Grave Digger - Heavy Metal Breakdown (1984)

I love Grave Digger. I guess it's the imagery because I recall this album and the 'Witch Hunter' lps back in the day and as they sat in the local record racks I felt drawn to their almost medieval majesty and wanted to run off to the woods to live. This German bunch, who at the time slotted nicely alongside Helloween and Running Wild, were always just below the big league of thrash/power metal titans, but I always preferred this type of metal. It seems so sincere, if a little amateurish but the anthemic 'We Wanna Rock You', 'Headbanging Man' and the brilliant title track were just perfect fodder for us rebellious teenagers who thought lightning a fire in the local woods was pretty evil!! European metal always had a cutting edge - maybe it was the wall of guitars, or the chain mail vocal style of Mr Boltendahl, either way, Grave Digger sounded like they lived in a castle and probably recorded their albums in the dungeon. For its time 'Heavy Metal...' is a mini-classic, wrapped up in one of those magical album covers and blessed with a sound that your parents would deem a racket. An essential album for dark nights by the sea...or an ill-lit bedroom.

8/10