Grave Digger – Symbol Eternity

This time I am reviewing a band and a genre I am all too familiar with, a band which also shaped and pioneered a whole genre and has been around for 4 decades, Grave Digger from the German heavy metal scene! Their latest album which is going to be reviewed here is “Symbol of Eternity”.

Even though I am very familiar with their music, I’ve joined D Metal Galaxy chat with Chris Boltendahl to get a better idea how they pioneered Heavy Metal and how the band manages to innovate without sacrificing their original sound which resonates with their defined audience.

On the basis of this, I will discuss the following topics in the review: Theme, Lyrics, Videos and in the end I will answer if Grave Digger managed to still hold the torch of Heavy Metal.

Music

Where a lot of heavy metal bands have gone for a newer metal sound, Grave Digger has stayed truthful to their original sound. A bold strategy as 4 decades of Heavy Metal is quite a long time to navigate in one particular music genre.

The album kicks off with an instrumental that is like a battle song, then the second song starts with powerful guitar riffs and choirs just as usual. The following song “Hell Is My Purgatory” derives a bit from the usual formula. It is a song with great instrumental twists and choirs which greatly deliver very strong lyrics, on top of this it has a lot of choirs to just chant along! Moreover, the instrumental riff impressively closes off the song.

The next songs “King of the Kings” and the self titled song “Symbol of Eternity” stay true to their original sound. However the next song “Saladin” is a total surprise. For the first time I am hearing a mediterranean instrumental song on a Grave Digger album! This song not only creates a lot of freshness, but gets you into the mood for the next songs which are about the crusades and Jerusalem.

The song that really stands out in the second half of the album is “Grace of God” which sounds like a power metal ballad, giving it an extra freshness as power metal is combined with old school heavy metal and just blends in together, something I haven’t heard yet. Despite the unique combination and in order to not lose the old school heavy metal sound, the power metal influences are minimalistic in this song.

Another song that really stands out as well is “Hellas Hellas”. For the first time Chris sings in Greek, a language he doesn’t perfectly master. It is impressive how he effortlessly delivers this song without losing his usual crispness. It is an outstanding song that is accompanied with great riffs and choirs as well.

“SYMBOL OF ETERNITY IS DEFINITELY A FRESH ALBUM TRUE TO ITS ROOTS”

Music Production

Taking reigns on the music production himself has certainly boosted the album. The vocals and instrument are crystal clear and indeed as Chris himself said the album sounds so fresh. This helps the album to get a more modern metal sound without losing the 80’ties sound as it still has the rawness, but it just better fleshed out due to the production.

“SYMBOL OF ETERNITY IS DEFINITELY A FRESH ALBUM TRUE TO ITS ROOTS”

Theme & Lyrics

In Symbol of Eternity the band visited Templars once again. The particular reason for this is Chris Boltendahl fascination for the templars. This group started as a secret order and overtime became more and more powerful. According, Chris there is a lot of mystery and cruelty involved with this theme.

I believe this particular aspect makes “Symbol of Eternity” such a great album as heavy metal is all about our darkest desires. The lust for power, the violence that comes with it and selling your soul in the end to become even more powerful; all these darkest desires are present in the album.

If I compare “Symbol of Eternity” to the first album “Knights of the Cross” about templars there are a lot of differences. “Knight of the Cross” for me personally is quite a light album, where stories about templars are being told. This is enhanced by the fact that the album opens with a dialogue. Whereas in “Symbol of Eternity” there is quite a contrast with what I experienced with the first album. Straight from the beginning I am sucked into these dark times where people murder each other over power. I believe the difference is not only made by the very fact the newest album does not use dialogue, but also Chris’ capabilities of being a lyricist. It seems that Chris has become more straight to the point and much more focussed in delivering a deeper message than just the story.

As a consequence, “Symbol of Eternity” is very strong thematically, it gives you heavy metal without making any compromises while delivering the theme.

“SYMBOL OF ETERNITY DOESN’T MAKE ANY COMPROMISES ON THE LYRICS PART“

Videos

Symbol of Eternity is only accompanied with two videos: “King of the Kings” and “Hell is my Purgatory”, where dark desires are greatly displayed. The theme of lust for power, cruelty that comes with it and madness of selling your soul to become more powerful. An extra layer is added by the snow which illustrates the harsh and unfriendly conditions.

The snow gives a lot of depth especially in the video “Hell is my Purgatory”, where you can see how the templars became mad with their thirst for power, selling their soul and finding only suffering afterwards. Next to this, which adds another layer to this great video, is the fact that band members express a lot of suffering themselves. Fun fact: the band members were faced with unexpected snow during the video shooting and had to bear with conditions which made the video top notch in the end.

Summary

Symbol of Eternity contains a handful of solid songs. These songs bring a twist and freshness without sacrificing the eighties sound. The freshness is enhanced by the music production which fleshes out the instruments and vocals.

From a lyrical and thematic perspective the album is outstanding. Symbol of Eternity lays the dark things that come with templars without making any compromises. As a result, you get a bitter taste of the dark times.

All this is enhanced by the music videos. They illustrate all the mentioned elements and thus create an extra layer of depth.

“AFTER 4 DECADES OF HEAVY METAL GRAVE DIGGER STILL HOLDS THE HEAVY METAL TORCH BRIGHTLY”
MAIr