This is
Grave Digger's thorough concept album about the Scottish fight for freedom in the middle ages and beyond. The album contains some very powerful tunes with aggressive double bass drums, thundering guitar riffs, pounding bass, and Chris Boltendahl's very raw and fitting vocals, or simply classical
Grave Digger.
Among the many fantastic songs are the instrumental opening track
The Brave (Intro) with bag pipe n' Metal. There is something magical and originally melodic about this way of putting these elements together and this must count as one of the coolest intros to an album ever.
Scotland United is a perfect right in your face track that has some great grooving drums and a very ear-hanging guitar solo. The level of intensity is remarkable high and the rhythm section bursts with glowing speed and powerful bass lines.
The beautiful, very slow and passionate
The Ballad Of Mary (Queen Of Scots) rules with its brilliant symphonic keyboard parts and acoustic guitar foundation. The atmosphere created is really unique and very captivating and the vocals are amazing, melodic and soft which really shows the diversity of Chris' vocal abilities.
The mega sing-along hymn
Rebellion (The Clans are marching) is no less than a pure Metal classic, the stunning chorus really sets a magical mood and captures just the right sense of brotherhood, the high groove in the solid rhythm is also highly enjoyable.
Killing Time blast through with a monster guitar riff and contains a lot of depth, especially the mega tight bass lay a rock solid ground. Once again a huge chorus is a central aspect and here I think the song relies very much on it, anyway when it's as good as here it goes :).
Uwe Lulis has his own very bombastic style of playing and the guitar deliverance on this record is simply fantastic.
Not all aspects of the record has the same high melodic standard and the chorus parts are used to the limit at times, but seen as a whole the album seems to flow very nicely.
The chorus in
Culloden Muir seem to fall a bit to the ground and lacking something really thrilling and the main rhythm is a bit simple too. The drum solo is working well and even though it isn't the most amazing track it comes in clearly respectable, particular thanks to its aggressive style.
The majority of the songs have something really special about them, like
William Wallace (Braveheart), which just blows you away, totally filled with energy and powerful arrangements.
The slow relaxing beginning gets totally smashed by a monster fast guitar riff and then we are off full steam ahead. But this song has so much more than direct Power Metal to offer; there are complex changes and exiting interludes to enjoy too.
The interesting story spans many hundreds of years, but the lyrics seem to capture the basic elements of the story in a fitting way, and the music fits the different themes very well also. The themes about fighting for what you believe in, standing up against injustice and the struggle for freedom is important themes also today.
Each instrument puts out a thrilling performance and the technical level is pretty high in all aspects, overall the band sounds realty tight.
The album has a great powerful bombastic sound and the different instruments are well balanced, I'm extremely found of the ultra heavy guitar production.
So all in all this album is a classic Metal album without any doubt, and clearly the bands best and most hymn based album to date.
Written by
Tommy Saturday, August 24, 2002
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