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)
Sword
Grave Digger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The story behind
How my mother died
As I was a child
My father was killed
In a fight till death
He gave me this sword
With his last breath
This foolish dwarf
It seems so clear
Can't forge the steel
Cause he's full of fear
Only the one
Who feels no terror
Can forge the steel
And create it anew
Steel by steel
The hammer falls
Shaping me
A deadly sword
With fire and power
I do well
I curse it with a magic spell
Fire, fire
Blow on the blaze
Smelt the splinters
Of my steel
Glorious sword
Now you're fixed in the hilt
And I spread out
To kill the dragon
Steel by steel
The hammer falls
Shaping me
A deadly sword
With fire and hammer
I do well
I curse it with a magic spell
The Grave Digger's song, "Sword," has a dark and melancholic feel to it as it tells the story of a child whose father was killed in a fight. The child is left with a sword as his final gift, and he grows up with the desire to learn about his mother's death. The singer comes across a foolish dwarf who is unable to forge the steel needed for creating a new sword. Only a person who feels no fear can create the perfect sword that will be put to use for the grand finale.
The narrative describes the process of how a sword is made and how it is tempered with fire and magic. The singer recites a curse while working on the sword, and this curse gives the blade its deadly power. The hook of the song is the idea that the singer uses the sword for revenge. He uses the cursed sword to slay a dragon, avenging his mother's death.
The song uses vivid language to describe the sword-building process, such as the "steel by steel, the hammer falls" and the "smelt of the splinters of my steel." The lyrics, combined with the driving guitar riffs, make the listener feel like they are right there with the singer as he crafts his weapon.
Line by Line Meaning
Stranger tell me
The singer is asking for information
The story behind
The singer wants to know the full details of an event
How my mother died
The specific event the singer wants more information about
As I was a child
The artist was young when this event occurred
My father was killed
Another tragic event the artist has experienced
In a fight till death
The cause of the father's death
He gave me this sword
The father's dying gift to the singer
With his last breath
The father's final moment before passing away
This foolish dwarf
The artist's opinion of a character who is unable to forge the steel
It seems so clear
The artist is confident in their assessment of the dwarf
Can't forge the steel
The abilities the dwarf lacks
Cause he's full of fear
The reason the dwarf cannot forge the steel
Only the one
The requirements for forging the steel
Who feels no terror
The necessary mindset of the one who can forge the steel
Can forge the steel
The outcome of possessing the requisite mindset
And create it anew
The result of forging the steel
Steel by steel
The process of forging the sword
The hammer falls
The tool used in the forging process
Shaping me
The sword is being formed
A deadly sword
The nature of the finished product
With fire and power
Two of the components used in the sword's creation
I do well
The artist is confident in their ability to craft the sword
I curse it with a magic spell
A supernatural addition to the sword's capabilities
Fire, fire
Saying words to initiate a process
Blow on the blaze
Instructing someone to take action
Smelt the splinters
Instructions to create the necessary materials for crafting
Of my steel
The specific materials being referred to
Glorious sword
A description of the completed sword
Now you're fixed in the hilt
The sword is being attached to a handle
And I spread out
The singer taking action
To kill the dragon
The intended use of the sword
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHRIS BOLTENDAHL, JENS BECKER, HANS PETER KATZENBURG, MANFRED ALBERT SCHMIDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind