The Inside Pulse:
Forming in late 1980, Grave Digger are no strangers to the metal scene. Hailing from Germany, Grave Digger is responsible for much of the German metal that has been released for the past 15 years. On May 7th, 2005, they recorded the live album 25 to Live in recognition of their 25th anniversary. Let’s see how it stacks up against other live albums.
Positives:
They can do power metal like no one else. Put them in a room with Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Metallica and they will be able to stay neck and neck with them. Unlike the latter bands however, Grave Digger never received the acclaim in North America that they deserve.
As for live recordings, this may be the best sounding one I have ever heard, stand right there with Metallica’s S&M and AC/DC’s Live. Vocals are crystal clear, all the instruments are tuned perfectly and the crowd noise is kept to a minimum during the songs, but are accelerated during certain portions of the songs and in between the songs.
Negatives:
It’s a live album so it simply won’t be for everyone.
Cross-breed:
Metallica’s Master of Puppets merged with some Judas Priest with a little Iron Maiden thrown in.
Reason to buy:
Since a lot of the 80’s metal bands today aren’t worth a lick, give this album a chance. It puts a lot of the new bands to shame and since this set comes with a live DVD, there’s no reason not to purchase this set.
