Search - Grave Digger :: Rheingold

Epic metal

Sinisa Kralj | Toronto, Canada | 12/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think the title of my review speaks for itself. This is one of the best CDs in my collection. I agree with the last reviewer. This has not been a good year for real metal lovers. I can't get into Power Metal and Metallica has gone crazy on me. The only good thing left out there is Black Label Society. Well, Grave Digger definitely lifted my spirits. I checked their web site and a their new release is just about ready to go. Can't wait."

Another solid piece of power metal by Grave Digger.

M. D. Fonseca | Thunder | 03/04/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Grave Digger became one of those old friends that you can always trust... Ina world of generic and pedestrian power metal bands, Grave Digger stands as one of the few of them which has its own particular signature, sound, atmosphere and attitude. This band is much, much, much better than, for example, Running Wild, which has nothing more to offer.



Even Chris Botendahl's "love me or leave me" voice is better with each passing year, more controlled. The productin is flawless in Reinghold, altough I think that ex-guitarist Uwe was a little bit superior to Manni Schmidt (up to that point. Today Schmidt has totally been integrated to the band and playing wonderfully).



All in all, this is a very fine power metal album, who, like somebody said, uses the cliches of the genre without being used by them."

Other bands take note: this is how it's done

king wolf | Jotunheim | 09/04/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album is virtually a template for the way modern metal should sound. First, the vocalist is very good, contrary to what some people think. Sure, he has limited range, but he sings like a man, which is more than you can say for ninety percent of the sissy-singers in the genre. This style of singing is how you get the benefits of "extreme" style vocals without also getting the drawbacks (artificiality and sheer ugliness). Second, Grave Digger know how to mix in synth effects and instrumental passages to maximum effect, to create atmosphere. Third, they know that it's all about the riffs and the big chorus melodies after a solid verse-bridge buildup. They can structure songs, using the cliches without being used by them. And Grave Digger knows how to vary tempo in the track selections, giving the listener the variety that keeps a full-length from getting boring. This record doesn't quite have that level of divine inspiration that would transform it into an all-time classic, but it comes close, and certainly it has all the elements that make it worthy of repeated listenings (I have under-rated it at four stars; it is a four and a half star album, maybe higher). If you love Norse mythology or wicked old-fashioned heavy metal with modern symphonic touches, this is one you must, must own. Rheingold deserves the praise it got from reviewers, which was a lot."