Grave Digger – Liberty or Death Review


Website: Grave Digger

Germany’s Grave Digger refuses to die after over twenty years of recording. Liberty or Death, their sixteenth effort, continues their legacy of battle-weathered power metal and penchant for storytelling.

One thing Grave Digger has going for them: these guys can write a memorable hook. “The Terrible One” and “Silent Revolution” are ridiculously catchy and fun. Well, they might object to the use of the word “fun” here, but that’s really what Liberty or Death is. While telling typical power metal stories of conquered kings, slaying the masses, and uniting against tyranny, Grave Digger wouldn’t be around this long if they didn’t do it well.

Of course, being around forever also increases the chances that a band will fall into monotony and tedium. While Liberty or Death doesn’t go that route and in fact stands tall beside recent efforts by bands like Blind Guardian, there’s no new ground covered here. It’s a tight production with focused writing and well-formed composition; however, if it wasn’t for the addictive hooks, Grave Digger could all too easily be lost amongst their peers. Still, Liberty or Death is a very strong power metal effort easily respectable by those outside of the genre’s fanbase.