Photo: Jens Howorka
When it comes to pure Teutonic heavy metal, there’s been a consistency that’s hard to resist when looking at the history of Grave Digger. Although not always on the radar stateside due to a lack of label presence (especially in the early to mid-90s), their latest records plus touring excursions have revitalized their sound to a second (and possibly third) generation of metal followers. Their latest record Bone Collector may be a little harder and faster in certain songs, yet throwback and old school in nature as far as the hooks in others. We spoke to vocalist Christ Boltendahl regarding the work behind the new record, thoughts on the changing technology to develop studio albums in the hands of older artists, their legacy, the higher costs of touring which have limited their North American excursions, how Spotify hurts their revenue streams, plus the hopes for the band continuing on for at least another decade as a special anniversary is on the horizon.
Dead Rhetoric: Bone Collector is the latest album for Grave Digger. Beyond guitarist Tobias Kerstling joining the group between records as an obvious different starting point, where did you want to see the songwriting and performances take shape through this set of material to make this stand out next to the long history of the band?
Chris Boltendahl: At first, Tobias is a very old school guy. He’s a really good friend, a background in appreciating Running Wild, Rage, all the older bands – and he has an old school sound in his blood. With Axel (Ritt), our records sounded a bit more polished, and had a lot of bombastic stuff on there with these big choruses. Nowadays, we try to bring back a little bit of the 80s spirit. Don’t call it old school, but the essence of Grave Digger, we’ve tried to bring back to the band.
The new album is a really good bridge between the old Grave Digger and the new Grave Digger. It sounds harder, and we have faster songs again. Simple song structures, the Reaper stories are back. It’s a good way to start a new era of the band.
Dead Rhetoric: How does the process work in deciding what singles to premiere from the record? Do you work between the band members and record label to come to an agreement?
Boltendahl: (laughs). We never ask our record label about our songwriting. They trust us because Grave Digger is an old institution, so we don’t have to get any advice from any record company. The record company is run by business men, they are only looking to make money, there’s no reason to ask them about the music. Tobias and I wrote most of the songs – two of the songs we wrote with Jens Becker, the bass player, “Killing Is My Pleasure” and “The Devil’s Serenade”. We made a lot of the working process this time – we took a lot of time with the songs, with the lyrics, with the production. We said to ourselves, when we see that everything comes together brick by brick, in the end we had Bone Collector. Then we tell the record company that we are finished, now you can start thinking about the marketing and promotion.
Dead Rhetoric: When it comes to the lyrical content, is it more of a challenge this deep into the band’s career to come up with fresh ideas because you’ve been doing this for so long?
Boltendahl: Fresh ideas are a nice thought! (laughs). In this heavy metal business where we are, I don’t think there are so many fresh ideas about the lyrical concepts. We have these dark stories about the reaper, the bone collector as well. We have some true stories, “Killing Is My Pleasure” is about a mass murderer Richard Kuklinski. He worked for the mafia, he left in the morning killing people and would return at night to sit with his family, eating dinner and teaching the children. “Whispers of the Damned” is about the commander of the concentration camp in Auschwitz, he killed more people than Richard. We have typical horror stories, “Kingdom of Skulls”. “Bone Collector” is the signature song of this album though, key words full of cliches. We have the trust to do this, we are Grave Digger.
Dead Rhetoric: You’ve adapted to a lot of changing technology from the early days of professional recording studios to using a lot of personal, at home digital work stations to flesh out and complete these records. Do you see these tools as beneficial in the hands of seasoned musicians like yourselves – or do you prefer the older methods of working out ideas/material face to face in the rehearsal rooms to capture the right spark?
Boltendahl: As for the reason that I am so old now – Grave Digger is nearly 45 years old – I am really grateful that we have the new technology. In the 80s for Heavy Metal Breakdown, we bought lots of cans of beer, people would smoke weed in the rehearsal room, and somebody would come up with a riff. This is good, let’s kill another can – that was the songwriting (process) in the past. And nowadays we concentrate more, focused on the music then drinking beer. It’s a good way to work with the new gear and all the possibilities that we have now.
Dead Rhetoric: After decades of not touring North America, you’ve been able to come over a few times in the past 10 years. What was it like to finally play this territory – has it always been a difficult area to successfully break through, based on the trends or gravitation of metal towards modern / extreme styles versus the traditional, heavy/power metal niche you’ve developed?
Boltendahl: I think it was the opportunity to play with Blind Guardian that was really great. They have a solid fanbase, and Grave Digger added another fanbase to those shows. We went over there in 2015, and that tour was really successful. Then the second tour was a little bit smaller of an audience, but it was also good. To play in the US for a band like Grave Digger, I think we have a fanbase, but I don’t think we have more than 150-200 people at a show. It’s really expensive to come over now, especially with the high costs of visas, the night liner, the flights, the costs increased. It makes it nearly impossible to tour the country.
Dead Rhetoric: Is this why you’ve set your sights more on mainland Europe, South America, and other territories?
Boltendahl: South America is a really strong fanbase between 500 to 1,000 people at each show, so it makes sense to tour there. The promoter gets some money, the band gets some money, we can pay the costs. If there is 150 people in a small club in Seattle or San Francisco or New York, it makes no sense. Before you put one foot over the border in the US you have to pay nearly $15,000 or more. If you aren’t allowed at the border, you may have a visa but it is not a guarantee you will be allowed in. Then you will get fucked watching that $15,000 fly into the wind. It’s hard, but it is the reality.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you see the state of heavy metal on a global scale? Are there specific elements or aspects you enjoy currently – and if you had the power, resources, and energy to change anything for the better, what do you think needs to be worked on the most?
Boltendahl: I think there are a lot of countries in the world where you can play heavy metal. Even in the US, you could get the chance if you jump on a tour with a bigger band, it makes sense – but on our own, it’s not possible. What would we change? People should start listening to music while it is music, and not where it is on Spotify. With Spotify, the artists have no income. The income from Spotify is nearly zero. Except you have two billion streams like Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift. Is there an artist who is famous that gets big money, they get more money with Spotify. If you are an artist like Grave Digger or smaller, the money from Spotify is nothing. The only thing we have is the possibility to play live and to sell some merchandise. Nothing else.
Dead Rhetoric: You are now a part of the Reigning Phoenix Music umbrella, as Rock of Angels Records joined up with RPM recently. How do you feel about this collaboration, and the benefits that will help Grave Digger in terms of promotion and reach on a worldwide basis?
Boltendahl: I can’t tell you, ask me in February when the album is out! (laughs). What I can tell you is, directly with Rock of Angels Records it was more directed, because there were only two people at the label – the owner and the label manager. Now we have more people involved, the waits are a little bit longer, the answers take longer if you have questions. I haven’t had any experience with Reigning Phoenix, so the earliest I would be able to tell you is in February.
Dead Rhetoric: Now approaching the 45th anniversary of Grave Digger, what would you consider some of the special highlights in the career of the group? Either specific albums, tours, festival appearances, or other events where you knew you were making a significant impact with your work/craft?
Boltendahl: At the end, we have had an impact on a lot of bands all over the world. They have us as idols for smaller bands, they try to repeat our sound a bit. In the end, we have a signature sound, that’s the reason why we are in the business nowadays, and how we can celebrate the 45th anniversary next year. The only thing I can tell the smaller bands is to live your dream. My son is now 18 years old, a very good guitar player and singer. He told me he wants to be a rock star in 10 years – I said okay, live your dream. Perhaps he will reach it like me. I am not a rock star like Bruce Dickinson or Rob Halford, but if in 20 years people will say there is a band like Grave Digger people will remember me.
Dead Rhetoric: Running your own studio, you often help younger bands also get the chance to record material and help shape their recordings. What sort of aspects do you like to work with them on to make the final product much better in the end? Are you more hands on or hands off depending on what the artist is seeking to achieve based on the project/band on hand?
Boltendahl: I always try to help younger bands. To give one or two of my experiences to these bands. And if they are open (to it), they can learn. My goal through the studio process is to explain what I am doing, and think about this. It’s very good the communication with younger bands. There are also bands that don’t want to listen to your advice or experience, and I can’t help them. I can make a lot of things better, because I’ve been in the business for so long, I have my experience and I can help them, no problem.
Dead Rhetoric: Do you believe a lot of the younger musicians are better prepared than you were- or the fact that older bands had to put in a lot of hard work and energy and effort into things before the internet, where younger musicians have things a little easier due to the tools of the internet?
Boltendahl: For sure, the internet makes things a lot easier for the younger musicians. When we started in Germany, there was only Accept and The Scorpions. I never had the possibility to call Rudolf Schenker and ask him to help me with advice. Nowadays, people are so connected, it’s a global internet. There are so many possibilities to reach each other, people ask for advice, and I can help them. I get a lot of requests from bands to sing on their records – but if I do that for every band, I would do this for 24 hours a day on different records. I have to feed my family, so you have to pay me for that. Sometimes they say okay, sometimes they say no. It’s a small world.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s left on the bucket list that you’d like to achieve either with Grave Digger or any other musical projects/endeavors?
Boltendahl: That is a nice question. I would like to play Madison Square Garden, because it’s the one and only big venue for rock music that is a temple of the world. I don’t know if I can reach that goal – but I have a lot of dreams, and a lot of them came true. There could be the possibility before the coffin is open, I jump in and played in Madison Square Garden, before it closes.
Dead Rhetoric: When it comes to playing live with Grave Digger, do you have a preference on club shows versus theaters or festivals?
Boltendahl: The energy in smaller clubs or smaller festivals is much higher than the bigger ones on the open-air festival stages. At Wacken, you have a crowd of people, you can’t see them all, but if you are playing in a club of 500 people, the heat and interaction are higher, the energy you can feel that, and the people can feel your energy directly. In the end, both are very nice. Big festivals are a cool thing to do, but I prefer the smaller clubs a little more.
Dead Rhetoric: How do you handle stress, anxiety, or negative energy when it comes to the business side of things for Grave Digger? Are there specific tools or tricks you’ve used along the way to reframe things and come out more positive and stronger in the end?
Boltendahl: I go back to my golf course. Playing an 18-hole round of golf, then I think nothing is so important!
Dead Rhetoric: What’s on the agenda for Grave Digger for the upcoming year or so as far as touring, festivals, and other promotional activities?
Boltendahl: I hope that we are able to stay healthy, because I want to entertain people for the next decade. If we don’t have another World War, the possibilities are high because of having another Russian dictator or other people in the world, trying to bring all their interests in through war. We should keep this in mind in freedom and peace. We hope to do it for the people with shows and albums, to take them out of this shit and fill their energy again with a Grave Digger show and an excellent Grave Digger album.