Dench (Old english for Danish)
I have more respect for him, than I could show a thousand people.
That being said I am proud of my ancestry too and always wondered why the sound of bagpipes got my blood moving.
Bagpipes are my alarm, from now until I am in the ground.
I must warn not to play bagpipes at my funeral as you may wake me up.
Rory Manton
I am convinced that rock and metal fans appreciate good music, no matter what type it is, and are more supportive of good music, than any other groups of fans.
Keith Riggle
Anybody that claims to love music would have it no other way I listen to everything and by that I mean from Beethoven to slayer Native American flute to DMX if there's a mood there's a genre
Paul Vondal
@Keith Riggle same man I listen to my mother told me a lot hell I’ve got like 4 comments over
Michael
@Keith Riggle I make you right Keith, spot on mate!
My PS4 Vault Of Banter
@Keith Riggle ever talk to someone about the music they like and they say "oh I don't have a favourite I listen to everything."
And then you ask them "what metal do you like?" and they answer "oh I don't like metal." Haha
But yeah, you make a valid point, if rock/metal is your starting point it'll flow quite nicely into most genres, like Fighter by Christina Aguilera is such a good song! But if you ask a pop fan their opinion on Enter Sandman or Come As You Are and they'll look at you as if you have 10 heads ha
Marastife
Damn right we are
World Wide Web
Is it just me or does the bagpipes evoke a sensation of pride and energy within? What an amazing sound!!
Johnny Utah
I think no other instrument can bring out the gamete of emotions like the bagpipes. Everything from sadness to invigorating. Truly moving....
cooker4000
But Germans playing Scotland the Brave??!?
World Wide Web
@cooker4000 lol do not limit yourself to such boundaries it is music! Art, and entertainment!