Grave Digger – The Ballad of Mary

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After their 30th Anniversary appearance at the Wacken Open-Air Festival in Germany where Grave Digger invited several guests on stage with them, they decided the response they received that night warranted an extention of the guests idea into the studio, giving rise to this new EP. The title of the EP will be familiar to Grave Digger fans as a track from their successful Tunes of War album, and that track is re-recorded here with guest appearances from Doro Pesch and Van Canto, but its triumph is in its presentation of vocalist Chris Boltendahl who sounds softer and more melodic than on any other Grave Digger track to date, including the original version of this track. This is backed by a new, heavier version of Rebellion, also from the Tunes of War album, featuring Blind Guardian front-man Hansi Kursch. It’s still one of Grave Digger’s best songs (albeit with questionable use of bagpipes), and benefits greatly here from the new, heavier style. An “Extended Symphonic Version” (seven seconds shorter than the standard verion) of The Ballad of Mary follows, which isn’t markedly different to the standard new version, and then two tracks from the band’s recent The Clans Will Rise Again album with newly recorded instrumentation and new choral arrangements. Again, not much of an advancement on the originals. Fans will want this EP for the two new re-recordings, especially the meatier take on Rebellion, but might want it for a lower price than it is initially being released at given that the other three tracks aren’t really necessary. All it would probably have taken for this to have been a better release is just one more re-recording with a guest voice.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2011, EPs, Power Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Grave Digger